34

By David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

1 I will bless Yahweh at all times.

His praise will always be in my mouth.

2My soul shall boast in Yahweh.

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

3Oh magnify Yahweh with me.

Let’s exalt his name together.

4I sought Yahweh, and he answered me,

and delivered me from all my fears.

5They looked to him, and were radiant.

Their faces shall never be covered with shame.

6This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him,

and saved him out of all his troubles.

7Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him,

and delivers them.

8Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good.

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints,

for there is no lack with those who fear him.

10The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger,

but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.

11Come, you children, listen to me.

I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.

12Who is someone who desires life,

and loves many days, that he may see good?

13Keep your tongue from evil,

and your lips from speaking lies.

14Depart from evil, and do good.

Seek peace, and pursue it.

15Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous.

His ears listen to their cry.

16Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil,

to cut off their memory from the earth.

17The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears,

and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart,

and saves those who have a crushed spirit.

19Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.

20He protects all of his bones.

Not one of them is broken.

21Evil shall kill the wicked.

Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.

22Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants.

None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.

35

By David.

1Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me.

Fight against those who fight against me.

2Take hold of shield and buckler,

and stand up for my help.

3Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me.

Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”

4Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor.

Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.

5Let them be as chaff before the wind,

Yahweh’s angel driving them on.

6Let their way be dark and slippery,

Yahweh’s angel pursuing them.

7For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me.

Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.

8Let destruction come on him unawares.

Let his net that he has hidden catch himself.

Let him fall into that destruction.

9My soul shall be joyful in Yahweh.

It shall rejoice in his salvation.

10All my bones shall say, “Yahweh, who is like you,

who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him;

yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”

11Unrighteous witnesses rise up.

They ask me about things that I don’t know about.

12They reward me evil for good,

to the bereaving of my soul.

13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.

I afflicted my soul with fasting.

My prayer returned into my own bosom.

14I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother.

I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.

15But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together.

The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it.

They tore at me, and didn’t cease.

16Like the profane mockers in feasts,

they gnashed their teeth at me.

17Lord, how long will you look on?

Rescue my soul from their destruction,

my precious life from the lions.

18I will give you thanks in the great assembly.

I will praise you among many people.

19Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me;

neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.

20For they don’t speak peace,

but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

21Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me.

They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”

22You have seen it, Yahweh. Don’t keep silent.

Lord, don’t be far from me.

23Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God!

My Lord, contend for me!

24Vindicate me, Yahweh my God, according to your righteousness.

Don’t let them gloat over me.

25Don’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!”

Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

26Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity.

Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.

27Let those who favor my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad.

Yes, let them say continually, “May Yahweh be magnified,

who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”

28My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.

36

For the Chief Musician. By David, the servant of Yahweh.

1A revelation is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked:

There is no fear of God before his eyes.

2For he flatters himself in his own eyes,

too much to detect and hate his sin.

3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit.

He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

4He plots iniquity on his bed.

He sets himself in a way that is not good.

He doesn’t abhor evil.

5Your loving kindness, Yahweh, is in the heavens.

Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God.

Your judgments are like a great deep.

Yahweh, you preserve man and animal.

7How precious is your loving kindness, God!

The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings.

8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house.

You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures.

9For with you is the spring of life.

In your light we will see light.

10Oh continue your loving kindness to those who know you,

your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11Don’t let the foot of pride come against me.

Don’t let the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12There the workers of iniquity are fallen.

They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.

37

By David.

1Don’t fret because of evildoers,

neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.

2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,

and wither like the green herb.

3Trust in Yahweh, and do good.

Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture.

4Also delight yourself in Yahweh,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5Commit your way to Yahweh.

Trust also in him, and he will do this:

6he will make your righteousness shine out like light,

and your justice as the noon day sun.

7Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him.

Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way,

because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.

8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath.

Don’t fret; it leads only to evildoing.

9For evildoers shall be cut off,

but those who wait for Yahweh shall inherit the land.

10For yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more.

Yes, though you look for his place, he isn’t there.

11But the humble shall inherit the land,

and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12The wicked plots against the just,

and gnashes at him with his teeth.

13The Lord will laugh at him,

for he sees that his day is coming.

14The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow,

to cast down the poor and needy,

to kill those who are upright on the path.

15Their sword shall enter into their own heart.

Their bows shall be broken.

16Better is a little that the righteous has,

than the abundance of many wicked.

17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

but Yahweh upholds the righteous.

18Yahweh knows the days of the perfect.

Their inheritance shall be forever.

19They shall not be disappointed in the time of evil.

In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20But the wicked shall perish.

The enemies of Yahweh shall be like the beauty of the fields.

They will vanish—

vanish like smoke.

21The wicked borrow, and don’t pay back,

but the righteous give generously.

22For such as are blessed by him shall inherit the land.

Those who are cursed by him shall be cut off.

23A man’s steps are established by Yahweh.

He delights in his way.

24Though he stumble, he shall not fall,

for Yahweh holds him up with his hand.

25I have been young, and now am old,

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,

nor his children begging for bread.

26All day long he deals graciously, and lends.

His offspring is blessed.

27Depart from evil, and do good.

Live securely forever.

28For Yahweh loves justice,

and doesn’t forsake his saints.

They are preserved forever,

but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

29The righteous shall inherit the land,

and live in it forever.

30The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom.

His tongue speaks justice.

31The law of his God is in his heart.

None of his steps shall slide.

32The wicked watch the righteous,

and seek to kill him.

33Yahweh will not leave him in his hand,

nor condemn him when he is judged.

34Wait for Yahweh, and keep his way,

and he will exalt you to inherit the land.

When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

35I have seen the wicked in great power,

spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.

36But he passed away, and behold, he was not.

Yes, I sought him, but he could not be found.

37Mark the perfect man, and see the upright,

for there is a future for the man of peace.

38As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together.

The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39But the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh.

He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

40Yahweh helps them and rescues them.

He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,

because they have taken refuge in him.

38

A Psalm by David, for a memorial.

1Yahweh, don’t rebuke me in your wrath,

neither chasten me in your hot displeasure.

2For your arrows have pierced me,

your hand presses hard on me.

3There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation,

neither is there any health in my bones because of my sin.

4For my iniquities have gone over my head.

As a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

5My wounds are loathsome and corrupt

because of my foolishness.

6I am in pain and bowed down greatly.

I go mourning all day long.

7For my waist is filled with burning.

There is no soundness in my flesh.

8I am faint and severely bruised.

I have groaned by reason of the anguish of my heart.

9Lord, all my desire is before you.

My groaning is not hidden from you.

10My heart throbs.

My strength fails me.

As for the light of my eyes, it has also left me.

11My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague.

My kinsmen stand far away.

12They also who seek after my life lay snares.

Those who seek my hurt speak mischievous things,

and meditate deceits all day long.

13But I, as a deaf man, don’t hear.

I am as a mute man who doesn’t open his mouth.

14Yes, I am as a man who doesn’t hear,

in whose mouth are no reproofs.

15For I hope in you, Yahweh.

You will answer, Lord my God.

16For I said, “Don’t let them gloat over me,

or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.”

17For I am ready to fall.

My pain is continually before me.

18For I will declare my iniquity.

I will be sorry for my sin.

19But my enemies are vigorous and many.

Those who hate me without reason are numerous.

20They who render evil for good are also adversaries to me,

because I follow what is good.

21Don’t forsake me, Yahweh.

My God, don’t be far from me.

22Hurry to help me,

Lord, my salvation.