Psalms

The earth is the Lord's in its fulness,

The world and those who live in it;

He founded it upon the seas,

And established it upon the floods.

Who may go up to the hill of the Lord?

Who may stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart,

Who plans no evil purpose,

Nor promises in order to deceive.

He shall win from the Lord a blessing,

And approval from God his Saviour.

Such is the man who may worship him,

Who may enter thy presence, O God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O gates,

Be lifted up, O everlasting doors,

Let the King of Glory come in!

Who is this King of Glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty,

The Lord, mighty in battle!

Lift up your heads, O gates,

Be lifted up, O everlasting doors,

That the King of Glory may come in.

Who is this King of Glory?

The Lord, the God of hosts,

He is the King of Glory!

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord, my God, thou art great;

Thou art clothed with glory and majesty,

Thou hast put on light as a mantle;

Thou hast stretched the heavens like a tent,

Thou framest thy upper stories in the waters,

Thou makest the clouds thy chariot,

Thou ridest on the wings of the wind,

Thou makest winds thy messengers,

Flames of fire are thy servants.

Thou didst fix the earth on its foundations,

That it should not be moved forever.

Thou didst cover it with the sea as with a garment.

The waters stood far above the mountains,

But at thy reproof they fled,

At the sound of thy thunder they hastened away,

Not to pass the bound thou hadst set,

Not to return to cover the earth.

Mountains rose, valleys sank,

To the place which thou hadst prepared for them.

Thou sendest the springs to the valleys,

They run down between the mountains,

They give drink to every wild beast,

The wild asses quench their thirst.

The birds make their home beside them,

They sing from among the branches.

Thou waterest the mountains from thine upper stories;

The earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.

Thou makest grass spring up for the cattle,

And green herbs for the service of man,

Causing food to spring from the earth,

Wine to gladden man's heart,

Oil that makes his face shine,

And bread to strengthen his heart.

The trees of the Lord are full of sap,

The cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted,

Where the birds build their nests;

The stork has her home in the fir-trees.

The high mountains are for the wild goats,

The rocks are a hiding-place for the marmots.

Thou createst the moon to divide the year,

The sun knows when it should set.

Thou makest darkness, and it is night,

In which wild beasts creep forth;

The young lions roar for their prey,

And seek their food from God.

When the sun arises they disappear,

And lay themselves down in their dens.

Man goes out to his work,

To toil until evening comes.

O Lord, how many are thy works!

Wisely thou madest them all;

The earth is full of thy creatures.

There is the sea, great and wide,

With its crawling things innumerable,

Living things both small and great;

There go the monsters of the sea,

And the dragon thou madest to play.

These all wait for thee,

To give them their food in due season.

When thou givest to them, they gather it;

Thou openest thy hand, they are satisfied.

Thou hidest thy face, they are frightened;

Thou takest their breath, they die,

And return to the dust from which they came.

Thou sendest thy spirit, and they are created;

Thou refillest the earth with living things.

May the glory of the Lord be eternal,

Let the Lord rejoice in his works.

He looks at the earth, and it trembles,

He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live,

I will sing praise to my God while I exist.

May my thoughts be pleasing unto him;

I myself find my joy in the Lord.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all his benefits,

Who forgives all your iniquities,

And heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the grave,

And crowns you with love and tender mercy,

Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The Lord is a doer of righteous acts,

And of justice to all the oppressed.

He made known his laws to Moses,

His deeds to the people of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,

Patient and full of love.

He will not always chide,

Nor keep his anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is his love toward those who revere him.

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has he removed our wrong deeds from us.

As a father loves his children,

So the Lord loves those who revere him,

For he understands our nature,

He remembers that we are dust.

Frail man—his days are as grass;

As a flower of the field he flourishes,

For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place knows it no more.

But the love of the Lord is eternal,

And his righteousness to children's children,

To those who keep their covenant with him,

And remember to obey his commands.

He has established his throne in the heavens,

And his rule extends over all.

Bless the Lord, his angels,

You strong ones who do his bidding.

Bless the Lord all his hosts,

You servants who do his will,

Bless the Lord, all his works,

In every place where he rules,

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman wakens in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit down at your meal late,

And so eat the bread of toil; for he gives to his loved ones sleep.

Children too are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward.

As arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of youth.

Happy indeed is the man whose quiver is full of them,

He shall not be put to shame when he argues with foes in the court.

The Lord is gracious and merciful,

Patient, and full of loving-kindness.

The Lord is good to all,

Showing mercy to all his creatures.

All thy works give thee thanks, O Lord,

And those who love thee praise thee,

They speak of thy glorious rule,

And proclaim thy mighty power,

That men may know thy great deeds,

And the glorious splendor of thy rule.

Thy rule is an everlasting rule,

Thy dominion endures forever.

The Lord lifts up all who fall,

And raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all wait for thee,

And thou givest them food in due season.

