Psalm 9

Praise for Victory over Enemies

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Death of the Son.”

1I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.

2I will be filled with joy because of you.

I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

3My enemies retreated;

they staggered and died when you appeared.

4For you have judged in my favor;

from your throne you have judged with fairness.

5You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;

you have erased their names forever.

6The enemy is finished, in endless ruins;

the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.

7But the Lord reigns forever,

executing judgment from his throne.

8He will judge the world with justice

and rule the nations with fairness.

9The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,

a refuge in times of trouble.

10Those who know your name trust in you,

for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

11Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.*9:11 Hebrew Zion; also in 9:14.

Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.

12For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.

He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.

13Lord, have mercy on me.

See how my enemies torment me.

Snatch me back from the jaws of death.

14Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates,

so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.

15The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.

Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.

16The Lord is known for his justice.

The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.

Quiet Interlude*9:16 Hebrew Higgaion Selah. The meaning of this phrase is uncertain.

17The wicked will go down to the grave.*9:17 Hebrew to Sheol.

This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.

18But the needy will not be ignored forever;

the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

19Arise, O Lord!

Do not let mere mortals defy you!

Judge the nations!

20Make them tremble in fear, O Lord.

Let the nations know they are merely human.

Interlude

Psalm 10

A Plea for God to Punish the Wicked

1O Lord, why do you stand so far away?

Why do you hide when I am in trouble?

2The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor.

Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.

3For they brag about their evil desires;

they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.

4The wicked are too proud to seek God.

They seem to think that God is dead.

5Yet they succeed in everything they do.

They do not see your punishment awaiting them.

They sneer at all their enemies.

6They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!

We will be free of trouble forever!”

7Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.*10:7 Greek version reads cursing and bitterness. Compare Rom 3:14.

Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.

8They lurk in ambush in the villages,

waiting to murder innocent people.

They are always searching for helpless victims.

9Like lions crouched in hiding,

they wait to pounce on the helpless.

Like hunters they capture the helpless

and drag them away in nets.

10Their helpless victims are crushed;

they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.

11The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us!

He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!”

12Arise, O Lord!

Punish the wicked, O God!

Do not ignore the helpless!

13Why do the wicked get away with despising God?

They think, “God will never call us to account.”

14But you see the trouble and grief they cause.

You take note of it and punish them.

The helpless put their trust in you.

You defend the orphans.

15Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!

Go after them until the last one is destroyed.

16The Lord is king forever and ever!

The godless nations will vanish from the land.

17Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.

Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

18You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,

so mere people can no longer terrify them.

Psalm 15

The Blameless Way

A psalm of David.

1Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?

Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?

2Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,

speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

3Those who refuse to gossip

or harm their neighbors

or speak evil of their friends.

4Those who despise flagrant sinners,

and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,

and keep their promises even when it hurts.

5Those who lend money without charging interest,

and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.

Such people will stand firm forever.