Psalm 29

The Voice of the Lord

A psalm of David.

1Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings*29:1 Hebrew you sons of God.;

honor the Lord for his glory and strength.

2Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.

Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

3The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea.

The God of glory thunders.

The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.

4The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is majestic.

5The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars;

the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

6He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf;

he makes Mount Hermon*29:6 Hebrew Sirion, another name for Mount Hermon. leap like a young wild ox.

7The voice of the Lord strikes

with bolts of lightning.

8The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake;

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks*29:9 Or causes the deer to writhe in labor.

and strips the forests bare.

In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

10The Lord rules over the floodwaters.

The Lord reigns as king forever.

11The Lord gives his people strength.

The Lord blesses them with peace.

Psalm 5

A Prayer for Guidance and Protection

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute.

1O Lord, hear me as I pray;

pay attention to my groaning.

2Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,

for I pray to no one but you.

3Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.

Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

4O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;

you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.

5Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,

for you hate all who do evil.

6You will destroy those who tell lies.

The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.

7Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;

I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.

8Lead me in the right path, O Lord,

or my enemies will conquer me.

Make your way plain for me to follow.

9My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.

Their deepest desire is to destroy others.

Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.

Their tongues are filled with flattery.*5:9 Greek version reads with lies. Compare Rom 3:13.

10O God, declare them guilty.

Let them be caught in their own traps.

Drive them away because of their many sins,

for they have rebelled against you.

11But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;

let them sing joyful praises forever.

Spread your protection over them,

that all who love your name may be filled with joy.

12For you bless the godly, O Lord;

you surround them with your shield of love.

Psalm 36

The Lord’s Unfailing Love

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.

1Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.*36:1 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac version, which read in his heart. Masoretic Text reads in my heart.

They have no fear of God at all.

2In their blind conceit,

they cannot see how wicked they really are.

3Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.

They refuse to act wisely or do good.

4They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.

Their actions are never good.

They make no attempt to turn from evil.

5Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

6Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

your justice like the ocean depths.

You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.

7How precious is your unfailing love, O God!

All humanity finds shelter

in the shadow of your wings.

8You feed them from the abundance of your own house,

letting them drink from your river of delights.

9For you are the fountain of life,

the light by which we see.

10Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;

give justice to those with honest hearts.

11Don’t let the proud trample me

or the wicked push me around.

12Look! Those who do evil have fallen!

They are thrown down, never to rise again.

Psalm 48

The Victory of Mount Zion

A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1How great is the Lord,

how deserving of praise,

in the city of our God,

which sits on his holy mountain!

2It is high and magnificent;

the whole earth rejoices to see it!

Mount Zion, the holy mountain,*48:2 Or Mount Zion, in the far north; Hebrew reads Mount Zion, the heights of Zaphon.

is the city of the great King!

3God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers,

revealing himself as its defender.

4The kings of the earth joined forces

and advanced against the city.

5But when they saw it, they were stunned;

they were terrified and ran away.

6They were gripped with terror

and writhed in pain like a woman in labor.

7You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish

shattered by a powerful east wind.

8We had heard of the city’s glory,

but now we have seen it ourselves—

the city of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

It is the city of our God;

he will make it safe forever.

Interlude

9O God, we meditate on your unfailing love

as we worship in your Temple.

10As your name deserves, O God,

you will be praised to the ends of the earth.

Your strong right hand is filled with victory.

11Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice.

Let all the towns of Judah be glad

because of your justice.

12Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem.*48:12 Hebrew Zion.

Walk around and count the many towers.

13Take note of the fortified walls,

and tour all the citadels,

that you may describe them

to future generations.

14For that is what God is like.

He is our God forever and ever,

and he will guide us until we die.