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Psalm 73-89
Good News Translation
Psalm 73-89
Good News Translation
BOOK THREE(A)
The Justice of God[a]
73 God is indeed good to Israel,
to those who have pure hearts.
2 But I had nearly lost confidence;
my faith was almost gone
3 because I was jealous of the proud
when I saw that things go well for the wicked.
4 They do not suffer pain;
they are strong and healthy.
5 They do not suffer as other people do;
they do not have the troubles that others have.
6 And so they wear pride like a necklace
and violence like a robe;
7 their hearts pour out evil,[b]
and their minds are busy with wicked schemes.
8 They laugh at other people and speak of evil things;
they are proud and make plans to oppress others.
9 They speak evil of God in heaven
and give arrogant orders to everyone on earth,
10 so that even God's people turn to them
and eagerly believe whatever they say.[c]
11 They say, “God will not know;
the Most High will not find out.”
12 That is what the wicked are like.
They have plenty and are always getting more.
13 Is it for nothing, then, that I have kept myself pure
and have not committed sin?
14 O God, you have made me suffer all day long;
every morning you have punished me.
15 If I had said such things,
I would not be acting as one of your people.
16 I tried to think this problem through,
but it was too difficult for me
17 until I went into your Temple.
Then I understood what will happen to the wicked.
18 You will put them in slippery places
and make them fall to destruction!
19 They are instantly destroyed;
they go down to a horrible end.
20 They are like a dream that goes away in the morning;
when you rouse yourself, O Lord, they disappear.
21 When my thoughts were bitter
and my feelings were hurt,
22 I was as stupid as an animal;
I did not understand you.
23 Yet I always stay close to you,
and you hold me by the hand.
24 You guide me with your instruction
and at the end you will receive me with honor.
25 What else do I have in heaven but you?
Since I have you, what else could I want on earth?
26 My mind and my body may grow weak,
but God is my strength;
he is all I ever need.
27 Those who abandon you will certainly perish;
you will destroy those who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, how wonderful to be near God,
to find protection with the Sovereign Lord
and to proclaim all that he has done!
A Prayer for National Deliverance[d]
74 Why have you abandoned us like this, O God?
Will you be angry with your own people forever?
2 Remember your people, whom you chose for yourself long ago,
whom you brought out of slavery to be your own tribe.
Remember Mount Zion, where once you lived.
3 Walk over these total ruins;
our enemies have destroyed everything in the Temple.
4 Your enemies have shouted in triumph in your Temple;
they have placed their flags there as signs of victory.
5 They looked like woodsmen
cutting down trees with their axes.[e]
6 They smashed all the wooden panels
with their axes and sledge hammers.
7 They wrecked your Temple and set it on fire;
they desecrated the place where you are worshiped.
8 They wanted to crush us completely;
they burned down every holy place in the land.
9 All our sacred symbols are gone;
there are no prophets left,
and no one knows how long this will last.
10 How long, O God, will our enemies laugh at you?
Will they insult your name forever?
11 Why have you refused to help us?
Why do you keep your hands behind you?[f]
12 But you have been our king from the beginning, O God;
you have saved us many times.
13 (B)With your mighty strength you divided the sea
and smashed the heads of the sea monsters;
14 (C)you crushed the heads of the monster Leviathan[g]
and fed his body to desert animals.[h]
15 You made springs and fountains flow;
you dried up large rivers.
16 You created the day and the night;
you set the sun and the moon in their places;
17 you set the limits of the earth;
you made summer and winter.
18 But remember, O Lord, that your enemies laugh at you,
that they are godless and despise you.
19 Don't abandon your helpless people to their cruel enemies;
don't forget your persecuted people!
20 Remember the covenant you made with us.
There is violence in every dark corner of the land.
21 Don't let the oppressed be put to shame;
let those poor and needy people praise you.
22 Rouse yourself, God, and defend your cause!
Remember that godless people laugh at you all day long.
23 Don't forget the angry shouts of your enemies,
the continuous noise made by your foes.
God the Judge[i]
75 We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks to you!
We proclaim how great you are
and tell of[j] the wonderful things you have done.
2 “I have set a time for judgment,” says God,
“and I will judge with fairness.
3 Though every living creature tremble
and the earth itself be shaken,
I will keep its foundations firm.
4 I tell the wicked not to be arrogant;
5 I tell them to stop their boasting.”
6 Judgment does not come from the east or from the west,
from the north or from the south;[k]
7 it is God who is the judge,
condemning some and acquitting others.
8 The Lord holds a cup in his hand,
filled with the strong wine of his anger.
He pours it out, and all the wicked drink it;
they drink it down to the last drop.
9 But I will never stop speaking of the God of Jacob
or singing praises to him.
10 He will break the power of the wicked,
but the power of the righteous will be increased.
God the Victor[l]
76 God is known in Judah;
his name is honored in Israel.
2 He has his home in Jerusalem;
he lives on Mount Zion.
3 There he broke the arrows of the enemy,
their shields and swords, yes, all their weapons.
4 How glorious you are, O God!
How majestic, as you return from the mountains
where you defeated your foes.
5 Their brave soldiers have been stripped of all they had
and now are sleeping the sleep of death;
all their strength and skill was useless.
6 When you threatened them, O God of Jacob,
the horses and their riders fell dead.
7 But you, Lord, are feared by all.
No one can stand in your presence
when you are angry.
8 You made your judgment known from heaven;
the world was afraid and kept silent,
9 when you rose up to pronounce judgment,
to save all the oppressed on earth.
10 Human anger only results in more praise for you;
those who survive the wars will keep your festivals.[m]
11 Give the Lord your God what you promised him;
bring gifts to him, all you nearby nations.
