Save Me, O God

To the choirmaster: according to (A)Lilies. Of David.

69 Save me, O God!
    For (B)the waters have come up to my neck.[a]
I sink in deep (C)mire,
    where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
    and the flood (D)sweeps over me.
(E)I am weary with my crying out;
    (F)my throat is parched.
(G)My eyes grow dim
    with (H)waiting for my God.

(I)More in number than the hairs of my head
    are (J)those who hate me (K)without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
    (L)those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
    must I now restore?
O God, you know my folly;
    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

Let not those who hope in you (M)be put to shame through me,
    O Lord God of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
    O God of Israel.
For it is (N)for your sake that I have borne reproach,
    that dishonor has covered my face.
I have become (O)a stranger to my brothers,
    an alien to my mother's sons.

For (P)zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and (Q)the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and humbled[b] my soul with fasting,
    it became my reproach.
11 When I made (R)sackcloth my clothing,
    I became (S)a byword to them.
12 I am the talk of those who (T)sit in the gate,
    and the drunkards make (U)songs about me.

13 But as for me, my (V)prayer is to you, O Lord.
    At (W)an acceptable time, O God,
    in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
14 Deliver me
    from sinking in (X)the mire;
(Y)let me be delivered from my enemies
    and from (Z)the deep waters.
15 Let not the flood sweep over me,
    or the deep swallow me up,
    or (AA)the pit close (AB)its mouth over me.

16 Answer me, O Lord, for your (AC)steadfast love is good;
    according to your abundant (AD)mercy, (AE)turn to me.
17 (AF)Hide not your face from your servant,
    (AG)for I am in distress; (AH)make haste to answer me.
18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me;
    ransom me because of my enemies!

19 You know my (AI)reproach,
    and my shame and my dishonor;
    my foes are all known to you.
20 (AJ)Reproaches have broken my heart,
    so that I am in (AK)despair.
I (AL)looked for (AM)pity, but there was none,
    and for (AN)comforters, but I found none.
21 They gave me (AO)poison for food,
    and for my thirst they gave me (AP)sour wine to drink.

22 (AQ)Let their own (AR)table before them become a snare;
    (AS)and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.[c]
23 (AT)Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,
    (AU)and make their loins tremble continually.
24 Pour out your indignation upon them,
    and let your burning anger overtake them.
25 (AV)May their camp be a desolation;
    let no one dwell in their tents.
26 For they (AW)persecute him whom (AX)you have struck down,
    and they recount the pain of (AY)those you have wounded.
27 (AZ)Add to them punishment upon punishment;
    may they have no acquittal from you.[d]
28 Let them be (BA)blotted out of the book of the living;
    let them not be (BB)enrolled among the righteous.

29 But I am afflicted and in pain;
    let your salvation, O God, (BC)set me on high!

30 I will (BD)praise the name of God with a song;
    I will (BE)magnify him with (BF)thanksgiving.
31 This will (BG)please the Lord more than an ox
    or a bull (BH)with horns and hoofs.
32 When (BI)the humble see it they will be glad;
    you who seek God, (BJ)let your hearts revive.
33 For the Lord hears the needy
    and (BK)does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

34 Let (BL)heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For (BM)God will save Zion
    and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
36     (BN)the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
    and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

O Lord, Do Not Delay

To the choirmaster. Of David, (BO)for the memorial offering.

70 (BP)Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let them be put to shame and confusion
    who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
Let them turn back because of their shame
    who say, “Aha, Aha!”

May all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
    say evermore, “God is great!”
But I am poor and needy;
    (BQ)hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
    O Lord, do not delay!

Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent

71 (BR)In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame!
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me, and save me!
Be to me a rock of (BS)refuge,
    to which I may continually come;
you have (BT)given the command to save me,
    for you are my (BU)rock and my fortress.

(BV)Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
For you, O Lord, are my (BW)hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned (BX)from before my birth;
    you are he who (BY)took me from my mother's womb.
My praise is continually of you.

I have been as (BZ)a portent to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.
My (CA)mouth is filled with your praise,
    and with your glory all the day.
(CB)Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
    forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me;
    those who (CC)watch for my life (CD)consult together
11 and say, “God has forsaken him;
    pursue and seize him,
    for there is none to deliver him.”

12 O God, be not (CE)far from me;
    O my God, (CF)make haste to help me!
13 May my accusers be (CG)put to shame and consumed;
    (CH)with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
    who (CI)seek my hurt.
14 But I will (CJ)hope continually
    and will (CK)praise you yet more and more.
15 My (CL)mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
    of your deeds of salvation all the day,
    for (CM)their number is past my knowledge.
16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
    I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to (CN)old age and gray hairs,
    O God, (CO)do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
    your power to all those to come.
19 Your (CP)righteousness, O God,
    reaches the high heavens.
You who have done (CQ)great things,
    O God, (CR)who is like you?
20 You who have (CS)made me see many troubles and calamities
    will (CT)revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness
    and comfort me again.

