NEW KING JAMES VERSION

​1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty;
He judges among the gods.
 
2 How long will you judge unjustly,
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
 
3 Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
 
4 Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.
 
5 They do not know, nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the foundations of the earth are unstable.
 
6 I said, “You are gods,
And all of you are children of the Most High.
 
7 But you shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.”
 
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
For You shall inherit all nations.

CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION

​1 When all of the other gods
    have come together,
    the Lord God judges them
    and says:
2 “How long will you
keep judging unfairly
    and favoring evil people?
3 Be fair to the poor
    and to orphans.
    Defend the helpless
    and everyone in need.
4 Rescue the weak and homeless
    from the powerful hands
    of heartless people.
 
5 “None of you know
    or understand a thing.
You live in darkness,
    while the foundations
    of the earth tremble.
 
6 “I, the Most High God, say
that all of you are gods
    and also my own children.
7 But you will die,
just like everyone else,
    including powerful rulers.”
 
8 Do something, God!
Judge the nations of the earth;
    they belong to you.

NEW KING JAMES VERSION
​
1 Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
 
2 Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.
 
3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob.
 
5 This He established in Joseph as a testimony,
When He went throughout the land of Egypt,
Where I heard a language I did not understand.
 
6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden;
His hands were freed from the baskets.
 
7 You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
 
8 “Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!
O Israel, if you will listen to Me!
 
9 There shall be no foreign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
 
10 I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
 
11 “But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have none of Me.
 
12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.
 
13 “Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
 
14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
 
15 The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,
But their fate would endure forever.
 
16 He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat;
And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”

CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION
​
1 Be happy and shout to God
    who makes us strong!
    Shout praises to the God
    of Jacob.
2 Sing as you play tambourines
    and the lovely sounding
    stringed instruments.
3 Sound the trumpets and start
    the New Moon Festival.
    We must also celebrate
    when the moon is full.
4 This is the law in Israel,
    and it was given to us
    by the God of Jacob.
5 The descendants of Joseph
    were told to obey it,
    when God led them out
    from the land of Egypt.
 
In a language unknown to me,
    I heard someone say:
6 “I lifted the burden
    from your shoulder
    and took the heavy basket
    from your hands.
7 When you were in trouble,
    I rescued you,
    and from the thunderclouds,
    I answered your prayers.
    Later I tested you
    at Meribah Spring.
 
8 “Listen, my people,
while I, the Lord,
    correct you!
    Israel, if you would only
    pay attention to me!
9 Don’t worship foreign gods
    or bow down to gods
    you know nothing about.
10 I am the Lord your God.
    I rescued you from Egypt.
    Just ask, and I will give you
    whatever you need.
 
11 “But, my people, Israel,
    you refused to listen,
    and you would have nothing
    to do with me!
12 So I let you be stubborn
    and keep on following
    your own advice.
 
13 “My people, Israel,
if only you would listen
    and do as I say!
14 I, the Lord, would quickly
defeat your enemies
    with my mighty power.
15 Everyone who hates me
    would come crawling,
    and that would be the end
    of them.
16 But I would feed you
    with the finest bread
    and with the best honey
    until you were full.”

NEW KING JAMES VERSION
​
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
 
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us!
 
3 Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
 
4 O Lord God of hosts,
How long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?
 
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.
 
6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
 
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!
 
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt;
You have cast out the nations, and planted it.
 
9 You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.
 
10 The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the mighty cedars with its boughs.
 
11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea,
And her branches to the River.
 
12 Why have You broken down her hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
 
13 The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.
 
14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
 
15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.
 
16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
 
17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
 
18 Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
 
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION
​
1 ​Shepherd of Israel, you lead
    the descendants of Joseph,
and you sit on your throne
    above the winged creatures.
Listen to our prayer
    and let your light shine
2     for the tribes of Ephraim,
Benjamin, and Manasseh.
    Save us by your power.
 
3 Our God, make us strong again!
    Smile on us and save us.
 
4 Lord God All-Powerful,
    how much longer
    will the prayers of your people
    make you angry?
5 You gave us tears for food,
    and you made us drink them
    by the bowlful.
6 Because of you,
our enemies who live nearby
    laugh and joke about us.
7 But if you smile on us,
    we will be saved.
 
8 We were like a grapevine
    you brought out of Egypt.
    You chased other nations away
    and planted us here.
9 Then you cleared the ground,
    and we put our roots deep,
    spreading over the land.
10 Shade from this vine covered
    the mountains.
Its branches
climbed
the mighty cedars
11     and stretched to the sea;
    its new growth reached
    to the river.
 
12 Our Lord, why have you
torn down the wall
    from around the vineyard?
You let everyone who walks by
    pick the grapes.
13     Now the vine is gobbled down
by pigs from the forest
    and other wild animals.
 
14 God All-Powerful,
    please do something!
Look down from heaven
and see what’s happening
    to this vine.
15 With your own hands
    you planted its roots,
and you raised it
    as your very own.
 