God makes everyone fear him;
12 he humbles proud princes
and terrifies great kings.
Comfort in Time of Distress[n]
77 I cry aloud to God;
I cry aloud, and he hears me.
2 In times of trouble I pray to the Lord;
all night long I lift my hands in prayer,
but I cannot find comfort.
3 When I think of God, I sigh;
when I meditate, I feel discouraged.
4 He keeps me awake all night;
I am so worried that I cannot speak.
5 I think of days gone by
and remember years of long ago.
6 I spend the night in deep thought;[o]
I meditate, and this is what I ask myself:
7 “Will the Lord always reject us?
Will he never again be pleased with us?
8 Has he stopped loving us?
Does his promise no longer stand?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has anger taken the place of his compassion?”
10 Then I said, “What hurts me most is this—
that God is no longer powerful.”[p]
11 I will remember your great deeds, Lord;
I will recall the wonders you did in the past.
12 I will think about all that you have done;
I will meditate on all your mighty acts.
13 Everything you do, O God, is holy.
No god is as great as you.
14 You are the God who works miracles;
you showed your might among the nations.
15 By your power you saved your people,
the descendants of Jacob and of Joseph.
16 When the waters saw you, O God, they were afraid,
and the depths of the sea trembled.
17 The clouds poured down rain;
thunder crashed from the sky,
and lightning flashed in all directions.
18 The crash of your thunder rolled out,
and flashes of lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 You walked through the waves;
you crossed the deep sea,
but your footprints could not be seen.
20 You led your people like a shepherd,
with Moses and Aaron in charge.
God and His People[q]
78 Listen, my people, to my teaching,
and pay attention to what I say.
2 (D)I am going to use wise sayings
and explain mysteries from the past,
3 things we have heard and known,
things that our ancestors told us.
4 We will not keep them from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the Lord's power and his great deeds
and the wonderful things he has done.
5 He gave laws to the people of Israel
and commandments to the descendants of Jacob.
He instructed our ancestors
to teach his laws to their children,
6 so that the next generation might learn them
and in turn should tell their children.
7 In this way they also will put their trust in God
and not forget what he has done,
but always obey his commandments.
8 They will not be like their ancestors,
a rebellious and disobedient people,
whose trust in God was never firm
and who did not remain faithful to him.
9 The Ephraimites, armed with bows and arrows,
ran away on the day of battle.
10 They did not keep their covenant with God;
they refused to obey his law.
11 They forgot what he had done,
the miracles they had seen him perform.
12 (E)While their ancestors watched, God performed miracles
in the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
13 (F)He divided the sea and took them through it;
he made the waters stand like walls.
14 (G)By day he led them with a cloud
and all night long with the light of a fire.
15 He split rocks open in the desert
and gave them water from the depths.
16 (H)He caused a stream to come out of the rock
and made water flow like a river.
17 But they continued to sin against God,
and in the desert they rebelled against the Most High.
18 (I)They deliberately put God to the test
by demanding the food they wanted.
19 They spoke against God and said,
“Can God supply food in the desert?
20 It is true that he struck the rock,
and water flowed out in a torrent;
but can he also provide us with bread
and give his people meat?”
21 And so the Lord was angry when he heard them;
he attacked his people with fire,
and his anger against them grew,
22 because they had no faith in him
and did not believe that he would save them.
23 But he spoke to the sky above
and commanded its doors to open;
24 (J)he gave them grain from heaven,
by sending down manna for them to eat.
25 So they ate the food of angels,
and God gave them all they wanted.
26 He also caused the east wind to blow,
and by his power he stirred up the south wind;
27 and to his people he sent down birds,
as many as the grains of sand on the shore;
28 they fell in the middle of the camp
all around the tents.
29 So the people ate and were satisfied;
God gave them what they wanted.
30 But they had not yet satisfied their craving
and were still eating,
31 when God became angry with them
and killed their strongest men,
the best young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this the people kept sinning;
in spite of his miracles they did not trust him.
33 So he ended their days like a breath
and their lives with sudden disaster.
34 Whenever he killed some of them,
the rest would turn to him;
they would repent and pray earnestly to him.
35 They remembered that God was their protector,
that the Almighty came to their aid.
36 But their words were all lies;
nothing they said was sincere.
37 (K)They were not loyal to him;
they were not faithful to their covenant with him.
38 But God was merciful to his people.
He forgave their sin
and did not destroy them.
Many times he held back his anger
and restrained his fury.
39 He remembered that they were only mortal beings,
like a wind that blows by and is gone.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the desert;
how many times they made him sad!
41 Again and again they put God to the test
and brought pain to the Holy God of Israel.
42 They forgot his great power
and the day when he saved them from their enemies
43 and performed his mighty acts and miracles
in the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
44 (L)He turned the rivers into blood,
and the Egyptians had no water to drink.
45 (M)He sent flies among them, that tormented them,
and frogs that ruined their land.
46 (N)He sent locusts to eat their crops
and to destroy their fields.
47 (O)He killed their grapevines with hail
and their fig trees with frost.
48 He killed their cattle with hail
and their flocks with lightning.[r]
49 He caused them great distress
by pouring out his anger and fierce rage,
which came as messengers of death.
50 He did not restrain his anger
or spare their lives,
but killed them with a plague.
51 (P)He killed the first-born sons
of all the families of Egypt.
52 (Q)Then he led his people out like a shepherd
and guided them through the desert.
53 (R)He led them safely, and they were not afraid;
but the sea came rolling over their enemies.
54 (S)He brought them to his holy land,
to the mountains which he himself conquered.
55 (T)He drove out the inhabitants as his people advanced;
he divided their land among the tribes of Israel
and gave their homes to his people.
