Psalm 97

The Lord Is Exalted above All Gods

1The Lord is king!

Let the earth rejoice!

Let the farthest coastlands be glad.

2Dark clouds surround him.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3Fire spreads ahead of him

and burns up all his foes.

4His lightning flashes out across the world.

The earth sees and trembles.

5The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of all the earth.

6The heavens proclaim his righteousness;

every nation sees his glory.

7Those who worship idols are disgraced—

all who brag about their worthless gods—

for every god must bow to him.

8Jerusalem*97:8 Hebrew Zion. has heard and rejoiced,

and all the towns of Judah are glad

because of your justice, O Lord!

9For you, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth;

you are exalted far above all gods.

10You who love the Lord, hate evil!

He protects the lives of his godly people

and rescues them from the power of the wicked.

11Light shines on the godly,

and joy on those whose hearts are right.

12May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord

and praise his holy name!

Psalm 49

God Will Redeem My Life from Death

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1Listen to this, all you people!

Pay attention, everyone in the world!

2High and low,

rich and poor—listen!

3For my words are wise,

and my thoughts are filled with insight.

4I listen carefully to many proverbs

and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

5Why should I fear when trouble comes,

when enemies surround me?

6They trust in their wealth

and boast of great riches.

7Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death*49:7 Some Hebrew manuscripts read no one can redeem the life of another.

by paying a ransom to God.

8Redemption does not come so easily,

for no one can ever pay enough

9to live forever

and never see the grave.

10Those who are wise must finally die,

just like the foolish and senseless,

leaving all their wealth behind.

11The grave*49:11 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads Their inward [thought]. is their eternal home,

where they will stay forever.

They may name their estates after themselves,

12but their fame will not last.

They will die, just like animals.

13This is the fate of fools,

though they are remembered as being wise.*49:13 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

Interlude

14Like sheep, they are led to the grave,*49:14 Hebrew Sheol; also in 49:14b, 15.

where death will be their shepherd.

In the morning the godly will rule over them.

Their bodies will rot in the grave,

far from their grand estates.

15But as for me, God will redeem my life.

He will snatch me from the power of the grave.

Interlude

16So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich

and their homes become ever more splendid.

17For when they die, they take nothing with them.

Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

18In this life they consider themselves fortunate

and are applauded for their success.

19But they will die like all before them

and never again see the light of day.

20People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;

they will die, just like animals.

Psalm 82

God Judges Unjust Rulers

A psalm of Asaph.

1God presides over heaven’s court;

he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:

2“How long will you hand down unjust decisions

by favoring the wicked?

Interlude

3“Give justice to the poor and the orphan;

uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.

4Rescue the poor and helpless;

deliver them from the grasp of evil people.

5But these oppressors know nothing;

they are so ignorant!

They wander about in darkness,

while the whole world is shaken to the core.

6I say, ‘You are gods;

you are all children of the Most High.

7But you will die like mere mortals

and fall like every other ruler.’”

8Rise up, O God, and judge the earth,

for all the nations belong to you.

Zayin

49Remember your promise to me;

it is my only hope.

50Your promise revives me;

it comforts me in all my troubles.

51The proud hold me in utter contempt,

but I do not turn away from your instructions.

52I meditate on your age-old regulations;

O Lord, they comfort me.

53I become furious with the wicked,

because they reject your instructions.

54Your decrees have been the theme of my songs

wherever I have lived.

55I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord;

therefore, I obey your instructions.

56This is how I spend my life:

obeying your commandments.

Book Two (Psalms 42–72)

Psalm 42

Longing for God in Sadness

For the choir director: A psalm*42: title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term. of the descendants of Korah.

1As the deer longs for streams of water,

so I long for you, O God.

2I thirst for God, the living God.

When can I go and stand before him?

3Day and night I have only tears for food,

while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,

“Where is this God of yours?”

4My heart is breaking

as I remember how it used to be:

I walked among the crowds of worshipers,

leading a great procession to the house of God,

singing for joy and giving thanks

amid the sound of a great celebration!

5Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and 6my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,

but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,

from the land of Mount Mizar.

7I hear the tumult of the raging seas

as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

8But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life.

9“O God my rock,” I cry,

“why have you forgotten me?

Why must I wander around in grief,

oppressed by my enemies?”

10Their taunts break my bones.

They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

11Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

Psalm 43

A Prayer for Guidance in Sadness

1Declare me innocent, O God!

Defend me against these ungodly people.

Rescue me from these unjust liars.

2For you are God, my only safe haven.

Why have you tossed me aside?

Why must I wander around in grief,

oppressed by my enemies?

3Send out your light and your truth;

let them guide me.

Let them lead me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you live.

4There I will go to the altar of God,

to God—the source of all my joy.

I will praise you with my harp,

O God, my God!

5Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

Psalm 68

From Mount Sinai to Mount Zion

For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.

1Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.

Let those who hate God run for their lives.

2Blow them away like smoke.

Melt them like wax in a fire.

Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.

3But let the godly rejoice.

Let them be glad in God’s presence.

Let them be filled with joy.

4Sing praises to God and to his name!

Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.*68:4 Or rides through the deserts.

His name is the Lord—

rejoice in his presence!

5Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—

this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

6God places the lonely in families;

he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.

But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

7O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,

when you marched through the dry wasteland,

Interlude

8the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain

before you, the God of Sinai,

before God, the God of Israel.

9You sent abundant rain, O God,

to refresh the weary land.

10There your people finally settled,

and with a bountiful harvest, O God,

you provided for your needy people.

11The Lord gives the word,

and a great army*68:11 Or a host of women. brings the good news.

12Enemy kings and their armies flee,

while the women of Israel divide the plunder.

13Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—

doves with wings of silver

and feathers of gold.

14The Almighty scattered the enemy kings

like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.

15The mountains of Bashan are majestic,

with many peaks stretching high into the sky.

16Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,

at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,

where the Lord himself will live forever?

17Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,

the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.

18When you ascended to the heights,

you led a crowd of captives.

You received gifts from the people,

even from those who rebelled against you.

Now the Lord God will live among us there.

19Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!

For each day he carries us in his arms.

Interlude

20Our God is a God who saves!

The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.

21But God will smash the heads of his enemies,

crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.

22The Lord says, “I will bring my enemies down from Bashan;

I will bring them up from the depths of the sea.

23You, my people, will wash*68:23 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads shatter. your feet in their blood,

and even your dogs will get their share!”

24Your procession has come into view, O God—

the procession of my God and King as he goes into the sanctuary.

25Singers are in front, musicians behind;

between them are young women playing tambourines.

26Praise God, all you people of Israel;

praise the Lord, the source of Israel’s life.

27Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way.

Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah

and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.

28Summon your might, O God.*68:28 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions; most Hebrew manuscripts read Your God has commanded your strength.

Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.

29The kings of the earth are bringing tribute

to your Temple in Jerusalem.

30Rebuke these enemy nations—

these wild animals lurking in the reeds,

this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.

Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute.

Scatter the nations that delight in war.

31Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals*68:31a Or of rich cloth.;

let Ethiopia*68:31b Hebrew Cush. bring tribute to God.

32Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.

Sing praises to the Lord.

Interlude

33Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens,

his mighty voice thundering from the sky.

34Tell everyone about God’s power.

His majesty shines down on Israel;

his strength is mighty in the heavens.

35God is awesome in his sanctuary.

The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

Heth

57Lord, you are mine!

I promise to obey your words!

58With all my heart I want your blessings.

Be merciful as you promised.

59I pondered the direction of my life,

and I turned to follow your laws.

60I will hurry, without delay,

to obey your commands.

61Evil people try to drag me into sin,

but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.

62I rise at midnight to thank you

for your just regulations.

63I am a friend to anyone who fears you—

anyone who obeys your commandments.

64O Lord, your unfailing love fills the earth;

teach me your decrees.