16 Enemies chopped the vine down
    and set it on fire.
    Now show your anger
    and destroy them.
17 But help the one who sits
    at your right side,
    the one you raised
    to be your own.
18 Then we will never turn away.
    Put new life into us,
    and we will worship you.
 
19 Lord God All-Powerful,
make us strong again!
    Smile on us and save us.

NEW KING JAMES VERSION
​
​1 O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance;
Your holy temple they have defiled;
They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.
 
2 The dead bodies of Your servants
They have given as food for the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.
 
3 Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem,
And there was no one to bury them.
 
4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
A scorn and derision to those who are around us.
 
5 How long, Lord?
Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
 
6 Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You,
And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name.
 
7 For they have devoured Jacob,
And laid waste his dwelling place.
 
8 Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us!
Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us,
For we have been brought very low.
 
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
For the glory of Your name;
And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins,
For Your name’s sake!
 
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let there be known among the nations in our sight
The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.
 
11 Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your power
Preserve those who are appointed to die;
12 And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom
Their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.
 
13 So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
We will show forth Your praise to all generations.

CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION
​
​1 Our God, foreign nations
    have taken your land,
    disgraced your temple,
    and left Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have fed the bodies
of your servants
    to flesh-eating birds;
    your loyal people are food
    for savage animals.
3 All Jerusalem is covered
    with their blood,
    and there is no one left
    to bury them.
4 Every nation around us
    sneers and makes fun.
 
5 Our Lord, will you keep on
    being angry?
    Will your angry feelings
    keep flaming up like fire?
6 Get angry with those nations
that don’t know you
    and won’t worship you!
7 They have gobbled down
Jacob’s descendants
    and left the land in ruins.
 
8 Don’t make us pay for the sins
    of our ancestors.
    Have pity and come quickly!
    We are completely helpless.
9 Our God, you keep us safe.
    Now help us! Rescue us.
    Forgive our sins
    and bring honor to yourself.
 
10 Why should nations ask us,
    “Where is your God?”
Let us and the other nations
    see you take revenge
    for your servants who died
    a violent death.
 
11 Listen to the prisoners groan!
Let your mighty power save all
    who are sentenced to die.
12     Each of those nations sneered
    at you, our Lord.
Now let others sneer at them,
    seven times as much.
13     Then we, your people,
    will always thank you.
We are like sheep
    with you as our shepherd,
    and all generations
    will hear us praise you.

NEW KING JAMES VERSION
​
1 Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
 
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
 
3 Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
 
4 We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
 
5 For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
 
6 That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
 
7 That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;
 
8 And may not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
 
9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows,
Turned back in the day of battle.
 
10 They did not keep the covenant of God;
They refused to walk in His law,
 
11 And forgot His works
And His wonders that He had shown them.
 
12 Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
 
13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
 
14 In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
 
15 He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
 
16 He also brought streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.
 
17 But they sinned even more against Him
By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
 
18 And they tested God in their heart
By asking for the food of their fancy.
 
19 Yes, they spoke against God:
They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
 
20 Behold, He struck the rock,
So that the waters gushed out,
And the streams overflowed.
Can He give bread also?
Can He provide meat for His people?”
 
21 Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious;
So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also came up against Israel,
 
22 Because they did not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.
 
23 Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
And opened the doors of heaven,
 
24 Had rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the bread of heaven.
 
25 Men ate angels’ food;
He sent them food to the full.
 
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He brought in the south wind.
27 He also rained meat on them like the dust,
Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
 
28 And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
All around their dwellings.
 
29 So they ate and were well filled,
For He gave them their own desire.
 
30 They were not deprived of their craving;
But while their food was still in their mouths,
 
31 The wrath of God came against them,
And slew the stoutest of them,
And struck down the choice men of Israel.
 
32 In spite of this they still sinned,
And did not believe in His wondrous works.
 
33 Therefore their days He consumed in futility,
And their years in fear.
 
34 When He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
 
35 Then they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer.
 
36 Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
And they lied to Him with their tongue;
 
37 For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
 
38 But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,
And did not stir up all His wrath;
 
39 For He remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again.
 
40 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness,
And grieved Him in the desert!
41 Yes, again and again they tempted God,
And limited the Holy One of Israel.
 
42 They did not remember His power:
The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
 
43 When He worked His signs in Egypt,
And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
 
44 Turned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, that they could not drink.
 
45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
And frogs, which destroyed them.
 
46 He also gave their crops to the caterpillar,
And their labor to the locust.
 
47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycamore trees with frost.
 
48 He also gave up their cattle to the hail,
And their flocks to fiery lightning.
 
49 He cast on them the fierceness of His anger,
Wrath, indignation, and trouble,
By sending angels of destruction among them.
 