56 (U)But they rebelled against Almighty God
and put him to the test.
They did not obey his commandments,
57 but were rebellious and disloyal like their ancestors,
unreliable as a crooked arrow.
58 They angered him with their heathen places of worship,
and with their idols they made him furious.
59 God was angry when he saw it,
so he rejected his people completely.
60 (V)He abandoned his tent in Shiloh,[s]
the home where he had lived among us.
61 (W)He allowed our enemies to capture the Covenant Box,
the symbol of his power and glory.
62 He was angry with his own people
and let them be killed by their enemies.
63 Young men were killed in war,
and young women had no one to marry.
64 Priests died by violence,
and their widows were not allowed to mourn.
65 At last the Lord woke up as though from sleep;
he was like a strong man excited by wine.
66 He drove his enemies back
in lasting and shameful defeat.
67 But he rejected the descendants of Joseph;
he did not select the tribe of Ephraim.
68 Instead he chose the tribe of Judah
and Mount Zion, which he dearly loves.
69 There he built his Temple
like his home in heaven;
he made it firm like the earth itself,
secure for all time.
70 (X)He chose his servant David;
he took him from the pastures,
71 where he looked after his flocks,
and he made him king of Israel,
the shepherd of the people of God.
72 David took care of them with unselfish devotion
and led them with skill.
A Prayer for the Nation's Deliverance[t]
79 (Y)O God, the heathen have invaded your land.
They have desecrated your holy Temple
and left Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They left the bodies of your people for the vultures,
the bodies of your servants for wild animals to eat.
3 They shed your people's blood like water;
blood flowed like water all through Jerusalem,
and no one was left to bury the dead.
4 The surrounding nations insult us;
they laugh at us and mock us.
5 Lord, will you be angry with us forever?
Will your anger continue to burn like fire?
6 Turn your anger on the nations that do not worship you,
on the people who do not pray to you.
7 For they have killed your people;
they have ruined your country.
8 Do not punish us for the sins of our ancestors.
Have mercy on us now;
we have lost all hope.
9 Help us, O God, and save us;
rescue us and forgive our sins
for the sake of your own honor.
10 Why should the nations ask us,
“Where is your God?”
Let us see you punish the nations
for shedding the blood of your servants.
11 Listen to the groans of the prisoners,
and by your great power free those who are condemned to die.
12 Lord, pay the other nations back seven times
for all the insults they have hurled at you.
13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your flock,
will thank you forever
and praise you for all time to come.
A Prayer for the Nation's Restoration[u]
80 (Z)Listen to us, O Shepherd of Israel;
hear us, leader of your flock.
Seated on your throne above the winged creatures,
2 reveal yourself to the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Show us your strength;
come and save us!
3 Bring us back, O God!
Show us your mercy, and we will be saved!
4 How much longer, Lord God Almighty,
will you be angry with your people's prayers?
5 You have given us sorrow to eat,
a large cup of tears to drink.
6 You let the surrounding nations fight over our land;
our enemies insult us.
7 Bring us back, Almighty God!
Show us your mercy, and we will be saved!
8 You brought a grapevine out of Egypt;
you drove out other nations and planted it in their land.
9 You cleared a place for it to grow;
its roots went deep, and it spread out over the whole land.
10 It covered the hills with its shade;
its branches overshadowed the giant cedars.
11 It extended its branches to the Mediterranean Sea
and as far as the Euphrates River.
12 Why did you break down the fences around it?
Now anyone passing by can steal its grapes;
13 wild hogs trample it down,
and wild animals feed on it.
14 Turn to us, Almighty God!
Look down from heaven at us;
come and save your people!
15 Come and save this grapevine that you planted,
this young vine you made grow so strong!
16 Our enemies have set it on fire and cut it down;
look at them in anger and destroy them!
17 Preserve and protect the people you have chosen,
the nation you made so strong.
18 We will never turn away from you again;
keep us alive, and we will praise you.
19 Bring us back, Lord God Almighty.
Show us your mercy, and we will be saved.
A Song for a Festival[v]
81 Shout for joy to God our defender;
sing praise to the God of Jacob!
2 Start the music and beat the tambourines;
play pleasant music on the harps and the lyres.
3 (AA)Blow the trumpet for the festival,
when the moon is new and when the moon is full.
4 This is the law in Israel,
an order from the God of Jacob.
5 He gave it to the people of Israel
when he attacked the land of Egypt.
I hear an unknown voice saying,
6 “I took the burdens off your backs;
I let you put down your loads of bricks.
7 (AB)When you were in trouble, you called to me, and I saved you.
From my hiding place in the storm, I answered you.
I put you to the test at the springs of Meribah.
8 Listen, my people, to my warning;
Israel, how I wish you would listen to me!
9 (AC)You must never worship another god.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you out of Egypt.
Open your mouth, and I will feed you.
11 “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not obey me.
12 So I let them go their stubborn ways
and do whatever they wanted.
13 How I wish my people would listen to me;
how I wish they would obey me!
14 I would quickly defeat their enemies
and conquer all their foes.
15 Those who hate me would bow in fear before me;
their punishment would last forever.
16 But I would feed you with the finest wheat
and satisfy you with wild honey.”
God the Supreme Ruler[w]
82 God presides in the heavenly council;
in the assembly of the gods he gives his decision:
2 “You must stop judging unjustly;
you must no longer be partial to the wicked!
3 Defend the rights of the poor and the orphans;
be fair to the needy and the helpless.
4 Rescue them from the power of evil people.
5 “How ignorant you are! How stupid!
You are completely corrupt,
and justice has disappeared from the world.
6 (AD)‘You are gods,’ I said;
‘all of you are children of the Most High.’