22 I will also praise you with (CU)the harp
    for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
    O (CV)Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy,
    when I sing praises to you;
    my soul also, which you have (CW)redeemed.
24 And my (CX)tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been (CY)put to shame and disappointed
    who sought to do me hurt.

Give the King Your Justice

Of (CZ)Solomon.

72 Give the king your (DA)justice, O God,
    and your righteousness to the royal son!
May he (DB)judge your people with righteousness,
    and your poor with justice!
Let the mountains bear (DC)prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness!
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the children of the needy,
    and crush the oppressor!

May they fear you[e] while (DD)the sun endures,
    and as long as the moon, (DE)throughout all generations!
May he be like (DF)rain that falls on (DG)the mown grass,
    like (DH)showers that water the earth!
In his days may (DI)the righteous flourish,
    and (DJ)peace abound, till the moon be no more!

May he have dominion from (DK)sea to sea,
    and from (DL)the River[f] to the (DM)ends of the earth!
May desert tribes (DN)bow down before him,
    and his enemies (DO)lick the dust!
10 May the kings of (DP)Tarshish and of (DQ)the coastlands
    render him (DR)tribute;
may the kings of (DS)Sheba and (DT)Seba
    bring gifts!
11 May all kings (DU)fall down before him,
    all nations serve him!

12 For he delivers (DV)the needy when he calls,
    the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
    and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
    and (DW)precious is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live;
    may (DX)gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made (DY)for him continually,
    and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
    on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
    may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people (DZ)blossom in the cities
    like the (EA)grass of the field!
17 (EB)May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun!
(EC)May people be blessed in him,
    (ED)all nations call him blessed!

18 (EE)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who alone does (EF)wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his (EG)glorious name forever;
    may (EH)the whole earth be filled with his glory!
(EI)Amen and Amen!

20 (EJ)The prayers of (EK)David, the son of Jesse, are ended.

Book Three

God Is My Strength and Portion Forever

A Psalm of (EL)Asaph.

73 Truly God is good to (EM)Israel,
    to those who are (EN)pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
    my steps had nearly slipped.
(EO)For I was (EP)envious of the arrogant
    when I saw the (EQ)prosperity of the wicked.

For they have no pangs until death;
    their bodies are fat and sleek.
They are not in trouble as others are;
    they are not (ER)stricken like the rest of mankind.
Therefore pride is (ES)their necklace;
    violence covers them as (ET)a garment.
Their (EU)eyes swell out through fatness;
    their hearts overflow with follies.
They scoff and (EV)speak with malice;
    loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against the heavens,
    and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn back to them,
    and find (EW)no fault in them.[g]
11 And they say, (EX)“How can God know?
    Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
    always at ease, they (EY)increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I (EZ)kept my heart clean
    and (FA)washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been (FB)stricken
    and (FC)rebuked (FD)every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
    I would have betrayed (FE)the generation of your children.

16 But when I thought how to understand this,
    it seemed to me (FF)a wearisome task,
17 until I went into (FG)the sanctuary of God;
    then I discerned their (FH)end.

18 Truly you set them in (FI)slippery places;
    you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed (FJ)in a moment,
    swept away utterly by (FK)terrors!
20 Like (FL)a dream when one awakes,
    O Lord, when (FM)you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
    when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was (FN)brutish and ignorant;
    I was like (FO)a beast toward you.

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
    you (FP)hold my right hand.
24 You (FQ)guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will (FR)receive me to glory.
25 (FS)Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 (FT)My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is (FU)the strength[h] of my heart and my (FV)portion (FW)forever.

27 For behold, those who are (FX)far from you shall perish;
    you put an end to everyone who is (FY)unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to (FZ)be near God;
    I have made the Lord God my (GA)refuge,
    that I may (GB)tell of all your works.

Arise, O God, Defend Your Cause

A Maskil[i] of (GC)Asaph.

74 O God, why do you (GD)cast us off forever?
    Why does your anger (GE)smoke against (GF)the sheep of your pasture?
(GG)Remember your congregation, which you have (GH)purchased of old,
    which you have (GI)redeemed to be (GJ)the tribe of your heritage!
    Remember Mount Zion, (GK)where you have dwelt.
Direct your steps to (GL)the perpetual ruins;
    the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!

Your foes have (GM)roared in the midst of your meeting place;
    (GN)they set up their (GO)own signs for (GP)signs.
They were like those who swing (GQ)axes
    in a forest of trees.[j]
And all its (GR)carved wood
    they broke down with hatchets and hammers.
They (GS)set your sanctuary on fire;
    they (GT)profaned (GU)the dwelling place of your name,
    bringing it down to the ground.
They (GV)said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;
    they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.

We do not see our (GW)signs;
    (GX)there is no longer any prophet,
    and there is none among us who knows how long.
10 How long, O God, (GY)is the foe to scoff?
    Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
11 Why (GZ)do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
    Take it from the fold of your garment[k] and destroy them!