Thou it is who openest thy hand,

And satisfiest the desires of all creatures.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways,

And gracious in all his acts.

He is near all who call upon him,

To all who call upon him in truth.

He fulfils the desire of his worshippers,

He hears their cry and saves them.

He takes care of all who love him,

But destroys all those who do wrong.

My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord.

Let all flesh praise his holy name forever.

O Lord, thou searchest and knowest me,

Whether I sit or stand, thou knowest,

Thou readest my thought afar off,

When I walk or lie down thou dost know it.

Thou knowest all my ways.

There is not a word on my tongue,

That thou, O Lord, dost not know!

Behind and before thou enfoldest me,

Over me thou dost lay thy hand.

Such knowledge for me is too wonderful!

Too high, I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from thy spirit,

Where shall I flee from thy presence?

If I climb into heaven, thou art there,

If I lie down in the grave, thou art there.

Should I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell on the most distant sea,

Even there thy hand would grasp me,

Thy right hand would hold me fast.

If I say, "The darkness will hide me,

And the night throw its curtain about me,"

Even darkness for thee is not dark,

But the night shines clear as the day.

Thou didst form my vital parts,

Thou didst make me from the beginning,

I thank thee, for I am wonderfully made;

Fearful and marvellous are thy works.

How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God!

How great is the sum of them all!

Should I count them, they would be more than the sand;

When I awake, I am still with thee.

Search me, O God, and know my heart,

Try me, and know my secret thoughts,

And see if I have any evil in me,

And lead me in the way to eternal life.

I will lift up my eyes to the hills; from whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you does not slumber;

Behold, he who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps!

The Lord is your protector; the Lord is your shade upon your right hand;

The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night!

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will preserve your life;

The Lord will protect your going out and your coming in forevermore!

Give thanks to the Lord, for his goodness,

For his love endures forever.

Let those he has redeemed say so,

Whom he has set free from the hand of the foe,

And gathered together from many lands,

From the east, from the west,

From the north and the south.

Some strayed in the barren wilderness,

Finding no inhabited city,

Hungry, indeed, and thirsty,

Their very life ebbing away.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

And he saved them from their distresses.

He led them along the right way,

Till they reached an inhabited city.

Let them praise the Lord for his love,

And his wonderful works unto men!

For he satisfies the longing soul,

And the hungry he fills with good things.

Some dwelt in darkness and gloom,

Being bound in affliction and iron,

Because they had rebelled against God,

And despised the counsel of the Most High.

He humbled their heart with sorrow;

When they fell, there was none to help them.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

And he saved them from their distresses.

Out of darkness and gloom he brought them,

And broke their bonds in pieces.

Let them praise the Lord for his love,

And his wonderful works unto men!

For he shattered the gates of brass,

And hewed bars of iron asunder.

Fools because of their wrong-doing,

And because of their sins were afflicted;

They hated all kinds of food,

And drew near to the gates of death.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

And he saved them from all their distresses.

He sent his command to heal them,

And saved their life from destruction.

Let them praise the Lord for his love,

And his wonderful works unto men!

Let them sacrifice to him a thank-offering,

And with joy recount his deeds.

Those who go to the sea in ships,

Who do business in great waters,

They see the works of the Lord,

And his wonders in the great deep.

When he speaks, the tempest rises,

And tosses the waves on high.

Up to heaven, then down they go,

Their courage melts at the danger,

They stagger and reel like drunkards,

And their skill is all exhausted.

Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble,

And he saves them from their distresses.

He makes the tempest a calm,

And the waves of the sea are still.

They are glad when the waves go down;

To the haven they long for he brings them.

Let them praise the Lord for his love,

For his wonderful works unto men;

In the popular assembly extol him,

In the council of elders praise him.

I will bless the Lord at all times,

His praise is continually in my mouth,

My soul glories in the Lord,

Let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

O exalt the Lord with me,

Let us praise his name together.

I sought the Lord and he answered me,

From all my fears he delivered me.

He who looks to him, becomes radiant,

And his face is not covered with shame.

This afflicted man cried and he heard him,

And from all his distresses delivered him.

The angel of the Lord encamps

About those who revere him, and saves them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;

Happy the man who seeks refuge with him.

Revere the Lord, O holy ones,

For those who revere him lack nothing.

Though young lions feel want and suffer hunger,

Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

Come, children, listen to me;

I will teach you true religion:

Who of you desires to live,

Loves long life that he may enjoy happiness?

Then keep your tongue from evil,

And your lips from speaking falsehood;

Turn from evil and do good,

Seek for peace and pursue it.

The Lord is against evil-doers,

To cut off their memory from the earth.

The Lord watches over the upright,

His ear is open to their cry.

When they cry to the Lord, he hears,

And saves them from all their troubles.