7 But you will die like mortals;
your life will end like that of any prince.”
8 Come, O God, and rule the world;
all the nations are yours.
A Prayer for the Defeat of Israel's Enemies[x]
83 O God, do not keep silent;
do not be still, do not be quiet!
2 Look! Your enemies are in revolt,
and those who hate you are rebelling.
3 They are making secret plans against your people;
they are plotting against those you protect.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy their nation,
so that Israel will be forgotten forever.”
5 They agree on their plan
and form an alliance against you:
6 the people of Edom and the Ishmaelites;
the people of Moab and the Hagrites;
7 the people of Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,
and of Philistia and Tyre.
8 Assyria has also joined them
as a strong ally of the Ammonites and Moabites, the descendants of Lot.
9 (AE)Do to them what you did to the Midianites,
and to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
10 You defeated them at Endor,
and their bodies rotted on the ground.
11 (AF)Do to their leaders what you did to Oreb and Zeeb;
defeat all their rulers as you did Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “We will take for our own
the land that belongs to God.”
13 Scatter them like dust, O God,
like straw blown away by the wind.
14 As fire burns the forest,
as flames set the hills on fire,
15 chase them away with your storm
and terrify them with your fierce winds.
16 Cover their faces with shame, O Lord,
and make them acknowledge your power.
17 May they be defeated and terrified forever;
may they die in complete disgrace.
18 May they know that you alone are the Lord,
supreme ruler over all the earth.
Longing for God's House[y]
84 How I love your Temple, Lord Almighty!
2 How I want to be there!
I long to be in the Lord's Temple.
With my whole being I sing for joy
to the living God.
3 Even the sparrows have built a nest,
and the swallows have their own home;
they keep their young near your altars,
Lord Almighty, my king and my God.
4 How happy are those who live in your Temple,
always singing praise to you.
5 How happy are those whose strength comes from you,
who are eager to make the pilgrimage to Mount Zion.
6 As they pass through the dry valley of Baca,
it becomes a place of springs;
the autumn rain fills it with pools.
7 They grow stronger as they go;
they will see the God of gods on Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty.
Listen, O God of Jacob!
9 Bless our king, O God,
the king you have chosen.
10 One day spent in your Temple
is better than a thousand anywhere else;
I would rather stand at the gate of the house of my God
than live in the homes of the wicked.
11 The Lord is our protector and glorious king,
blessing us with kindness and honor.
He does not refuse any good thing
to those who do what is right.
12 Lord Almighty, how happy are those who trust in you!
A Prayer for the Nation's Welfare[z]
85 Lord, you have been merciful to your land;
you have made Israel prosperous again.
2 You have forgiven your people's sins
and pardoned all their wrongs.
3 You stopped being angry with them
and held back your furious rage.
4 Bring us back, O God our savior,
and stop being displeased with us!
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will your anger never cease?
6 Make us strong again,
and we, your people, will praise you.
7 Show us your constant love, O Lord,
and give us your saving help.
8 I am listening to what the Lord God is saying;
he promises peace to us, his own people,
if we do not go back to our foolish ways.
9 Surely he is ready to save those who honor him,
and his saving presence will remain in our land.
10 Love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will embrace.
11 Human loyalty will reach up from the earth,
and God's righteousness will look down from heaven.
12 The Lord will make us prosperous,
and our land will produce rich harvests.
13 Righteousness will go before the Lord
and prepare the path for him.
A Prayer for Help[aa]
86 Listen to me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am helpless and weak.
2 Save me from death, because I am loyal to you;
save me, for I am your servant and I trust in you.
3 You are my God, so be merciful to me;
I pray to you all day long.
4 Make your servant glad, O Lord,
because my prayers go up to you.
5 You are good to us and forgiving,
full of constant love for all who pray to you.
6 Listen, Lord, to my prayer;
hear my cries for help.
7 I call to you in times of trouble,
because you answer my prayers.
8 There is no god like you, O Lord,
not one has done what you have done.
9 (AG)All the nations that you have created
will come and bow down to you;
they will praise your greatness.
10 You are mighty and do wonderful things;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me, Lord, what you want me to do,
and I will obey you faithfully;
teach me to serve you with complete devotion.
12 I will praise you with all my heart, O Lord my God;
I will proclaim your greatness forever.
13 How great is your constant love for me!
You have saved me from the grave itself.
14 Proud people are coming against me, O God;
a cruel gang is trying to kill me—
people who pay no attention to you.
15 But you, O Lord, are a merciful and loving God,
always patient, always kind and faithful.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me;
strengthen me and save me,
because I serve you just as my mother did.
17 Show me proof of your goodness, Lord;
those who hate me will be ashamed
when they see that you have given me comfort and help.
In Praise of Jerusalem[ab]
87 The Lord built his city on the sacred hill;[ac]
2 more than any other place in Israel
he loves the city of Jerusalem.
3 Listen, city of God,
to the wonderful things he says about you:
4 “I will include Egypt and Babylonia
when I list the nations that obey me;
the people of Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia[ad]
I will number among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
5 Of Zion it will be said
that all nations belong there
and that the Almighty will make her strong.
6 The Lord will write a list of the peoples
and include them all as citizens of Jerusalem.
7 They dance and sing,
“In Zion is the source of all our blessings.”
A Cry for Help[ae]
88 Lord God, my savior, I cry out all day,
and at night I come before you.
2 Hear my prayer;
listen to my cry for help!
3 So many troubles have fallen on me
that I am close to death.
4 I am like all others who are about to die;
all my strength is gone.[af]
5 I am abandoned among the dead;
I am like the slain lying in their graves,
those you have forgotten completely,
who are beyond your help.