12 Yet (HA)God my King is from of old,
    working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 You (HB)divided the sea by your might;
    you (HC)broke the heads of (HD)the sea monsters[l] on the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of (HE)Leviathan;
    you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 You (HF)split open springs and brooks;
    you (HG)dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, yours also the night;
    you have established (HH)the heavenly lights and the sun.
17 You have (HI)fixed all the boundaries of the earth;
    you have made (HJ)summer and winter.

18 (HK)Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs,
    and (HL)a foolish people reviles your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of your (HM)dove to the wild beasts;
    (HN)do not forget the life of your poor forever.

20 Have regard for (HO)the covenant,
    for (HP)the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21 Let not (HQ)the downtrodden (HR)turn back in shame;
    let (HS)the poor and needy praise your name.

22 Arise, O God, (HT)defend your cause;
    (HU)remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes,
    (HV)the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

God Will Judge with Equity

To the choirmaster: according to (HW)Do Not Destroy. (HX)A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

75 We give thanks to you, O God;
    we give thanks, for your name is (HY)near.
We[m] recount your wondrous deeds.

“At (HZ)the set time that I appoint
    I will judge (IA)with equity.
When the earth (IB)totters, and all its inhabitants,
    it is I who keep steady its (IC)pillars. Selah
I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
    and to the wicked, (ID)‘Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high,
    or speak with haughty neck.’”

For not from the east or from the west
    and not from the wilderness comes (IE)lifting up,
but it is (IF)God who executes judgment,
    (IG)putting down one and lifting up another.
(IH)For in the hand of the Lord there is (II)a cup
    with foaming wine, (IJ)well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
    and all the wicked of the earth
    shall (IK)drain it down to the dregs.

But I will declare it forever;
    I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 (IL)All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
    (IM)but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

Who Can Stand Before You?

To the choirmaster: with (IN)stringed instruments. A Psalm of (IO)Asaph. A Song.

76 In Judah God is (IP)known;
    his name is great in Israel.
His (IQ)abode has been established in (IR)Salem,
    his (IS)dwelling place in Zion.
There he (IT)broke the flashing arrows,
    the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah

Glorious are you, more majestic
    (IU)than the mountains full of (IV)prey.
(IW)The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil;
    (IX)they sank into sleep;
all the men of war
    were unable to use their hands.
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
    both (IY)rider and horse lay stunned.

(IZ)But you, you are to be feared!
    Who can (JA)stand before you
    when once your anger is roused?
From the heavens you uttered judgment;
    (JB)the earth feared and was still,
when God (JC)arose to establish judgment,
    to save all the humble of the earth. Selah

10 Surely (JD)the wrath of man shall praise you;
    the remnant[n] of wrath you will put on like a belt.
11 (JE)Make your vows to the Lord your God and perform them;
    let all around him (JF)bring gifts
    to him who (JG)is to be feared,
12 who (JH)cuts off the spirit of princes,
    who (JI)is to be feared by the kings of the earth.

In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to (JJ)Jeduthun. A Psalm of (JK)Asaph.

77 I (JL)cry aloud to God,
    aloud to God, and he will hear me.
(JM)In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
    in (JN)the night my (JO)hand is stretched out without wearying;
    my soul (JP)refuses to be comforted.
When I remember God, I (JQ)moan;
    when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

You hold my eyelids open;
    I am so (JR)troubled that I cannot speak.
I consider (JS)the days of old,
    the years long ago.
I said,[o] “Let me remember my (JT)song in the night;
    let me (JU)meditate in my heart.”
    Then my spirit made a diligent search:
“Will the Lord (JV)spurn forever,
    and never again (JW)be favorable?
Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
    Are his (JX)promises at an end for all time?
(JY)Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    (JZ)Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
    to the years of the (KA)right hand of the Most High.”[p]

11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will (KB)remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your (KC)work,
    and meditate on your (KD)mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is (KE)holy.
    (KF)What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who (KG)works wonders;
    you have (KH)made known your might among the peoples.
15 You (KI)with your arm redeemed your people,
    the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 When (KJ)the waters saw you, O God,
    when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
    indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
    the skies (KK)gave forth thunder;
    your (KL)arrows flashed on every side.
18 (KM)The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    (KN)your lightnings lighted up the world;
    the earth (KO)trembled and shook.
19 Your (KP)way was through the sea,
    your path through the great waters;
    yet your footprints (KQ)were unseen.[q]
20 You (KR)led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Tell the Coming Generation

A Maskil[r] of (KS)Asaph.

78 (KT)Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
    incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
(KU)I will open my mouth (KV)in a parable;
    I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
    that our (KW)fathers have told us.
We will not (KX)hide them from their children,
    but (KY)tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
    and (KZ)the wonders that he has done.

He established (LA)a testimony in (LB)Jacob
    and appointed a law in (LC)Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
    to teach to their children,
that (LD)the next generation might know them,
    the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
    so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget (LE)the works of God,
    but (LF)keep his commandments;
and that they should not be (LG)like their fathers,
    (LH)a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation (LI)whose heart was not steadfast,
    whose spirit was not faithful to God.