50 He made a path for His anger;
He did not spare their soul from death,
But gave their life over to the plague,
 
51 And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt,
The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.
 
52 But He made His own people go forth like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
 
53 And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
 
54 And He brought them to His holy border,
This mountain which His right hand had acquired.
 
55 He also drove out the nations before them,
Allotted them an inheritance by survey,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
 
56 Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
And did not keep His testimonies,
 
57 But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
 
58 For they provoked Him to anger with their high places,
And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
 
59 When God heard this, He was furious,
And greatly abhorred Israel,
 
60 So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent He had placed among men,
 
61 And delivered His strength into captivity,
And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
 
62 He also gave His people over to the sword,
And was furious with His inheritance.
 
63 The fire consumed their young men,
And their maidens were not given in marriage.
 
64 Their priests fell by the sword,
And their widows made no lamentation.
 
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
 
66 And He beat back His enemies;
He put them to a perpetual reproach.
 
67 Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
 
68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He loved.
 
69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
 
70 He also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
 
71 From following the ewes that had young He brought him,
To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
 
72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION

​My friends, I beg you
    to listen as I teach.
2 I will give instruction
    and explain the mystery
    of what happened long ago.
3 These are things we learned
    from our ancestors,
4     and we will tell them
    to the next generation.
We won’t keep secret
    the glorious deeds
    and the mighty miracles
    of the Lord.
 
5 God gave his Law
to Jacob’s descendants,
    the people of Israel.
And he told our ancestors
    to teach their children,
6 so that each new generation
would know his Law
    and tell it to the next.
7 Then they would trust God
    and obey his teachings,
    without forgetting anything
    God had done.
8 They would be different
    from their ancestors,
    who were stubborn, rebellious,
    and unfaithful to God.
 
9 The warriors from Ephraim
    were armed with arrows,
    but they ran away
    when the battle began.
10 They broke their agreement
    with God,
    and they turned their backs
    on his teaching.
11 They forgot all he had done,
    even the mighty miracles
12     he did for their ancestors
    near Zoan in Egypt.
 
13 God made a path in the sea
    and piled up the water
    as he led them across.
14 He guided them during the day
    with a cloud,
    and each night he led them
    with a flaming fire.
15 God made water flow
from rocks
he split open
    in the desert,
    and his people drank freely,
    as though from a lake.
16 He made streams gush out
    like rivers from rocks.
 
17 But in the desert,
the people of God Most High
    kept sinning and rebelling.
18 They stubbornly tested God
    and demanded from him
    what they wanted to eat.
19 They challenged God by saying,
    “Can God provide food
    out here in the desert?
20 It’s true God struck the rock
and water gushed out
    like a river,
    but can he give his people
    bread and meat?”
 
21 When the Lord heard this,
    he was angry and furious
    with Jacob’s descendants,
    the people of Israel.
22 They had refused to trust him,
    and they had doubted
    his saving power.
 
23 But God gave a command
    to the clouds,
    and he opened the doors
    in the skies.
24 From heaven he sent grain
    that they called manna.
25 He gave them more than enough,
    and each one of them ate
    this special food.
 
26 God’s mighty power
    brought a strong wind
    from the southeast,
27 and it brought birds
that covered the ground,
    like sand on the beach.
28 Then God made the birds fall
    in the camp of his people
    near their tents.
 
29 God gave his people
    all they wanted,
    and each of them ate
    until they were full.
30 But before they had swallowed
    the last bite,
31 God became angry and killed
the strongest
    and best
    from the families of Israel.
 
32 But the rest kept on sinning
    and would not trust
    God’s miracles.
33 So he cut their lives short
    and made them terrified.
34 After he killed some of them,
    the others turned to him
    with all their hearts.
35 They remembered God Most High,
    the mighty rock
    that kept them safe.
36 But they tried to flatter God,
    and they told him lies;
37     they were unfaithful
    and broke their promises.
 
38 Yet God was kind.
He kept forgiving their sins
    and didn’t destroy them.
    He often became angry,
    but never lost his temper.
39 God remembered that they
    were made of flesh
and were like a wind
that blows once
    and then dies down.
 
40 While they were in the desert,
    they often rebelled
    and made God sad.
41 They kept testing him
    and caused terrible pain
    for the Holy One of Israel.
42 They forgot about his power
    and how he had rescued them
    from their enemies.
 
43 God showed them all kinds
of wonderful miracles
    near Zoan in Egypt.
44 He turned the rivers of Egypt
    into blood,
    and no one could drink
    from the streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies
    to pester the Egyptians,
    and he sent frogs
    to cause them trouble.
 
46 God let worms and grasshoppers
    eat their crops.
47 He destroyed their grapevines
    and their fig trees
    with hail and floods.
48 Then he killed their cattle
    with hail
    and their other animals
    with lightning.
 
49 God was so angry and furious
    that he went into a rage
and caused them great trouble
    by sending swarms
    of destroying angels.
50 God gave in to his anger
    and slaughtered them
    in a terrible way.
51 He killed the first-born son
    of each Egyptian family.
 
52 Then God led his people
    out of Egypt
    and guided them in the desert
    like a flock of sheep.
53 He led them safely along,
    and they were not afraid,
    but their enemies drowned
    in the sea.
 