6 You have thrown me into the depths of the tomb,
into the darkest and deepest pit.
7 Your anger lies heavy on me,
and I am crushed beneath its waves.
8 You have caused my friends to abandon me;
you have made me repulsive to them.
I am closed in and cannot escape;
9 my eyes are weak from suffering.
Lord, every day I call to you
and lift my hands to you in prayer.
10 Do you perform miracles for the dead?
Do they rise up and praise you?
11 Is your constant love spoken of in the grave
or your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12 Are your miracles seen in that place of darkness
or your goodness in the land of the forgotten?
13 Lord, I call to you for help;
every morning I pray to you.
14 Why do you reject me, Lord?
Why do you turn away from me?
15 Ever since I was young, I have suffered and been near death;
I am worn out[ag] from the burden of your punishments.
16 Your furious anger crushes me;
your terrible attacks destroy me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;
they close in on me from every side.
18 You have made even my closest friends abandon me,
and darkness is my only companion.
(AH)A Hymn in Time of National Trouble[ah]
89 O Lord, I will always sing of your constant love;
I will proclaim your faithfulness forever.
2 I know that your love will last for all time,
that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky.
3 You said, “I have made a covenant with the man I chose;
I have promised my servant David,
4 (AI)‘A descendant of yours will always be king;
I will preserve your dynasty forever.’”
5 The heavens sing of the wonderful things you do;
the holy ones sing of your faithfulness, Lord.
6 No one in heaven is like you, Lord;
none of the heavenly beings is your equal.
7 You are feared in the council of the holy ones;
they all stand in awe of you.
8 Lord God Almighty, none is as mighty as you;
in all things you are faithful, O Lord.
9 You rule over the powerful sea;
you calm its angry waves.
10 You crushed the monster Rahab[ai] and killed it;
with your mighty strength you defeated your enemies.
11 Heaven is yours, the earth also;
you made the world and everything in it.
12 You created the north and the south;
Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon sing to you for joy.
13 How powerful you are!
How great is your strength!
14 Your kingdom is founded on righteousness and justice;
love and faithfulness are shown in all you do.
15 How happy are the people who worship you with songs,
who live in the light of your kindness!
16 Because of you they rejoice all day long,
and they praise you for your goodness.
17 You give us great victories;
in your love you make us triumphant.
18 You, O Lord, chose our protector;
you, the Holy God of Israel, gave us our king.
God's Promise to David
19 In a vision long ago you said to your faithful servants,
“I have given help to a famous soldier;
I have given the throne to one I chose from the people.
20 (AJ)I have made my servant David king
by anointing him with holy oil.
21 My strength will always be with him,
my power will make him strong.
22 His enemies will never succeed against him;
the wicked will not defeat him.
23 I will crush his foes
and kill everyone who hates him.
24 I will love him and be loyal to him;
I will make him always victorious.
25 I will extend his kingdom
from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates River.
26 He will say to me,
‘You are my father and my God;
you are my protector and savior.’
27 (AK)I will make him my first-born son,
the greatest of all kings.
28 I will always keep my promise to him,
and my covenant with him will last forever.
29 His dynasty will be as permanent as the sky;
a descendant of his will always be king.
30 “But if his descendants disobey my law
and do not live according to my commands,
31 if they disregard my instructions
and do not keep my commandments,
32 then I will punish them for their sins;
I will make them suffer for their wrongs.
33 But I will not stop loving David
or fail to keep my promise to him.
34 I will not break my covenant with him
or take back even one promise I made him.
35 “Once and for all I have promised by my holy name:
I will never lie to David.
36 He will always have descendants,
and I will watch over his kingdom as long as the sun shines.
37 It will be as permanent as the moon,
that faithful witness in the sky.”
Lament over the Defeat of the King
38 But you are angry with your chosen king;
you have deserted and rejected him.
39 You have broken your covenant with your servant
and thrown his crown in the dirt.
40 You have torn down the walls of his city
and left his forts in ruins.
41 All who pass by steal his belongings;
all his neighbors laugh at him.
42 You have given the victory to his enemies;
you have made them all happy.
43 You have made his weapons useless
and let him be defeated in battle.
44 You have taken away his royal scepter[aj]
and knocked his throne to the ground.
45 You have made him old before his time
and covered him with disgrace.
A Prayer for Deliverance
46 Lord, will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your anger burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my life is;
remember that you created all of us mortal!
48 Who can live and never die?
How can we humans keep ourselves from the grave?
49 Lord, where are the former proofs of your love?
Where are the promises you made to David?
50 Don't forget how I, your servant, am insulted,
how I endure all the curses[ak] of the heathen.
51 Your enemies insult your chosen king, O Lord!
They insult him wherever he goes.
52 Praise the Lord forever!
Amen! Amen!
Footnotes
- Psalm 73:1 HEBREW TITLE: By Asaph.
- Psalm 73:7 Some ancient translations their hearts pour out evil; Hebrew unclear.
- Psalm 73:10 Verse 10 in Hebrew is unclear.
- Psalm 74:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by Asaph.
- Psalm 74:5 Verse 5 in Hebrew is unclear.
- Psalm 74:11 Probable text Why do you keep your hands behind you; Hebrew unclear.
- Psalm 74:14 A legendary monster which was a symbol of the forces of chaos and evil.
- Psalm 74:14 animals; or people.
- Psalm 75:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by Asaph; a song.
- Psalm 75:1 Some ancient translations We proclaim how great you are and tell of; Hebrew Your name is near and they tell of.
- Psalm 75:6 Probable text from the north or from the south; Hebrew from the wilderness of the mountains.
- Psalm 76:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by Asaph; a song.