The Ephraimites, armed with[s] the bow,
    (LJ)turned back on the day of battle.
10 They (LK)did not keep God's covenant,
    but refused to walk according to his law.
11 They (LL)forgot his works
    and (LM)the wonders that he had shown them.
12 In the sight of their fathers (LN)he performed wonders
    in the land of Egypt, in (LO)the fields of Zoan.
13 He (LP)divided the sea and let them pass through it,
    and made the waters (LQ)stand like a heap.
14 (LR)In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
    and all the night with a fiery light.
15 He (LS)split rocks in the wilderness
    and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
16 He made streams come out of (LT)the rock
    and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

17 Yet they sinned still more against him,
    (LU)rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They (LV)tested God in their heart
    by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God, saying,
    (LW)“Can God (LX)spread a table in the wilderness?
20 (LY)He struck the rock so that water gushed out
    and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
    or provide meat for his people?”

21 Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath;
    (LZ)a fire was kindled against Jacob;
    his anger rose against Israel,
22 because they (MA)did not believe in God
    and did not trust his saving power.
23 Yet he commanded the skies above
    and (MB)opened the doors of heaven,
24 and he (MC)rained down on them manna to eat
    and gave them (MD)the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate of the bread of (ME)the angels;
    he sent them food (MF)in abundance.
26 He (MG)caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
    and by his power he led out the south wind;
27 he rained meat on them like (MH)dust,
    winged birds like (MI)the sand of the seas;
28 he (MJ)let them fall in the midst of their camp,
    all around their dwellings.
29 And they (MK)ate and were well filled,
    for he gave them what they (ML)craved.
30 But before they had satisfied their craving,
    (MM)while the food was still in their mouths,
31 the anger of God rose against them,
    and he killed (MN)the strongest of them
    and laid low (MO)the young men of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they (MP)still sinned;
    (MQ)despite his wonders, they did not believe.
33 So he made (MR)their days (MS)vanish like[t] a breath,[u]
    and their years in terror.
34 When he killed them, they (MT)sought him;
    they repented and sought God earnestly.
35 They remembered that God was their (MU)rock,
    the Most High God their (MV)redeemer.
36 But they (MW)flattered him with their mouths;
    they (MX)lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their (MY)heart was not (MZ)steadfast toward him;
    they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he, being (NA)compassionate,
    (NB)atoned for their iniquity
    and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
    and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 He (NC)remembered that they were but (ND)flesh,
    (NE)a wind that passes and comes not again.
40 How often they (NF)rebelled against him in the wilderness
    and (NG)grieved him in (NH)the desert!
41 They (NI)tested God again and again
    and provoked (NJ)the Holy One of Israel.
42 They (NK)did not remember his power[v]
    or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
43 (NL)when he performed his (NM)signs in Egypt
    and his (NN)marvels in (NO)the fields of Zoan.
44 He (NP)turned their rivers to blood,
    so that they could not drink of their streams.
45 He sent among them swarms of (NQ)flies, which devoured them,
    and (NR)frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave their crops to (NS)the destroying locust
    and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with (NT)hail
    and their sycamores with frost.
48 He gave over their (NU)cattle to the hail
    and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He let loose on them his burning anger,
    wrath, indignation, and distress,
    a company of (NV)destroying angels.
50 He made a path for his anger;
    he did not spare them from death,
    but gave their lives over to the plague.
51 He struck down every (NW)firstborn in Egypt,
    the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of (NX)Ham.
52 Then he led out his people (NY)like sheep
    and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 (NZ)He led them in safety, so that they (OA)were not afraid,
    but (OB)the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to his (OC)holy land,
    (OD)to the mountain which his right hand had (OE)won.
55 He (OF)drove out nations before them;
    he (OG)apportioned them for a possession
    and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

56 Yet they (OH)tested and (OI)rebelled against the Most High God
    and did not keep his testimonies,
57 but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;
    they twisted like (OJ)a deceitful bow.
58 For they (OK)provoked him to anger with their (OL)high places;
    they (OM)moved him to jealousy with their (ON)idols.
59 When God heard, he was full of (OO)wrath,
    and he utterly rejected Israel.
60 He (OP)forsook his dwelling at (OQ)Shiloh,
    the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
61 and delivered his (OR)power to captivity,
    his (OS)glory to the hand of the foe.
62 He (OT)gave his people over to the sword
    and (OU)vented his wrath on his heritage.
63 (OV)Fire devoured their young men,
    and their young women had no (OW)marriage song.
64 Their (OX)priests fell by the sword,
    and their (OY)widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord (OZ)awoke as from sleep,
    like a strong man shouting because of wine.
66 And he (PA)put his adversaries to rout;
    he put them to everlasting shame.