54 God brought his people
    to the sacred mountain
    that he had taken
    by his own power.
55 He made nations run
    from the tribes of Israel,
    and he let the tribes
    take over their land.
 
56 But the people tested
    God Most High,
    and they refused
    to obey his laws.
57 They were as unfaithful
    as their ancestors,
    and they were as crooked
    as a twisted arrow.
58 God demanded all their love,
    but they made him angry
    by worshiping idols.
 
59 So God became furious
    and completely rejected
    the people of Israel.
60 Then he deserted his home
at Shiloh,
    where he lived
    here on earth.
61 He let enemies capture
the sacred chest
    and let them dishonor him.
 
62 God took out his anger
    on his chosen ones
    and let them be killed
    by enemy swords.
63 Fire destroyed the young men,
    and the young women were left
    with no one to marry.
64 Priests died violent deaths,
    but their widows
    were not allowed to mourn.
 
65 Finally the Lord woke up,
    and he shouted
    like a drunken soldier.
66 God scattered his enemies
    and made them ashamed
    forever.
 
67 Then the Lord decided
    not to make his home
    with Joseph’s descendants
    in Ephraim.
68 Instead he chose the tribe
    of Judah,
    and he chose Mount Zion,
    the place he loves.
69 There he built his temple
    as lofty as the mountains
and as solid as the earth
    that he had made
    to last forever.
 
70 The Lord God chose David
to be his servant
and took him
    from tending sheep
71     and from caring for lambs.
Then God made him the leader
    of Israel, his own nation.
72 David treated the people fairly
    and guided them with wisdom.

New King James Version
​
PSALM 71

​God the Rock of Salvation

1 In You, O Lord, I put my trust;
Let me never be put to shame.

2 Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;
Incline Your ear to me, and save me.

3 Be my strong refuge,
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.
 
4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

5 For You are my hope, O Lord God;
You are my trust from my youth.

6 By You I have been upheld from birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.
My praise shall be continually of You.
 
7 I have become as a wonder to many,
But You are my strong refuge.

8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day.
 
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

10 For my enemies speak against me;
And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together,

11 Saying, “God has forsaken him;
Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”
 
12 O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!

13 Let them be confounded and consumed
Who are adversaries of my life;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor
Who seek my hurt.
 
14 But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.

15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.

16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
 
17 O God, You have taught me from my youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

18 Now also when I am old and gray-headed,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come.
 
19 Also Your righteousness, O God, is [as]very high,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?

20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,
Shall revive me again,
And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

21 You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side.
 
22 Also with the lute I will praise You--
And Your faithfulness, O my God!
To You I will sing with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,
And my soul, which You have redeemed.

​24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;
For they are confounded,
For they are brought to shame
Who seek my hurt.

PSALM 71 (CEV)
​
A Prayer for God’s Protection

1 I run to you, Lord,
for protection.
    Don’t disappoint me.

2 You do what is right,
    so come to my rescue.
    Listen to my prayer
    and keep me safe.

3 Be my mighty rock,
    the place
where I can always run
    for protection.
Save me by your command!
    You are my mighty rock
    and my fortress.

4 Come and save me, Lord God,
    from vicious and cruel
    and brutal enemies!

5 I depend on you,
    and I have trusted you
    since I was young.

6 I have relied on you
    from the day I was born.
You brought me safely
through birth,
    and I always praise you.
 
7 Many people think of me
    as something evil.
But you are my mighty protector,

8     and I praise and honor you
    all day long.

9 Don’t throw me aside
    when I am old;
    don’t desert me
    when my strength is gone.

10 My enemies are plotting
    because they want me dead.

11 They say, “Now we’ll catch you!
    God has deserted you,
    and no one can save you.”

12 Come closer, God!
    Please hurry and help.

13 Embarrass and destroy
    all who want me dead;
    disgrace and confuse
    all who want to hurt me.

14 I will never give up hope
    or stop praising you.

15 All day long I will tell
the wonderful things you do
    to save your people.
But you have done much more
    than I could possibly know.

16 I will praise you, Lord God,
    for your mighty deeds
    and your power to save.
 
17 You have taught me
    since I was a child,
    and I never stop telling about
    your marvelous deeds.

18 Don’t leave me when I am old
    and my hair turns gray.
    Let me tell future generations
    about your mighty power.

19 Your deeds of kindness
are known in the heavens.
    No one is like you!
 
20 You made me suffer a lot,
    but you will bring me
back from this deep pit
    and give me new life.

21 You will make me truly great
    and take my sorrow away.
 
22 I will praise you, God,
the Holy One of Israel.
    You are faithful.
    I will play the harp
    and sing your praises.

23 You have rescued me!
    I will celebrate and shout,
    singing praises to you
    with all my heart.

24 All day long I will announce
    your power to save.
I will tell how you disgraced
and disappointed
    those who wanted to hurt me.

PSALM 72 (NKJV)

Glory and Universality of the Messiah’s Reign
(A Psalm of Solomon)

1 Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.