- Psalm 76:10 One ancient translation will keep your festivals; verse 10 in Hebrew is unclear.
- Psalm 77:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by Asaph.
- Psalm 77:6 Some ancient translations deep thought; Hebrew song.
- Psalm 77:10 Verse 10 in Hebrew is unclear.
- Psalm 78:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by Asaph.
- Psalm 78:48 hail … lightning; or terrible disease … deadly plague.
- Psalm 78:60 The central place of worship for the people of Israel before the time of King David.
- Psalm 79:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by Asaph.
- Psalm 80:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by Asaph; a testimony.
- Psalm 81:1 HEBREW TITLE: By Asaph.
- Psalm 82:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by Asaph.
- Psalm 83:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by Asaph; a song.
- Psalm 84:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by the clan of Korah.
- Psalm 85:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by the clan of Korah.
- Psalm 86:1 HEBREW TITLE: A prayer by David.
- Psalm 87:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by the clan of Korah; a song.
- Psalm 87:1 See 2.6.
- Psalm 87:4 Hebrew Cush: Cush is the ancient name of the extensive territory south of the First Cataract of the Nile River. This region was called Ethiopia in Graeco-Roman time, and included within its borders most of modern Sudan and some of present-day Ethiopia (Abyssinia).
- Psalm 88:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by the clan of Korah; a song. A poem by Heman the Ezrahite.
- Psalm 88:4 all my strength is gone; or there is no help for me.
- Psalm 88:15 Probable text I am worn out; Hebrew unclear.
- Psalm 89:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by Ethan the Ezrahite.
- Psalm 89:10 A legendary sea monster which represented the forces of chaos and evil.
- Psalm 89:44 Probable text royal scepter; Hebrew purity.
- Psalm 89:50 Probable text curses; Hebrew crowds.
Psalm 73-84
New International Version
Psalm 73-84
New International Version
BOOK III
Psalms 73–89
Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.
1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.(A)
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(B)
I had nearly lost my foothold.(C)
3 For I envied(D) the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(E)
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free(F) from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride(G) is their necklace;(H)
they clothe themselves with violence.(I)
7 From their callous hearts(J) comes iniquity[b];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;(K)
with arrogance(L) they threaten oppression.(M)
9 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.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
13 Surely in vain(P) I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.(Q)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(R)
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(S) all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(T) of God;
then I understood their final destiny.(U)
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(V)
you cast them down to ruin.(W)
19 How suddenly(X) are they destroyed,
completely swept away(Y) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(Z) when one awakes;(AA)
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.(AB)
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(AC) and ignorant;
I was a brute beast(AD) before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.(AE)
24 You guide(AF) me with your counsel,(AG)
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(AH)
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(AI)
26 My flesh and my heart(AJ) may fail,(AK)
but God is the strength(AL) of my heart
and my portion(AM) forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;(AN)
you destroy all who are unfaithful(AO) to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.(AP)
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;(AQ)
I will tell of all your deeds.(AR)
Psalm 74
A maskil[d] of Asaph.
1 O God, why have you rejected(AS) us forever?(AT)
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?(AU)
2 Remember the nation you purchased(AV) long ago,(AW)
the people of your inheritance,(AX) whom you redeemed(AY)—
Mount Zion,(AZ) where you dwelt.(BA)
3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,(BB)
all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared(BC) in the place where you met with us;
they set up their standards(BD) as signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes
to cut through a thicket of trees.(BE)
6 They smashed all the carved(BF) paneling
with their axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiled(BG) the dwelling place(BH) of your Name.(BI)
8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush(BJ) them completely!”
They burned(BK) every place where God was worshiped in the land.
9 We are given no signs from God;(BL)
no prophets(BM) are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long(BN) will the enemy mock(BO) you, God?
Will the foe revile(BP) your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?(BQ)
Take it from the folds of your garment(BR) and destroy them!
13 It was you who split open the sea(BU) by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster(BV) in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan(BW)
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.(BX)
15 It was you who opened up springs(BY) and streams;
you dried up(BZ) the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.(CA)
17 It was you who set all the boundaries(CB) of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.(CC)
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
how foolish people(CD) have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove(CE) to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted(CF) people forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,(CG)
because haunts of violence fill the dark places(CH) of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed(CI) retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy(CJ) praise your name.
22 Rise up,(CK) O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools(CL) mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor(CM) of your adversaries,(CN)
the uproar(CO) of your enemies,(CP) which rises continually.
Psalm 75[e]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 We praise you, God,
we praise you, for your Name is near;(CQ)
people tell of your wonderful deeds.(CR)
2 You say, “I choose the appointed time;(CS)
it is I who judge with equity.(CT)
3 When the earth and all its people quake,(CU)
it is I who hold its pillars(CV) firm.[f]
4 To the arrogant(CW) I say, ‘Boast no more,’(CX)
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.[g](CY)
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak so defiantly.(CZ)’”
6 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt themselves.
7 It is God who judges:(DA)
He brings one down, he exalts another.(DB)
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup
full of foaming wine mixed(DC) with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
drink it down to its very dregs.(DD)
9 As for me, I will declare(DE) this forever;
I will sing(DF) praise to the God of Jacob,(DG)
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”(DH)
Psalm 76[h]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 God is renowned in Judah;
in Israel his name is great.(DI)
2 His tent is in Salem,(DJ)
his dwelling place in Zion.(DK)
3 There he broke the flashing arrows,(DL)
the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.[i](DM)
4 You are radiant with light,(DN)
more majestic than mountains rich with game.
5 The valiant(DO) lie plundered,
they sleep their last sleep;(DP)
not one of the warriors
can lift his hands.
6 At your rebuke,(DQ) God of Jacob,
both horse and chariot(DR) lie still.