The Lord is near those who are broken-hearted,

He delivers those whose spirits are crushed.

The misfortunes of the upright are many,

But the Lord delivers him from them all.

The Lord guards all his bones,

Not one of them is broken.

Misfortune shall slay the wicked,

Those who hate the upright shall be condemned;

But the Lord redeems his servants,

And none who takes refuge in him shall be condemned.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me to the still waters,

He restores my soul.

He guides me in straight paths for his name's sake;

Though I walk through the valley of death,

I will fear no evil, for thou art with me,

Thy rod and thy staff—they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies,

Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runs over;

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Be not disturbed because of the wicked,

Nor be envious of those who do wrong;

For like grass they shall quickly wither,

And fade like the green herbs.

Trust in the Lord and do right,

Live in the land and act faithfully.

Then the Lord shall be your delight,

He will grant you your heart's desire.

Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust in him, and he will work with you,

He will bring to light your honesty,

And make it as clear as the noonday.

To thee, O God, I lift up my soul,

All the day long do I wait for thee.

I trust in thee, O God, let me not be ashamed;

Let not my enemies exult over me,

And let none who hope in thee be ashamed;

But let wicked traitors be disgraced.

Show me thy ways, O Lord,

Teach me thy way to live.

Lead me in thy truth and teach me,

For thou art the God who saves me,

And in thee do I hope continually.

Remember thy tender mercies, O Lord,

And thy loving deeds, for they are eternal.

Do not recall the sins of my youth,

But in thy love remember thou me,

Because of thy goodness, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord,

So he teaches sinners the way,

He guides the humble aright,

And teaches the meek his way,

All his rules are loving and true,

To those who follow his law and commands.

For thy name's sake, O Lord,

Pardon my guilt, for it is great.

Who is the man that reveres the Lord?

He will teach him the way to choose.

That man shall continue to prosper,

And his children inherit the land.

He is friendly with those who revere him,

And with his covenant he makes them acquainted.

My eyes are ever turned toward the Lord,

For he saves my feet from the net.

Turn to me and be gracious,

For I am alone and afflicted;

Relieve the troubles of my heart,

And deliver me from my distresses;

Look on my affliction and suffering,

And pardon all my sins.

Consider my enemies, for they are many,

And they hate me with violent hatred;

Oh save my life and deliver me,

Let me not be ashamed, for I trust thee.

Let innocence and uprightness preserve me,

For I wait for thee, O Lord.

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,

Who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,

Who say to the Lord, "Thou art my refuge,

And my fortress, my God in whom I trust,"

He will surely deliver you from the snare,

When entrapped from the destructive pit.

With his pinions he will cover you,

And under his wings you may hide.

His faithfulness is a shield and defense,

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

Nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand,

But it shall not come near unto you.

You need but look with your eyes,

To see how the wicked are punished.

Because the Lord is your refuge,

And you have made the Most High your abode,

There shall no evil befall you,

No plague come near your tent;

For he will give his angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways;

They shall bear you up on their hands,

Lest you strike your foot on a stone.

You shall tread on the lion and adder,

You shall trample on the young lion and dragon.

"Because of his love for me I will deliver him,

I will exalt him, for he knows my name.

He shall call upon me and I will answer him,

In time of trouble I will be with him,

I will deliver him and bring him honor,

With long life will I satisfy him,

And show him my power to save."

God is our refuge and strength,

An ever-present help in trouble.

So we fear not, though the earth trembles,

And mountains tumble into the heart of the sea;

Though its waters roar and foam,

Though mountains quake at its uproar.

The Lord of hosts is with us,

The God of Jacob is our refuge.

As the brooks refresh the city of God,

So the Most High makes holy his abiding-place;

God is in her midst, she cannot be moved,

God will help her at the turn of the morn.

Nations were in tumult, kingdoms fell,

He uttered his voice, the earth melted.

The Lord of hosts is with us,

The God of Jacob is our refuge.

Come, see the mighty works of the Lord,

Who makes wars cease to the end of the earth

He snaps the bow, and breaks the spear,

And burns up the chariots with fire.

"Be still, and know that I am God,

Exalted over the nations, exalted on earth."

The Lord of hosts is with us,

The God of Jacob is our refuge.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord,

Let us shout to the Rock who saves us,

Let us come before him with thanksgiving,

Let us sing to him joyful songs;

For the Lord is indeed a great God,

A great King above all gods,

In whose hand are the depths of the earth,

The heights of the mountains are his,

The sea is his, for he made it,

And his hands prepared the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down,

Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker;

For he is the Lord our God,

And we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth,

Serve the Lord with gladness,

Come into his presence with singing,

Know that the Lord is God,

He has made us and we are his,

His people, the flock that he tends.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

His courts with songs of rejoicing,

Give thanks to him, praise his name,

He is good, his kindness eternal,

And his faithfulness unto all generations.