2 He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.

3 The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.

4 He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will [at]break in pieces the oppressor.
 
5 They shall fear You
As long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
Like showers that water the earth.

7 In His days the righteous shall flourish,
And abundance of peace,
Until the moon is no more.
 
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.

9 Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
And His enemies will lick the dust.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.

11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.
 
12 For He will deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.

13 He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And precious shall be their blood in His sight.
 
15 And He shall live;
And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him;
Prayer also will be made for Him continually,
And daily He shall be praised.
 
16 There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
 
17 His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
All nations shall call Him blessed.
 
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!

19 And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
 
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

​PSALM 72 (CEV)
A Prayer for God To Guide and Help the King

1 Please help the king
to be honest and fair
    just like you, our God.

2 Let him be honest and fair
with all your people,
    especially the poor.

3 Let peace and justice rule
    every mountain and hill.

4 Let the king defend the poor,
rescue the homeless,
    and crush
    everyone who hurts them.

5 Let the king live forever
    like the sun and the moon.

6 Let him be as helpful as rain
    that refreshes the meadows
    and the ground.

7 Let the king be fair
    with everyone,
and let there be peace
    until the moon
    falls from the sky.
 
8 Let his kingdom reach
    from sea to sea,
    from the Euphrates River
    across all the earth.

9 Force the desert tribes
    to accept his rule,
    and make his enemies
    crawl in the dirt.

10 Force the rulers of Tarshish
and of the islands
    to pay taxes to him.
Make the kings of Sheba
    and of Seba bring gifts.

11     Make other rulers bow down
    and all nations serve him.
 
12 Do this because the king
rescues the homeless
    when they cry out,
    and he helps everyone
    who is poor and in need.

13 The king has pity
on the weak and the helpless
    and protects those in need.

14 He cares when they hurt,
    and he saves them from cruel
    and violent deaths.
 
15 Long live the king!
    Give him gold from Sheba.
    Always pray for the king
    and praise him each day.

16 Let cities overflow with food
and hills be covered with grain,
    just like Mount Lebanon.
Let the people in the cities
    prosper like wild flowers.

17 May the glory of the king
shine brightly forever
    like the sun in the sky.
Let him make nations prosper
    and learn to praise him.
 
18 Lord God of Israel,
we praise you.
    Only you can work miracles.

​19 We will always praise
    your glorious name.
Let your glory be seen
everywhere on earth.
    Amen and amen.
 
20 This ends the prayers
    of David, the son of Jesse.

New King James Version

PSALM 69

1 Save me, O God!
For the waters have come up to my neck.

​2 I sink in deep mire,
Where there is no standing;
I have come into deep waters,
Where the floods overflow me.

3 I am weary with my crying;
My throat is dry;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
 
4 Those who hate me without a cause
Are more than the hairs of my head;
They are mighty who would destroy me,
Being my enemies wrongfully;
Though I have stolen nothing,
I still must restore it.
 
5 O God, You know my foolishness;
And my sins are not hidden from You.

6 Let not those who wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me;
Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.

7 Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Shame has covered my face.

8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
And an alien to my mother’s children;

9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,
And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
That became my reproach.

11 I also made sackcloth my garment;
I became a byword to them.

12 Those who sit in the gate speak against me,
And I am the song of the drunkards.
 
13 But as for me, my prayer is to You,
O Lord, in the acceptable time;
O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.

14 Deliver me out of the mire,
And let me not sink;
Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
And out of the deep waters.

15 Let not the floodwater overflow me,
Nor let the deep swallow me up;
And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
 
16 Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;
Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.

17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in trouble;
Hear me speedily.

18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
Deliver me because of my enemies.
 
19 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;
My adversaries are all before You.

20 Reproach has broken my heart,
And I am full of heaviness;
I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.

21 They also gave me gall for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
 
22 Let their table become a snare before them,
And their well-being a trap.

23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
And make their loins shake continually.

24 Pour out Your indignation upon them,
And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.

25 Let their dwelling place be desolate;
Let no one live in their tents.

26 For they persecute the ones You have struck,
And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.

27 Add iniquity to their iniquity,
And let them not come into Your righteousness.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,
And not be written with the righteous.
 
29 But I am poor and sorrowful;
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.

30 I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

31 This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.

32 The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.

33 For the Lord hears the poor,
And does not despise His prisoners.
 
34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them.

35 For God will save Zion
And build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it.

36 Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it,
And those who love His name shall dwell in it.
 

PSALM 70

1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O Lord!
 
2 Let them be ashamed and confounded
Who seek my life;
Let them be turned back and confused
Who desire my hurt.
3 Let them be turned back because of their shame,
Who say, “Aha, aha!”
 
4 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!”
 
5 But I am poor and needy;
Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.
 

Contemporary English Version

PSALM 69

​1 Save me, God!
    I am about to drown.

2 I am sinking deep in the mud,
    and my feet are slipping.
    I am about to be swept under
    by a mighty flood.

3 I am worn out from crying,
    and my throat is dry.
    I have waited for you
    till my eyes are blurred.
 
4 There are more people
    who hate me for no reason
    than there are hairs
    on my head.
Many terrible enemies
    want to destroy me, God.
    Am I supposed to give back
    something I didn’t steal?