67 He rejected the tent of (PB)Joseph;
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,
    Mount Zion, which he (PC)loves.
69 He (PD)built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
    like the earth, which he has founded forever.
70 He (PE)chose David his servant
    and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from (PF)following the nursing ewes he brought him
    to (PG)shepherd Jacob his people,
    Israel his (PH)inheritance.
72 With (PI)upright heart he shepherded them
    and (PJ)guided them with his skillful hand.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 69:1 Or waters threaten my life
  2. Psalm 69:10 Hebrew lacks and humbled
  3. Psalm 69:22 Hebrew; a slight revocalization yields (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome) a snare, and retribution and a trap
  4. Psalm 69:27 Hebrew may they not come into your righteousness
  5. Psalm 72:5 Septuagint He shall endure
  6. Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates
  7. Psalm 73:10 Probable reading; Hebrew the waters of a full cup are drained by them
  8. Psalm 73:26 Hebrew rock
  9. Psalm 74:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  10. Psalm 74:5 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  11. Psalm 74:11 Hebrew from your bosom
  12. Psalm 74:13 Or the great sea creatures
  13. Psalm 75:1 Hebrew They
  14. Psalm 76:10 Or extremity
  15. Psalm 77:6 Hebrew lacks I said
  16. Psalm 77:10 Or This is my grief: that the right hand of the Most High has changed
  17. Psalm 77:19 Hebrew unknown
  18. Psalm 78:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  19. Psalm 78:9 Hebrew armed and shooting
  20. Psalm 78:33 Hebrew in
  21. Psalm 78:33 Or vapor
  22. Psalm 78:42 Hebrew hand

Psalm 69[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

Save me, O God,
    for the waters(A) have come up to my neck.(B)
I sink in the miry depths,(C)
    where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
    the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;(D)
    my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,(E)
    looking for my God.
Those who hate me(F) without reason(G)
    outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,(H)
    those who seek to destroy me.(I)
I am forced to restore
    what I did not steal.

You, God, know my folly;(J)
    my guilt is not hidden from you.(K)

Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    may those who hope in you
    not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
    may those who seek you
    not be put to shame because of me.
For I endure scorn(L) for your sake,(M)
    and shame covers my face.(N)
I am a foreigner to my own family,
    a stranger to my own mother’s children;(O)
for zeal for your house consumes me,(P)
    and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.(Q)
10 When I weep and fast,(R)
    I must endure scorn;
11 when I put on sackcloth,(S)
    people make sport of me.
12 Those who sit at the gate(T) mock me,
    and I am the song of the drunkards.(U)

13 But I pray to you, Lord,
    in the time of your favor;(V)
in your great love,(W) O God,
    answer me with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mire,
    do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
    from the deep waters.(X)
15 Do not let the floodwaters(Y) engulf me
    or the depths swallow me up(Z)
    or the pit close its mouth over me.(AA)

16 Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;(AB)
    in your great mercy turn to me.
17 Do not hide your face(AC) from your servant;
    answer me quickly,(AD) for I am in trouble.(AE)
18 Come near and rescue me;
    deliver(AF) me because of my foes.

19 You know how I am scorned,(AG) disgraced and shamed;
    all my enemies are before you.
20 Scorn has broken my heart
    and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
    for comforters,(AH) but I found none.(AI)
21 They put gall in my food
    and gave me vinegar(AJ) for my thirst.(AK)

22 May the table set before them become a snare;
    may it become retribution and[b] a trap.(AL)
23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent forever.(AM)
24 Pour out your wrath(AN) on them;
    let your fierce anger overtake them.
25 May their place be deserted;(AO)
    let there be no one to dwell in their tents.(AP)
26 For they persecute those you wound
    and talk about the pain of those you hurt.(AQ)
27 Charge them with crime upon crime;(AR)
    do not let them share in your salvation.(AS)
28 May they be blotted out of the book of life(AT)
    and not be listed with the righteous.(AU)

29 But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
    may your salvation, God, protect me.(AV)

30 I will praise God’s name in song(AW)
    and glorify him(AX) with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox,
    more than a bull with its horns and hooves.(AY)
32 The poor will see and be glad(AZ)
    you who seek God, may your hearts live!(BA)
33 The Lord hears the needy(BB)
    and does not despise his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and all that move in them,(BC)
35 for God will save Zion(BD)
    and rebuild the cities of Judah.(BE)
Then people will settle there and possess it;
36     the children of his servants will inherit it,(BF)
    and those who love his name will dwell there.(BG)

Psalm 70[c](BH)

For the director of music. Of David. A petition.

Hasten, O God, to save me;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.(BI)

May those who want to take my life(BJ)
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
    be turned back in disgrace.(BK)
May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(BL)
    turn back because of their shame.
But may all who seek you(BM)
    rejoice and be glad(BN) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”(BO)

But as for me, I am poor and needy;(BP)
    come quickly to me,(BQ) O God.
You are my help(BR) and my deliverer;(BS)
    Lord, do not delay.(BT)

Psalm 71(BU)

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(BV)
    let me never be put to shame.(BW)
In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
    turn your ear(BX) to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
    to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.(BY)
Deliver(BZ) me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,(CA)
    from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.(CB)

For you have been my hope,(CC) Sovereign Lord,
    my confidence(CD) since my youth.
From birth(CE) I have relied on you;
    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.(CF)
    I will ever praise(CG) you.
I have become a sign(CH) to many;
    you are my strong refuge.(CI)
My mouth(CJ) is filled with your praise,
    declaring your splendor(CK) all day long.

