Psalm 93

The Lord’s Eternal Reign

1The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty.

Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.

The world stands firm

and cannot be shaken.

2Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial.

You yourself are from the everlasting past.

3The floods have risen up, O Lord.

The floods have roared like thunder;

the floods have lifted their pounding waves.

4But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,

mightier than the breakers on the shore—

the Lord above is mightier than these!

5Your royal laws cannot be changed.

Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.

Psalm 88

A Plea of One Close to Death

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. A song to be sung to the tune “The Suffering of Affliction.” A psalm*88: title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term. of Heman the Ezrahite.

1O Lord, God of my salvation,

I cry out to you by day.

I come to you at night.

2Now hear my prayer;

listen to my cry.

3For my life is full of troubles,

and death*88:3 Hebrew Sheol. draws near.

4I am as good as dead,

like a strong man with no strength left.

5They have left me among the dead,

and I lie like a corpse in a grave.

I am forgotten,

cut off from your care.

6You have thrown me into the lowest pit,

into the darkest depths.

7Your anger weighs me down;

with wave after wave you have engulfed me.

Interlude

8You have driven my friends away

by making me repulsive to them.

I am in a trap with no way of escape.

9My eyes are blinded by my tears.

Each day I beg for your help, O Lord;

I lift my hands to you for mercy.

10Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead?

Do the dead rise up and praise you?

Interlude

11Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love?

Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction?*88:11 Hebrew in Abaddon?

12Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds?

Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?

13O Lord, I cry out to you.

I will keep on pleading day by day.

14O Lord, why do you reject me?

Why do you turn your face from me?

15I have been sick and close to death since my youth.

I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors.

16Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me.

Your terrors have paralyzed me.

17They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long.

They have engulfed me completely.

18You have taken away my companions and loved ones.

Darkness is my closest friend.

Psalm 35

A Lament over Betrayal

A psalm of David.

1O Lord, oppose those who oppose me.

Fight those who fight against me.

2Put on your armor, and take up your shield.

Prepare for battle, and come to my aid.

3Lift up your spear and javelin

against those who pursue me.

Let me hear you say,

“I will give you victory!”

4Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me;

turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm me.

5Blow them away like chaff in the wind—

a wind sent by the angel of the Lord.

6Make their path dark and slippery,

with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

7I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me.

I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me.

8So let sudden ruin come upon them!

Let them be caught in the trap they set for me!

Let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me.

9Then I will rejoice in the Lord.

I will be glad because he rescues me.

10With every bone in my body I will praise him:

“Lord, who can compare with you?

Who else rescues the helpless from the strong?

Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?”

11Malicious witnesses testify against me.

They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.

12They repay me evil for good.

I am sick with despair.

13Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them.

I denied myself by fasting for them,

but my prayers returned unanswered.

14I was sad, as though they were my friends or family,

as if I were grieving for my own mother.

15But they are glad now that I am in trouble;

they gleefully join together against me.

I am attacked by people I don’t even know;

they slander me constantly.

16They mock me and call me names;

they snarl at me.

17How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing?

Rescue me from their fierce attacks.

Protect my life from these lions!

18Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly.

I will praise you before all the people.

19Don’t let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat.

Don’t let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow.

20They don’t talk of peace;

they plot against innocent people who mind their own business.

21They shout, “Aha! Aha!

With our own eyes we saw him do it!”

22O Lord, you know all about this.

Do not stay silent.

Do not abandon me now, O Lord.

23Wake up! Rise to my defense!

Take up my case, my God and my Lord.

24Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice.

Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.

25Don’t let them say, “Look, we got what we wanted!

Now we will eat him alive!”

26May those who rejoice at my troubles

be humiliated and disgraced.

May those who triumph over me

be covered with shame and dishonor.

27But give great joy to those who came to my defense.

Let them continually say, “Great is the Lord,

who delights in blessing his servant with peace!”

28Then I will proclaim your justice,

and I will praise you all day long.

Psalm 59

A Plea for Escape from Ambush

For the choir director: A psalm*59: title Hebrew miktam. This may be a literary or musical term. of David, regarding the time Saul sent soldiers to watch David’s house in order to kill him. To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”

1Rescue me from my enemies, O God.

Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.

2Rescue me from these criminals;

save me from these murderers.

3They have set an ambush for me.

Fierce enemies are out there waiting, Lord,

though I have not sinned or offended them.

4I have done nothing wrong,

yet they prepare to attack me.

Wake up! See what is happening and help me!

5O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,

wake up and punish those hostile nations.

Show no mercy to wicked traitors.

Interlude

6They come out at night,

snarling like vicious dogs

as they prowl the streets.

7Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths;

their words cut like swords.

“After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.

8But Lord, you laugh at them.

You scoff at all the hostile nations.

9You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,

for you, O God, are my fortress.

10In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.

He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.

11Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons;

stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees,

O Lord our shield.