5 You know my foolish sins.
    Not one is hidden from you.
 
6 Lord God All-Powerful,
    ruler of Israel,
don’t let me embarrass anyone
    who trusts and worships you.

7 It is for your sake alone
    that I am insulted
    and blush with shame.

8 I am like a stranger
    to my relatives
    and like a foreigner
    to my own family.
 
9 My love for your house
    burns in me like a fire,
and when others insulted you,
    they insulted me as well.

10 I cried and went without food,
    but they still insulted me.

11 They sneered at me
for wearing sackcloth
    to show my sorrow.

12 Rulers and judges gossip
    about me,
    and drunkards make up songs
    to mock me.
 
13 But I pray to you, Lord.
    So when the time is right,
answer me
    and help me
    with your wonderful love.

14 Don’t let me sink in the mud,
but save me from my enemies
    and from the deep water.

15 Don’t let me be
    swept away by a flood
    or drowned in the ocean
    or swallowed by death.
 
16 Answer me, Lord!
    You are kind and good.
    Pay attention to me!
    You are truly merciful.

17 Don’t turn away from me.
    I am your servant,
    and I am in trouble.
Please hurry and help!

18     Come and save me
    from my enemies.
 
19 You know how I am insulted,
    mocked, and disgraced;
    you know every one
    of my enemies.

20 I am crushed by insults,
    and I feel sick.
    I had hoped for mercy and pity,
    but there was none.

21 Enemies poisoned my food,
    and when I was thirsty,
    they gave me vinegar.
 
22 Make their table a trap
    for them and their friends.

23     Blind them with darkness
    and make them tremble.

24 Show them how angry you are!
    Be furious and catch them.

25 Destroy their camp
    and don’t let anyone live
    in their tents.
 
26 They cause trouble for people
    you have already punished;
    their gossip hurts those
    you have wounded.

27 Make them guiltier than ever
    and don’t forgive them.

28 Wipe their names from the book
    of the living;
    remove them from the list
    of the innocent.

29 I am mistreated and in pain.
    Protect me, God,
    and keep me safe!
 
30 I will praise the Lord God
    with a song
    and a thankful heart.

31 This will please the Lord
better than offering an ox
    or a full-grown bull.

32 When those in need see this,
    they will be happy,
    and the Lord’s worshipers
    will be encouraged.

33 The Lord will listen
    when the homeless cry out,
    and he will never forget
    his people in prison.
 
34 Heaven and earth
    will praise our God,
    and so will the oceans
    and everything in them.

35 God will rescue Jerusalem,
    and he will rebuild
    the towns of Judah.
His people will live there
    on their own land,

​36 and when the time comes,
    their children will inherit
    the land.
Then everyone who loves God
    will also settle there.
 

​PSALM 70

1 Save me, Lord God!
    Hurry and help.
2     Disappoint and confuse
    all who want to kill me.
Turn away and disgrace
    all who want to hurt me.
3     Embarrass and shame those
    who say, “We told you so!”
 
4 Let your worshipers celebrate
    and be glad because of you.
They love your saving power,
so let them always say,
    “God is wonderful!”
5 I am poor and needy,
    but you, the Lord God,
    care about me.
 
You are the one who saves me.
    Please hurry and help!

New King James Version

PSALM 67

1 God be merciful to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
2 That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
 
3 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth. Selah
 
5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
6 Then the earth shall yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
 





PSALM 68

​1 Let God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
2 As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.
 
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
By His name Yah,
And rejoice before Him.
 
5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God sets the solitary in families;
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
 
7 O God, when You went out before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 The earth shook;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary.
10 Your congregation dwelt in it;
You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
 
11 The Lord gave the word;
Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
12 “Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the spoil.
13 Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,
You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Zalmon.
 
15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.
 
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
18 You have ascended on high,
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious,
That the Lord God might dwell there.
 
19 Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah
20 Our God is the God of salvation;
And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.
 
21 But God will wound the head of His enemies,
The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
22 The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 That your foot may crush them in blood,
And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
 
24 They have seen Your procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
26 Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
 
28 Your God has commanded your strength;
Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
Kings will bring presents to You.
30 Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,
The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Envoys will come out of Egypt;
Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.
 
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe strength to God;
His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.

Contemporary English Version

PSALM 67

1 Our God, be kind and bless us!
    Be pleased and smile.
2 Then everyone on earth
    will learn to follow you,
    and all nations will see
    your power to save us.
 
3 Make everyone praise you
    and shout your praises.
4 Let the nations celebrate
    with joyful songs,
    because you judge fairly
    and guide all nations.
5 Make everyone praise you
    and shout your praises.
 
6 Our God has blessed the earth
    with a wonderful harvest!
7 Pray for his blessings
    to continue
    and for everyone on earth
    to worship our God.
 