Do not cast(CL) me away when I am old;(CM)
    do not forsake(CN) me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies(CO) speak against me;
    those who wait to kill(CP) me conspire(CQ) together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken(CR) him;
    pursue him and seize him,
    for no one will rescue(CS) him.”
12 Do not be far(CT) from me, my God;
    come quickly, God, to help(CU) me.
13 May my accusers(CV) perish in shame;(CW)
    may those who want to harm me
    be covered with scorn and disgrace.(CX)

14 As for me, I will always have hope;(CY)
    I will praise you more and more.

15 My mouth will tell(CZ) of your righteous deeds,(DA)
    of your saving acts all day long—
    though I know not how to relate them all.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts,(DB) Sovereign Lord;
    I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught(DC) me,
    and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.(DD)
18 Even when I am old and gray,(DE)
    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power(DF) to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come.(DG)

19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,(DH)
    you who have done great things.(DI)
    Who is like you, God?(DJ)
20 Though you have made me see troubles,(DK)
    many and bitter,
    you will restore(DL) my life again;
from the depths of the earth(DM)
    you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor(DN)
    and comfort(DO) me once more.

22 I will praise you with the harp(DP)
    for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,(DQ)
    Holy One of Israel.(DR)
23 My lips will shout for joy(DS)
    when I sing praise to you—
    I whom you have delivered.(DT)
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
    all day long,(DU)
for those who wanted to harm me(DV)
    have been put to shame and confusion.(DW)

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

Endow the king with your justice,(DX) O God,
    the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,(DY)
    your afflicted ones with justice.

May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted(DZ) among the people
    and save the children of the needy;(EA)
    may he crush the oppressor.(EB)
May he endure[d](EC) as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.(ED)
May he be like rain(EE) falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish(EF)
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River[e](EG) to the ends of the earth.(EH)
May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish(EI) and of distant shores(EJ)
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba(EK) and Seba
    present him gifts.(EL)
11 May all kings bow down(EM) to him
    and all nations serve(EN) him.

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
    the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity(EO) on the weak and the needy
    and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue(EP) them from oppression and violence,
    for precious(EQ) is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live!
    May gold from Sheba(ER) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
    and bless him all day long.(ES)
16 May grain(ET) abound throughout the land;
    on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops(EU) flourish like Lebanon(EV)
    and thrive[f] like the grass of the field.(EW)
17 May his name endure forever;(EX)
    may it continue as long as the sun.(EY)

Then all nations will be blessed through him,[g]
    and they will call him blessed.(EZ)

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,(FA)
    who alone does marvelous deeds.(FB)
19 Praise be to his glorious name(FC) forever;
    may the whole earth be filled with his glory.(FD)
Amen and Amen.(FE)

20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.(FF)

BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.(FG)

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(FH)
    I had nearly lost my foothold.(FI)
For I envied(FJ) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(FK)

They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.[h]
They are free(FL) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride(FM) is their necklace;(FN)
    they clothe themselves with violence.(FO)
From their callous hearts(FP) comes iniquity[i];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;(FQ)
    with arrogance(FR) they threaten oppression.(FS)
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.[j]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

12 This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,(FT) they go on amassing wealth.(FU)

13 Surely in vain(FV) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.(FW)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(FX)
    and every morning brings new punishments.

15 If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand(FY) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(FZ) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.(GA)

18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(GB)
    you cast them down to ruin.(GC)
19 How suddenly(GD) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away(GE) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(GF) when one awakes;(GG)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.(GH)

21 When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(GI) and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast(GJ) before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.(GK)
24 You guide(GL) me with your counsel,(GM)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(GN)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(GO)
26 My flesh and my heart(GP) may fail,(GQ)
    but God is the strength(GR) of my heart
    and my portion(GS) forever.

27 Those who are far from you will perish;(GT)
    you destroy all who are unfaithful(GU) to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.(GV)
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;(GW)
    I will tell of all your deeds.(GX)

Psalm 74

A maskil[k] of Asaph.

O God, why have you rejected(GY) us forever?(GZ)
    Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?(HA)
Remember the nation you purchased(HB) long ago,(HC)
    the people of your inheritance,(HD) whom you redeemed(HE)
    Mount Zion,(HF) where you dwelt.(HG)
Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,(HH)
    all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

Your foes roared(HI) in the place where you met with us;
    they set up their standards(HJ) as signs.
They behaved like men wielding axes
    to cut through a thicket of trees.(HK)
They smashed all the carved(HL) paneling
    with their axes and hatchets.
They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
    they defiled(HM) the dwelling place(HN) of your Name.(HO)
They said in their hearts, “We will crush(HP) them completely!”
    They burned(HQ) every place where God was worshiped in the land.

We are given no signs from God;(HR)
    no prophets(HS) are left,
    and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long(HT) will the enemy mock(HU) you, God?
    Will the foe revile(HV) your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?(HW)
    Take it from the folds of your garment(HX) and destroy them!