12Because of the sinful things they say,

because of the evil that is on their lips,

let them be captured by their pride,

their curses, and their lies.

13Destroy them in your anger!

Wipe them out completely!

Then the whole world will know

that God reigns in Israel.*59:13 Hebrew in Jacob. See note on 44:4.

Interlude

14My enemies come out at night,

snarling like vicious dogs

as they prowl the streets.

15They scavenge for food

but go to sleep unsatisfied.*59:15 Or and growl if they don’t get enough.

16But as for me, I will sing about your power.

Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.

For you have been my refuge,

a place of safety when I am in distress.

17O my Strength, to you I sing praises,

for you, O God, are my refuge,

the God who shows me unfailing love.

Pe

129Your laws are wonderful.

No wonder I obey them!

130The teaching of your word gives light,

so even the simple can understand.

131I pant with expectation,

longing for your commands.

132Come and show me your mercy,

as you do for all who love your name.

133Guide my steps by your word,

so I will not be overcome by evil.

134Ransom me from the oppression of evil people;

then I can obey your commandments.

135Look upon me with love;

teach me your decrees.

136Rivers of tears gush from my eyes

because people disobey your instructions.

Psalm 89

The Lord’s Eternal Covenant with David

A psalm*89: title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term. of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever!

Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.

2Your unfailing love will last forever.

Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.

3The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant.

I have sworn this oath to him:

4‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever;

they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’”

Interlude

5All heaven will praise your great wonders, Lord;

myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness.

6For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord?

What mightiest angel is anything like the Lord?

7The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God.

He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne.

8O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies!

Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord?

You are entirely faithful.

9You rule the oceans.

You subdue their storm-tossed waves.

10You crushed the great sea monster.*89:10 Hebrew Rahab, the name of a mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature.

You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

11The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours;

everything in the world is yours—you created it all.

12You created north and south.

Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon praise your name.

13Powerful is your arm!

Strong is your hand!

Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength.

14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.

Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.

15Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,

for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

16They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.

They exult in your righteousness.

17You are their glorious strength.

It pleases you to make us strong.

18Yes, our protection comes from the Lord,

and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.

19Long ago you spoke in a vision to your faithful people.

You said, “I have raised up a warrior.

I have selected him from the common people to be king.

20I have found my servant David.

I have anointed him with my holy oil.

21I will steady him with my hand;

with my powerful arm I will make him strong.

22His enemies will not defeat him,

nor will the wicked overpower him.

23I will beat down his adversaries before him

and destroy those who hate him.

24My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him,

and by my authority he will grow in power.

25I will extend his rule over the sea,

his dominion over the rivers.

26And he will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,

my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’

27I will make him my firstborn son,

the mightiest king on earth.

28I will love him and be kind to him forever;

my covenant with him will never end.

29I will preserve an heir for him;

his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven.

30But if his descendants forsake my instructions

and fail to obey my regulations,

31if they do not obey my decrees

and fail to keep my commands,

32then I will punish their sin with the rod,

and their disobedience with beating.

33But I will never stop loving him

nor fail to keep my promise to him.

34No, I will not break my covenant;

I will not take back a single word I said.

35I have sworn an oath to David,

and in my holiness I cannot lie:

36His dynasty will go on forever;

his kingdom will endure as the sun.

37It will be as eternal as the moon,

my faithful witness in the sky!”

Interlude

38But now you have rejected him and cast him off.

You are angry with your anointed king.

39You have renounced your covenant with him;

you have thrown his crown in the dust.

40You have broken down the walls protecting him

and ruined every fort defending him.

41Everyone who comes along has robbed him,

and he has become a joke to his neighbors.

42You have strengthened his enemies

and made them all rejoice.

43You have made his sword useless

and refused to help him in battle.

44You have ended his splendor

and overturned his throne.

45You have made him old before his time

and publicly disgraced him.

Interlude

46O Lord, how long will this go on?

Will you hide yourself forever?

How long will your anger burn like fire?

47Remember how short my life is,

how empty and futile this human existence!

48No one can live forever; all will die.

No one can escape the power of the grave.*89:48 Hebrew of Sheol.

Interlude

49Lord, where is your unfailing love?

You promised it to David with a faithful pledge.

50Consider, Lord, how your servants are disgraced!

I carry in my heart the insults of so many people.

51Your enemies have mocked me, O Lord;

they mock your anointed king wherever he goes.

52Praise the Lord forever!

Amen and amen!

Tsadhe

137O Lord, you are righteous,

and your regulations are fair.

138Your laws are perfect

and completely trustworthy.

139I am overwhelmed with indignation,

for my enemies have disregarded your words.

140Your promises have been thoroughly tested;

that is why I love them so much.

141I am insignificant and despised,

but I don’t forget your commandments.

142Your justice is eternal,

and your instructions are perfectly true.

143As pressure and stress bear down on me,

I find joy in your commands.

144Your laws are always right;

help me to understand them so I may live.