PSALM 68

​1 Do something, God!
Scatter your hateful enemies.
    Make them turn and run.
2 Scatter them like smoke!
    When you come near,
    make them melt
    like wax in a fire.
3 But let your people be happy
    and celebrate because of you.
 
4 Our God, you are the one
who rides on the clouds,
    and we praise you.
Your name is the Lord,
    and we celebrate
    as we worship you.
 
5 Our God, from your sacred home
    you take care of orphans
    and protect widows.
6 You find families
    for those who are lonely.
You set prisoners free
    and let them prosper,
    but all who rebel will live
    in a scorching desert.
 
7 You set your people free,
    and you led them
    through the desert.
8 God of Israel,
the earth trembled,
    and rain poured down.
You alone are the God
    who rules from Mount Sinai.
9 When your land was thirsty,
    you sent showers
    to refresh it.
10 Your people settled there,
    and you were generous
    to everyone in need.
 
11 You gave the command,
    and a chorus of women told
    what had happened:
12 “Kings and their armies
    retreated and ran,
    and everything they left
    is now being divided.
13 And for those who stayed back
    to guard the sheep,
there are metal doves
with silver-coated wings
    and shiny gold feathers.”
 
14 God All-Powerful, you scattered
the kings
    like snow falling
    on Mount Zalmon.
 
15 Our Lord and our God,
    Bashan is a mighty mountain
    covered with peaks.
16 Why is it jealous of Zion,
    the mountain you chose
    as your home forever?
 
17 When you, Lord God, appeared
    to your people at Sinai,
    you came with thousands
    of mighty chariots.
18 When you climbed
    the high mountain,
    you took prisoners with you
    and were given gifts.
Your enemies didn’t want you
to live there,
    but they gave you gifts.
 
19 We praise you, Lord God!
You treat us with kindness
    day after day,
    and you rescue us.
20 You always protect us
    and save us from death.
 
21 Our Lord and our God,
your terrible enemies
    are ready for war,
    but you will crush
    their skulls.
22 You promised to bring them
from Bashan
    and from the deepest sea.
23 Then we could stomp
    on their blood,
    and our dogs could chew
    on their bones.
 
24 We have seen crowds marching
    to your place of worship,
    our God and King.
25 The singers come first,
    and then the musicians,
    surrounded by young women
    playing tambourines.
26 They come shouting,
    “People of Israel,
    praise the Lord God!”
27 The small tribe of Benjamin
    leads the way,
    followed by the leaders
    from Judah.
Then come the leaders
    from Zebulun and Naphtali.
 
28 Our God, show your strength!
    Show us once again.
29 Then kings will bring gifts
    to your temple
    in Jerusalem.
 
30 Punish that animal
    that lives in the swamp!
Punish that nation
    whose leaders and people
    are like wild bulls.
Make them come crawling
    with gifts of silver.
    Scatter those nations
    that enjoy making war.
31 Force the Egyptians to bring
    gifts of bronze;
    make the Ethiopians hurry
    to offer presents.
 
32 Now sing praises to God!
    Every kingdom on earth,
    sing to the Lord!
33 Praise the one who rides
    across the ancient skies;
    listen as he speaks
    with a mighty voice.
 
34 Tell about God’s power!
He is honored in Israel,
    and he rules the skies.
35 The God of Israel is fearsome
    in his temple,
    and he makes us strong.
    Let’s praise our God!​

PSALM 65

1 Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
And to You the vow shall be performed.
2 O You who hear prayer,
To You all flesh will come.
3 Iniquities prevail against me;
As for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.
 
4 Blessed is the man You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.
 
5 By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
6 Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;
7 You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.
8 They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.
 
9 You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
10 You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.
 
11 You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.
 






PSALM 66

​1 Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2 Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
3 Say to God,
“How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
4 All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah
 
5 Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
They went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
7 He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
 
8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples!
And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to be moved.
10 For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
11 You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
12 You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
 
13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay You my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered
And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,
With the sweet aroma of rams;
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah
 
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.
19 But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
 
20 Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!
 
An Invocation and a Doxology
To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
​

PSALM 65

1 Our God, you deserve praise
in Zion,
    where we keep
    our promises to you.
2 Everyone will come to you
    because you answer prayer.
3     Our terrible sins get us down,
    but you forgive us.
4 You bless your chosen ones,
    and you invite them
    to live near you
    in your temple.
We will enjoy your house,
    the sacred temple.
 
5 Our God, you save us,
and your fearsome deeds
    answer our prayers for justice!
You give hope to people
everywhere on earth,
    even those across the sea.
6 You are strong,
    and your mighty power
    put the mountains in place.
7 You silence the roaring waves
    and the noisy shouts
    of the nations.
8 People far away marvel
    at your fearsome deeds,
and all who live under the sun
    celebrate and sing
    because of you.
 
9 You take care of the earth
and send rain
    to help the soil
    grow all kinds of crops.
Your rivers never run dry,
    and you prepare the earth
    to produce much grain.
10 You water all of its fields
    and level the lumpy ground.
You send showers of rain
to soften the soil
    and help the plants sprout.
11 Wherever your footsteps
touch the earth,
    a rich harvest is gathered.
12 Desert pastures blossom,
    and mountains celebrate.
13 Meadows are filled
    with sheep and goats;
    valleys overflow with grain
    and echo with joyful songs.
 