12 But God is my King(HY) from long ago;
    he brings salvation(HZ) on the earth.

13 It was you who split open the sea(IA) by your power;
    you broke the heads of the monster(IB) in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan(IC)
    and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.(ID)
15 It was you who opened up springs(IE) and streams;
    you dried up(IF) the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
    you established the sun and moon.(IG)
17 It was you who set all the boundaries(IH) of the earth;
    you made both summer and winter.(II)

18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
    how foolish people(IJ) have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove(IK) to wild beasts;
    do not forget the lives of your afflicted(IL) people forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,(IM)
    because haunts of violence fill the dark places(IN) of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed(IO) retreat in disgrace;
    may the poor and needy(IP) praise your name.
22 Rise up,(IQ) O God, and defend your cause;
    remember how fools(IR) mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor(IS) of your adversaries,(IT)
    the uproar(IU) of your enemies,(IV) which rises continually.

Psalm 75[l]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.

We praise you, God,
    we praise you, for your Name is near;(IW)
    people tell of your wonderful deeds.(IX)

You say, “I choose the appointed time;(IY)
    it is I who judge with equity.(IZ)
When the earth and all its people quake,(JA)
    it is I who hold its pillars(JB) firm.[m]
To the arrogant(JC) I say, ‘Boast no more,’(JD)
    and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.[n](JE)
Do not lift your horns against heaven;
    do not speak so defiantly.(JF)’”

No one from the east or the west
    or from the desert can exalt themselves.
It is God who judges:(JG)
    He brings one down, he exalts another.(JH)
In the hand of the Lord is a cup
    full of foaming wine mixed(JI) with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
    drink it down to its very dregs.(JJ)

As for me, I will declare(JK) this forever;
    I will sing(JL) praise to the God of Jacob,(JM)
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
    but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”(JN)

Psalm 76[o]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

God is renowned in Judah;
    in Israel his name is great.(JO)
His tent is in Salem,(JP)
    his dwelling place in Zion.(JQ)
There he broke the flashing arrows,(JR)
    the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.[p](JS)

You are radiant with light,(JT)
    more majestic than mountains rich with game.
The valiant(JU) lie plundered,
    they sleep their last sleep;(JV)
not one of the warriors
    can lift his hands.
At your rebuke,(JW) God of Jacob,
    both horse and chariot(JX) lie still.

It is you alone who are to be feared.(JY)
    Who can stand(JZ) before you when you are angry?(KA)
From heaven you pronounced judgment,
    and the land feared(KB) and was quiet—
when you, God, rose up to judge,(KC)
    to save all the afflicted(KD) of the land.
10 Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,(KE)
    and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.[q]

11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;(KF)
    let all the neighboring lands
    bring gifts(KG) to the One to be feared.
12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;
    he is feared by the kings of the earth.

Psalm 77[r]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

I cried out to God(KH) for help;
    I cried out to God to hear me.
When I was in distress,(KI) I sought the Lord;
    at night(KJ) I stretched out untiring hands,(KK)
    and I would not be comforted.(KL)

I remembered(KM) you, God, and I groaned;(KN)
    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[s](KO)
You kept my eyes from closing;
    I was too troubled to speak.(KP)
I thought about the former days,(KQ)
    the years of long ago;
I remembered my songs in the night.
    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

“Will the Lord reject forever?(KR)
    Will he never show his favor(KS) again?
Has his unfailing love(KT) vanished forever?
    Has his promise(KU) failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?(KV)
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?(KW)

10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.(KX)
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles(KY) of long ago.
12 I will consider(KZ) all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”(LA)

13 Your ways, God, are holy.
    What god is as great as our God?(LB)
14 You are the God who performs miracles;(LC)
    you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,(LD)
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

16 The waters(LE) saw you, God,
    the waters saw you and writhed;(LF)
    the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,(LG)
    the heavens resounded with thunder;(LH)
    your arrows(LI) flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,(LJ)
    your lightning(LK) lit up the world;
    the earth trembled and quaked.(LL)
19 Your path(LM) led through the sea,(LN)
    your way through the mighty waters,
    though your footprints were not seen.

20 You led your people(LO) like a flock(LP)
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.(LQ)

Psalm 78

A maskil[t] of Asaph.

My people, hear my teaching;(LR)
    listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a parable;(LS)
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.(LT)
We will not hide them from their descendants;(LU)
    we will tell the next generation(LV)
the praiseworthy deeds(LW) of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders(LX) he has done.
He decreed statutes(LY) for Jacob(LZ)
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,(MA)
    and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget(MB) his deeds
    but would keep his commands.(MC)
They would not be like their ancestors(MD)
    a stubborn(ME) and rebellious(MF) generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
    whose spirits were not faithful to him.

The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,(MG)
    turned back on the day of battle;(MH)
10 they did not keep God’s covenant(MI)
    and refused to live by his law.(MJ)
11 They forgot what he had done,(MK)
    the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did miracles(ML) in the sight of their ancestors
    in the land of Egypt,(MM) in the region of Zoan.(MN)
13 He divided the sea(MO) and led them through;
    he made the water stand up like a wall.(MP)
14 He guided them with the cloud by day
    and with light from the fire all night.(MQ)
15 He split the rocks(MR) in the wilderness
    and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag
    and made water flow down like rivers.

