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Psalm 30

You Brought Me Up From the Grave

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A psalm. A song for the dedication of the Temple. By David.

Praise for Answered Prayer

I will exalt you, O Lord,
because you lifted me up.
You did not let my enemies rejoice over me.

O Lord my God, I cried out to you,
and you healed me.
Lord, you snatched my life from the grave.
You kept me alive so I did not go down into the pit.

Join Me in Prayer

Make music to the Lord, you his favored ones,
and give thanks when you remember[a] his holiness,
for we spend a moment under his anger,
but we enjoy a lifetime in his favor.
In the evening, weeping comes to stay through the night,
but in the morning, there is rejoicing!

Wrestling in Prayer

But I—I said in my security,
“I will never be knocked down.”
Lord, in your favor you made strength
    stand like a mountain for me.
Then you hid your face. I was terrified.
To you, O Lord, I call.
To the Lord I cry for mercy:
“What gain is there in shedding my blood,
in sending me down to destruction?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your truth?
10 Lord, hear and be merciful to me.
Lord, be a helper for me.”

A Happy Outcome

11 You turned my mourning into dancing.
You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 so that my whole being[b] may make music to you
and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I thank you forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 30:4 Or commemorate. In psalms the act of remembering God’s deeds is often done in a setting of public worship, in which it becomes a testimony to others.
  2. Psalm 30:12 Literally my glory. Glory here seems to refer to the heart or the soul, the inmost being.

Book I
Psalms 1–41

Psalm 1

Two Responses to God’s Word

The Way of the Godly Leads to Blessing

How blessed is the man
    who does not walk in the advice of the wicked,
    who does not stand on the path with sinners,
    and who does not sit in a meeting with mockers.
But his delight is in the teaching[a] of the Lord,
and on his teaching he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted beside streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season,
    and its leaves do not wither.
Everything he does prospers.

The Way of the Ungodly Leads to Destruction

Not so the wicked!
No, they are like the chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

Conclusion

Yes, the Lord approves[b] of the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 1:2 The Hebrew torah is traditionally translated law, but the term torah also includes other types of instruction besides legal regulations, so here it is translated with the more general term teaching.
  2. Psalm 1:6 Literally knows

Psalm 4

My Righteous God, Give Me Relief

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For the choir director. With stringed instruments. A psalm by David.

A Prayer to God

My righteous God, answer me when I call.
When I was under pressure, you gave me relief.
Be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

A Rebuke to Enemies

You people, how long will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love empty delusions? Interlude
How long will you pursue lies?
Know this: The Lord has set apart
    his favored one[a] for himself.
The Lord will hear when I call to him.

Advice to Friends

You may be upset, but do not sin.
When you are on your beds,
    speak to your heart, but remain silent. Interlude
Offer righteous sacrifices,
and trust in the Lord.
Many are saying, “Who can show us any good?”
Shine the light of your face on us, O Lord.

Closing Prayer

You have placed joy in my heart greater than the joy
    when grain and new wine are plentiful.
In complete peace I will lie down, and I will sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 5

With You the Wicked Cannot Dwell

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For the choir director. For flutes. A psalm by David.

Access in Prayer

Turn your ear to my words, O Lord.
Understand me when I sigh.
Pay attention to my cry for help,
    my King and my God,
    for to you I pray.
Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I lay out my requests in front of you,
and I watch for your answer.

No Access

For you are not a God who takes pleasure in evil.
With you the wicked cannot dwell.
The arrogant cannot stand before your eyes.
You hate all evildoers.
You put to death those who speak lies.
The Lord is disgusted with bloodthirsty, deceitful men.

Access in Prayer

But as for me, by your great mercy
    I will enter your house.
    I will bow down toward your holy temple
        with reverence for you.
Lord, lead me in your righteousness.
Because of those who slander me,
make your way straight before me.

Lying Tongues

Nothing reliable comes out of their mouth.
From within them comes destruction.
Their throat is an open grave.
With their tongue they flatter.
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let them fall because of their own schemes.
For their many treacherous deeds banish them,
    because they have rebelled against you.

Praising Tongues

11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad.
Let them sing for joy forever.
You cover them with protection,
    so those who love your name rejoice in you.
12 Yes, you bless the righteous, Lord.
You surround them with your favor as a shield.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 4:3 The Hebrew word hasid refers to someone who receives and/or gives mercy. It is the most common title for a believer in the Psalms. Many translations use generic terms like devout, godly, or faithful. This translation uses favored when hasid refers primarily to a recipient of mercy and merciful when it refers primarily to a dispenser of mercy.

Psalm 11

Faith, Not Flight

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For the choir director. By David.

The Fear of the Fainthearted

In the Lord I take refuge.
How can you say to my soul:
“Flee to your mountain like a bird.
Look! The wicked bend their bow.
They set their arrow against the string
    to shoot in the darkness at the upright in heart.
When the foundations are being torn down,
    what can the righteous do?”

David’s Answer

The Lord is in his holy temple.
The Lord is on his throne in heaven.
His eyes observe.
He focuses on[a] the children of Adam.[b]
The Lord is righteous.
He examines the wicked.
He really hates[c] those who love violence.
On the wicked he will rain down fiery coals and sulfur.[d]
A scorching wind will be the cup given to them.
Indeed, the Lord is righteous. He loves righteousness.
The upright will view his face.

Psalm 12

Proud Words vs. Pure Words

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For the choir director. According to sheminith.[e] A psalm by David.

The Proud Words of the Ungodly

Save us, Lord, for the merciful have disappeared.
The faithful have vanished from among mankind.

Everyone speaks falsehood to his neighbor.
Their flattering lips speak double-talk.[f]
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips.
May he cut off every tongue that speaks boastfully,
which says, “With our tongues we will establish our power.
We say what we please.[g] Who is lord over us?”

The Pure Words of the Lord

“Because of the destruction of the oppressed,
because of the groaning of the poor,
now I will rise up,” says the Lord.
“I will keep him safe from the one who puffs against him.”[h]
The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
You, Lord, will keep them safe.
You will protect them from such people forever.
The wicked strut around
    when depravity is honored by the children of Adam.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 11:4 Literally his eyelids test
  2. Psalm 11:4 Or sons of man, that is, all mankind
  3. Psalm 11:5 Literally his soul hates
  4. Psalm 11:6 The Hebrew text reads snares, fire, and sulfur. The translation follows one Greek version, which inverts two letters in one Hebrew word, changing snares to fiery coals.
  5. Psalm 12:1 Sheminith is apparently derived from the Hebrew word for eight. It may refer to an eight-stringed instrument, to the bass voice, to low-pitched stringed instruments, or, most likely, to a method for tuning a stringed instrument (1 Chronicles 15:21).
  6. Psalm 12:2 Literally speak with a heart and a heart
  7. Psalm 12:4 Literally our lips are with us
  8. Psalm 12:5 Or in the safety he desires