PSALM 66

​1 Tell everyone on this earth
    to shout praises to God!
2     Sing about his glorious name.
    Honor him with praises.
3 Say to God, “Everything you do
    is fearsome,
    and your mighty power makes
    your enemies come crawling.
4 You are worshiped by everyone!
    We all sing praises to you.”
 
5 Come and see the fearsome things
    our God has done!
6 When God made the sea dry up,
    our people walked across,
    and because of him,
    we celebrated there.
7 His mighty power rules forever,
    and nothing the nations do
can be hidden from him.
    So don’t turn against God.
 
8 All of you people,
come praise our God!
    Let his praises be heard.
9 God protects us from death
    and keeps us steady.
 
10 Our God, you tested us,
    just as silver is tested.
11     You trapped us in a net
    and gave us heavy burdens.
12 You sent war chariots
    to crush our skulls.
We traveled through fire
    and through floods,
    but you brought us
    to a land of plenty.
 
13 I will bring sacrifices
    into your house, my God,
and I will do what I promised
14     when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice my best sheep
    and offer bulls and goats
    on your altar.
 
16 All who worship God,
    come here and listen;
    I will tell you everything
    God has done for me.
17 I prayed to the Lord,
    and I praised him.
18 If my thoughts had been sinful,
    he would have refused
    to hear me.
19 But God did listen
    and answered my prayer.
20 Let’s praise God!
He listened when I prayed,
    and he is always kind.

New King James Version

​Psalm 62

1 Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.
 
3 How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah
 
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
 
8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
 
9 Surely men of low degree are a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.
 
11 God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his work.
 

​


PSALM 63

​1 O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
 
3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
 
6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
7 Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
 
9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.
 
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
 

​



​PSALM 64

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation;
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
3 Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
4 That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
 
5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
They say, “Who will see them?”
6 They devise iniquities:
“We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”
Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.
 
7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly they shall be wounded.
8 So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
All who see them shall flee away.
9 All men shall fear,
And shall declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.
 
10 The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory.

Contemporary English Version
​
Psalm 62

1 Only God can save me,
    and I calmly wait for him.
2 God alone is the mighty rock
    that keeps me safe
    and the fortress
    where I am secure.
 
3 I feel like a shaky fence
    or a sagging wall.
    How long will all of you
    attack and assault me?
4 You want to bring me down
    from my place of honor.
You love to tell lies,
and when your words are kind,
    hatred hides in your heart.
 
5 Only God gives inward peace,
    and I depend on him.
6 God alone is the mighty rock
    that keeps me safe,
    and he is the fortress
    where I feel secure.
7 God saves me and honors me.
    He is that mighty rock
    where I find safety.
 
8 Trust God, my friends,
    and always tell him
each one of your concerns.
    God is our place of safety.
 
9 We humans are only a breath;
    none of us are truly great.
All of us together weigh less
    than a puff of air.
10 Don’t trust in violence
or depend on dishonesty
    or rely on great wealth.
 
11 I heard God say two things:
    “I am powerful,
12     and I am very kind.”
The Lord rewards each of us
    according to what we do.
 

PSALM 63 
​
​1 You are my God. I worship you.
    In my heart, I long for you,
    as I would long for a stream
    in a scorching desert.
 
2 I have seen your power
and your glory
    in the place of worship.
3 Your love means more
than life to me,
    and I praise you.
4 As long as I live,
    I will pray to you.
5 I will sing joyful praises
and be filled with excitement
    like a guest at a banquet.
 
6 I think about you
    before I go to sleep,
    and my thoughts turn to you
    during the night.
7 You have helped me,
    and I sing happy songs
    in the shadow of your wings.
8 I stay close to you,
    and your powerful arm
    supports me.
 
9 All who want to kill me
    will end up in the ground.
10 Swords will run them through,
    and wild dogs will eat them.
 
11 Because of you, our God,
    the king will celebrate
with your faithful followers,
    but liars will be silent.
 

​PSALM 64

1 Listen to my concerns, God,
    and protect me
    from my terrible enemies.
2 Keep me safe from secret plots
    of corrupt and evil gangs.
3 Their words cut like swords,
    and their cruel remarks
    sting like sharp arrows.
4 They fearlessly ambush
    and shoot innocent people.
 
5 They are determined to do evil,
    and they tell themselves,
    “Let’s set traps!
    No one can see us.”
6 They make evil plans and say,
“We’ll commit a perfect crime.
    No one knows our thoughts.”
 
7 But God will shoot his arrows
    and quickly wound them.
8 They will be destroyed
    by their own words,
    and everyone who sees them
    will tremble with fear.
9 They will be afraid and say,
“Look at what God has done
    and keep it all in mind.”
 
10 May the Lord bless his people
with peace and happiness
    and let them celebrate.