O Lord, who may be a guest in thy tent?

Who may dwell on thy holy hill?

He who lives blamelessly and does right,

And speaks the truth in his heart,

Who utters no slander with his tongue,

Who does no wrong to his friend,

Who makes no charge against his neighbor;

In whose sight the vile are despised,

But he honors those who revere the Lord.

He keeps his oath at all costs,

His money he puts not out to usury,

And cannot be bribed to injure the innocent.

He who does this can never be moved.

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song;

Sing to the Lord, all the earth,

Sing to the Lord, praise his name,

Proclaim his salvation each day;

Tell his glory among the heathen,

His wonders among all peoples.

God is great, and worthy of praise,

Above all gods should he be revered,

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But it is the Lord who made the heavens.

Honor and majesty are in his presence,

Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Give to the Lord, you tribes of the nations,

Give to the Lord glory and strength.

Give to the Lord the glory that is due him;

Bring an offering, and enter his courts.

Oh, worship the Lord in holy attire,

Tremble before him, all the earth.

Say to the nations, "The Lord reigns,

And he will rule the peoples justly."

Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice,

Let the sea roar and all of its inhabitants,

Let the fields exult, and all that is in them,

Let the trees of the forest sing with joy

Before the Lord, for he has come,

For he has come to rule the earth;

He will rule the world with justice,

He will rule the nations with faithfulness.

Praise the Lord from the heavens,

Praise him on the heights.

Praise him, all his angels,

Praise him, all his host!

Praise him, sun and moon,

Praise him, all stars of light!

Praise him, heavens of heavens,

And waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For at his command they were made;

He fixed them forever and ever,

Set a bound they must not pass.

Praise the Lord from the earth,

Sea-monsters and all deeps!

Fire, hail, snow, and vapor,

Storm wind, fulfilling his word!

Mountains and all hills,

Fruit-trees and all cedars!

Wild beasts and all cattle,

Creeping things and winged birds!

Kings of earth and all peoples,

All rulers and judges of earth,

Young men and maidens too,

Old men and children together!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For his name alone is exalted.

Over heaven and earth is his majesty,

He has strengthened the might of his people;

He is praised by all who are faithful,

By the Israelites, who are near him.

Praise God in his holy place,

Praise him for his mighty firmament,

Praise him for his deeds of power,

Praise him for his infinite greatness.

Praise him with the blast of the horn,

Praise him with lyre and harp,

Praise him with timbrel and dance,

Praise him with strings and pipe,

Praise him with clanging cymbals,

Praise him with clashing cymbals.

Let all that breathes praise the Lord!

O Lord, our God, how glorious

Is thy name in all the earth!

Thou hast spread thy splendor over the heavens;

At the cry of babes and infants

Thou hast set up a bulwark, because of thine enemies,

To silence the foe and avenger.

When I see thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,

The moon and stars which thou hast made;

What is man that thou art mindful of him;

Or the son of man that thou visitest him?

Yet thou hast made him little less than divine,

And hast crowned him with glory and honor,

Making him lord of creation,

So that all things are subject to him.

The sheep and the oxen, all of them,

Yes, and the beasts of the field,

The birds of the air and the fish,

That dart through the paths of the sea.

O Lord, our God, how glorious

Is thy name in all the earth!

Happy is the man

Who follows not the counsel of the wicked,

Nor takes his stand with sinners,

Nor sits among the scoffers,

But delights in the law of the Lord,

And day and night meditates on it.

For he is like a tree planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in due season,

Whose leaf never withers,

And all that he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!

They are like the chaff driven by the wind.

So the wicked shall not rise up at the judgment,

Nor sinners where the righteous are gathered;

For the Lord directs the way of the righteous,

But the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to thy loving-kindness,

According to the multitude of thy tender mercies,

Blot out all my transgressions,

Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

For well do I know my misdeeds,

And my sin is always before me.

Against thee, thee only have I sinned,

And done what is wrong in thy sight;

Therefore thou art right when thou speakest,

And just when thou pronouncest thy judgment.

Verily I was born in iniquity,

And in sin did my mother conceive me.

Yet thou desirest truth in the heart,

In my inner soul thou wouldst teach me wisdom.

Cleanse me with hyssop that I may be clean,

Wash me whiter than snow.

Fill me with joy and gladness,

That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Hide thy face from my sins,

And blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence,

Withdraw not thy holy spirit from me.

Give me back the glad sense of thy help,

And with a willing spirit sustain me.

Then I will teach sinners thy ways,

And wrong-doers shall turn unto thee.

Save me from bloodshed, O God,

That my tongue may sing of thy righteousness.

O Lord, open thou my lips,

That my mouth may declare thy praise!

For thou takest no pleasure in sacrifice,

No delight in gifts of burnt-offering.

The sacrifices pleasing to thee

Are a broken and a contrite spirit.