7 It is you alone who are to be feared.(DS)
Who can stand(DT) before you when you are angry?(DU)
8 From heaven you pronounced judgment,
and the land feared(DV) and was quiet—
9 when you, God, rose up to judge,(DW)
to save all the afflicted(DX) of the land.
10 Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,(DY)
and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.[j]
11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;(DZ)
let all the neighboring lands
bring gifts(EA) to the One to be feared.
12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;
he is feared by the kings of the earth.
Psalm 77[k]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God(EB) for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress,(EC) I sought the Lord;
at night(ED) I stretched out untiring hands,(EE)
and I would not be comforted.(EF)
3 I remembered(EG) you, God, and I groaned;(EH)
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[l](EI)
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.(EJ)
5 I thought about the former days,(EK)
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?(EL)
Will he never show his favor(EM) again?
8 Has his unfailing love(EN) vanished forever?
Has his promise(EO) failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?(EP)
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?(EQ)”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.(ER)
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles(ES) of long ago.
12 I will consider(ET) all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”(EU)
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?(EV)
14 You are the God who performs miracles;(EW)
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,(EX)
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters(EY) saw you, God,
the waters saw you and writhed;(EZ)
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,(FA)
the heavens resounded with thunder;(FB)
your arrows(FC) flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,(FD)
your lightning(FE) lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.(FF)
19 Your path(FG) led through the sea,(FH)
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
Psalm 78
A maskil[m] of Asaph.
1 My people, hear my teaching;(FL)
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;(FM)
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.(FN)
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;(FO)
we will tell the next generation(FP)
the praiseworthy deeds(FQ) of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders(FR) he has done.
5 He decreed statutes(FS) for Jacob(FT)
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,(FU)
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget(FV) his deeds
but would keep his commands.(FW)
8 They would not be like their ancestors(FX)—
a stubborn(FY) and rebellious(FZ) generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,(GA)
turned back on the day of battle;(GB)
10 they did not keep God’s covenant(GC)
and refused to live by his law.(GD)
11 They forgot what he had done,(GE)
the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did miracles(GF) in the sight of their ancestors
in the land of Egypt,(GG) in the region of Zoan.(GH)
13 He divided the sea(GI) and led them through;
he made the water stand up like a wall.(GJ)
14 He guided them with the cloud by day
and with light from the fire all night.(GK)
15 He split the rocks(GL) 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(GM) against him,
rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test(GN)
by demanding the food they craved.(GO)
19 They spoke against God;(GP)
they said, “Can God really
spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
and water gushed out,(GQ)
streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meat(GR) for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
his fire broke out(GS) against Jacob,
and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God
or trust(GT) in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;(GU)
24 he rained down manna(GV) 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(GW) from the heavens
and by his power made the south wind blow.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
birds(GX) 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—(GY)
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,(GZ)
31 God’s anger rose against them;
he put to death the sturdiest(HA) among them,
cutting down the young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;(HB)
in spite of his wonders,(HC) they did not believe.(HD)
33 So he ended their days in futility(HE)
and their years in terror.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek(HF) him;
they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,(HG)
that God Most High was their Redeemer.(HH)
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,(HI)
lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal(HJ) to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;(HK)
he forgave(HL) their iniquities(HM)
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger(HN)
and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,(HO)
a passing breeze(HP) that does not return.
40 How often they rebelled(HQ) against him in the wilderness(HR)
and grieved him(HS) in the wasteland!
41 Again and again they put God to the test;(HT)
they vexed the Holy One of Israel.(HU)
42 They did not remember(HV) his power—
the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,(HW)
43 the day he displayed his signs(HX) in Egypt,
his wonders(HY) in the region of Zoan.
44 He turned their river into blood;(HZ)
they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies(IA) that devoured them,
and frogs(IB) that devastated them.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,(IC)
their produce to the locust.(ID)
47 He destroyed their vines with hail(IE)
and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail,
their livestock(IF) to bolts of lightning.
49 He unleashed against them his hot anger,(IG)
his wrath, indignation and hostility—
a band of destroying angels.(IH)
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,(II)
the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.(IJ)
52 But he brought his people out like a flock;(IK)
he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
but the sea engulfed(IL) their enemies.(IM)
54 And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,
to the hill country his right hand(IN) had taken.
55 He drove out nations(IO) before them
and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;(IP)
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(IQ) they were disloyal and faithless,
as unreliable as a faulty bow.(IR)
58 They angered him(IS) with their high places;(IT)
they aroused his jealousy with their idols.(IU)
59 When God heard(IV) them, he was furious;(IW)
he rejected Israel(IX) completely.
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,(IY)
the tent he had set up among humans.(IZ)
61 He sent the ark of his might(JA) into captivity,(JB)
his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62 He gave his people over to the sword;(JC)
he was furious with his inheritance.(JD)
63 Fire consumed(JE) their young men,
and their young women had no wedding songs;(JF)
64 their priests were put to the sword,(JG)
and their widows could not weep.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,(JH)
as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
66 He beat back his enemies;
he put them to everlasting shame.(JI)
67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;(JJ)
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,(JK)
Mount Zion,(JL) which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary(JM) like the heights,
like the earth that he established forever.
70 He chose David(JN) his servant
and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep(JO) he brought him
to be the shepherd(JP) of his people Jacob,
of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;(JQ)
with skillful hands he led them.
Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;(JR)
they have defiled(JS) your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.(JT)
2 They have left the dead bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky,(JU)
the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.(JV)
3 They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury(JW) the dead.(JX)
4 We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
of scorn(JY) and derision to those around us.(JZ)
5 How long,(KA) Lord? Will you be angry(KB) forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?(KC)
6 Pour out your wrath(KD) on the nations
that do not acknowledge(KE) you,
on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name;(KF)
7 for they have devoured(KG) Jacob
and devastated his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;(KH)
may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate need.(KI)
9 Help us,(KJ) God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name’s sake.(KK)
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”(KL)
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
that you avenge(KM) the outpoured blood(KN) of your servants.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
12 Pay back into the laps(KO) of our neighbors seven times(KP)
the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,(KQ)
will praise you forever;(KR)
from generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise.
Psalm 80[n]
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.(KS)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,(KT)
shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.(KU)
Awaken(KV) your might;
come and save us.(KW)
4 How long,(LA) Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder(LB)
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;(LC)
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.(LD)
6 You have made us an object of derision[o] to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.(LE)
7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.(LF)
8 You transplanted a vine(LG) from Egypt;
you drove out(LH) the nations and planted(LI) it.
9 You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea,[p]
its shoots as far as the River.[q](LJ)
12 Why have you broken down its walls(LK)
so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13 Boars from the forest ravage(LL) it,
and insects from the fields feed on it.
14 Return to us, God Almighty!
Look down from heaven and see!(LM)
Watch over this vine,
15 the root your right hand has planted,
the son[r] you have raised up for yourself.
16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;(LN)
at your rebuke(LO) your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man(LP) you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
revive(LQ) us, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
Psalm 81[s]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[t] Of Asaph.
1 Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!(LR)
2 Begin the music, strike the timbrel,(LS)
play the melodious harp(LT) and lyre.(LU)
3 Sound the ram’s horn(LV) at the New Moon,(LW)
and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
4 this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.(LX)
5 When God went out against Egypt,(LY)
he established it as a statute for Joseph.
I heard an unknown voice say:(LZ)
6 “I removed the burden(MA) from their shoulders;(MB)
their hands were set free from the basket.
7 In your distress you called(MC) and I rescued you,
I answered(MD) you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[u](ME)
8 Hear me, my people,(MF) and I will warn you—
if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god(MG) among you;
you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.(MH)
Open(MI) wide your mouth and I will fill(MJ) it.
11 “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.(MK)
12 So I gave them over(ML) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 “If my people would only listen to me,(MM)
if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue(MN) their enemies
and turn my hand against(MO) their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe(MP) before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;(MQ)
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Psalm 82
A psalm of Asaph.
2 “How long will you[v] defend the unjust
and show partiality(MT) to the wicked?[w](MU)
3 Defend the weak and the fatherless;(MV)
uphold the cause of the poor(MW) and the oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
5 “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.(MX)
They walk about in darkness;(MY)
all the foundations(MZ) of the earth are shaken.
6 “I said, ‘You are “gods”;(NA)
you are all sons of the Most High.’
7 But you will die(NB) like mere mortals;
you will fall like every other ruler.”
Psalm 83[x]
A song. A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, do not remain silent;(NF)
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,(NG)
how your foes rear their heads.(NH)
3 With cunning they conspire(NI) against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.(NJ)
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy(NK) them as a nation,(NL)
so that Israel’s name is remembered(NM) no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;(NN)
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom(NO) and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab(NP) and the Hagrites,(NQ)
7 Byblos,(NR) Ammon(NS) and Amalek,(NT)
Philistia,(NU) with the people of Tyre.(NV)
8 Even Assyria(NW) has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[y](NX)
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,(NY)
as you did to Sisera(NZ) and Jabin(OA) at the river Kishon,(OB)
10 who perished at Endor(OC)
and became like dung(OD) on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(OE)
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(OF)
12 who said, “Let us take possession(OG)
of the pasturelands of God.”
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff(OH) before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,(OI)
15 so pursue them with your tempest(OJ)
and terrify them with your storm.(OK)
16 Cover their faces with shame,(OL) Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;(OM)
may they perish in disgrace.(ON)
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord(OO)—
that you alone are the Most High(OP) over all the earth.(OQ)
Psalm 84[z]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[aa] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,(OR)
Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns,(OS) even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.(OT)
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,(OU)
Lord Almighty,(OV) my King(OW) and my God.(OX)
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.[ab]
5 Blessed are those whose strength(OY) is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.(OZ)
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;(PA)
the autumn(PB) rains also cover it with pools.[ac]
7 They go from strength to strength,(PC)
till each appears(PD) before God in Zion.(PE)
8 Hear my prayer,(PF) Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield,[ad](PG) O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.(PH)
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper(PI) in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun(PJ) and shield;(PK)
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold(PL)
from those whose walk is blameless.
Footnotes
- Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
- Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
- Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
- Psalm 74:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 75:1 In Hebrew texts 75:1-10 is numbered 75:2-11.
- Psalm 75:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 75:4 Horns here symbolize strength; also in verses 5 and 10.
- Psalm 76:1 In Hebrew texts 76:1-12 is numbered 76:2-13.
- Psalm 76:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 9.
- Psalm 76:10 Or Surely the wrath of mankind brings you praise, / and with the remainder of wrath you arm yourself
- Psalm 77:1 In Hebrew texts 77:1-20 is numbered 77:2-21.
- Psalm 77:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 9 and 15.
- Psalm 78:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
- Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention
- Psalm 80:11 Probably the Mediterranean
- Psalm 80:11 That is, the Euphrates
- Psalm 80:15 Or branch
- Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
- Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew is plural.
- Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.
- Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 84:1 In Hebrew texts 84:1-12 is numbered 84:2-13.
- Psalm 84:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 84:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
- Psalm 84:6 Or blessings
- Psalm 84:9 Or sovereign
Good News Translation (GNT) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.