17 But they continued to sin(MS) against him,
    rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test(MT)
    by demanding the food they craved.(MU)
19 They spoke against God;(MV)
    they said, “Can God really
    spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
    and water gushed out,(MW)
    streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
    Can he supply meat(MX) for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
    his fire broke out(MY) against Jacob,
    and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God
    or trust(MZ) in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
    and opened the doors of the heavens;(NA)
24 he rained down manna(NB) for the people to eat,
    he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;
    he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind(NC) from the heavens
    and by his power made the south wind blow.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
    birds(ND) like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
    all around their tents.
29 They ate till they were gorged—(NE)
    he had given them what they craved.
30 But before they turned from what they craved,
    even while the food was still in their mouths,(NF)
31 God’s anger rose against them;
    he put to death the sturdiest(NG) among them,
    cutting down the young men of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;(NH)
    in spite of his wonders,(NI) they did not believe.(NJ)
33 So he ended their days in futility(NK)
    and their years in terror.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek(NL) him;
    they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,(NM)
    that God Most High was their Redeemer.(NN)
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,(NO)
    lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal(NP) to him,
    they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;(NQ)
    he forgave(NR) their iniquities(NS)
    and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger(NT)
    and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,(NU)
    a passing breeze(NV) that does not return.

40 How often they rebelled(NW) against him in the wilderness(NX)
    and grieved him(NY) in the wasteland!
41 Again and again they put God to the test;(NZ)
    they vexed the Holy One of Israel.(OA)
42 They did not remember(OB) his power—
    the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,(OC)
43 the day he displayed his signs(OD) in Egypt,
    his wonders(OE) in the region of Zoan.
44 He turned their river into blood;(OF)
    they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies(OG) that devoured them,
    and frogs(OH) that devastated them.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,(OI)
    their produce to the locust.(OJ)
47 He destroyed their vines with hail(OK)
    and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail,
    their livestock(OL) to bolts of lightning.
49 He unleashed against them his hot anger,(OM)
    his wrath, indignation and hostility—
    a band of destroying angels.(ON)
50 He prepared a path for his anger;
    he did not spare them from death
    but gave them over to the plague.
51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,(OO)
    the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.(OP)
52 But he brought his people out like a flock;(OQ)
    he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
    but the sea engulfed(OR) their enemies.(OS)
54 And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,
    to the hill country his right hand(OT) had taken.
55 He drove out nations(OU) before them
    and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;(OV)
    he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

56 But they put God to the test
    and rebelled against the Most High;
    they did not keep his statutes.
57 Like their ancestors(OW) they were disloyal and faithless,
    as unreliable as a faulty bow.(OX)
58 They angered him(OY) with their high places;(OZ)
    they aroused his jealousy with their idols.(PA)
59 When God heard(PB) them, he was furious;(PC)
    he rejected Israel(PD) completely.
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,(PE)
    the tent he had set up among humans.(PF)
61 He sent the ark of his might(PG) into captivity,(PH)
    his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62 He gave his people over to the sword;(PI)
    he was furious with his inheritance.(PJ)
63 Fire consumed(PK) their young men,
    and their young women had no wedding songs;(PL)
64 their priests were put to the sword,(PM)
    and their widows could not weep.

65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,(PN)
    as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
66 He beat back his enemies;
    he put them to everlasting shame.(PO)
67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;(PP)
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,(PQ)
    Mount Zion,(PR) which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary(PS) like the heights,
    like the earth that he established forever.
70 He chose David(PT) his servant
    and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep(PU) he brought him
    to be the shepherd(PV) of his people Jacob,
    of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;(PW)
    with skillful hands he led them.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 69:1 In Hebrew texts 69:1-36 is numbered 69:2-37.
  2. Psalm 69:22 Or snare / and their fellowship become
  3. Psalm 70:1 In Hebrew texts 70:1-5 is numbered 70:2-6.
  4. Psalm 72:5 Septuagint; Hebrew You will be feared
  5. Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates
  6. Psalm 72:16 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lebanon, / from the city
  7. Psalm 72:17 Or will use his name in blessings (see Gen. 48:20)
  8. Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
  9. Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
  10. Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  11. Psalm 74:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  12. Psalm 75:1 In Hebrew texts 75:1-10 is numbered 75:2-11.
  13. Psalm 75:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  14. Psalm 75:4 Horns here symbolize strength; also in verses 5 and 10.
  15. Psalm 76:1 In Hebrew texts 76:1-12 is numbered 76:2-13.
  16. Psalm 76:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 9.
  17. Psalm 76:10 Or Surely the wrath of mankind brings you praise, / and with the remainder of wrath you arm yourself
  18. Psalm 77:1 In Hebrew texts 77:1-20 is numbered 77:2-21.
  19. Psalm 77:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 9 and 15.
  20. Psalm 78:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term