Psalms.
Psalms KWL.
Psalm 2.
[trochaic hexameter]
1 For what reason is the uproar of the nations?
Or the people found in useless meditations?
2 Kings of earth and rulers take a stand, consulting
on the LORD and his Messiah—thus resulting
3 in, “Let’s tear their chains off and throw out their bindings.”
4 Seated in the heavens, my lord mocks their findings.
5 Then he speaks, with nostrils flaring, to their hubris.
In his burning rage he terrifies them senseless.
6 “On my holy Zion hill, I poured out my king.”
7 Let me now instruct you on the LORD God’s ruling.
“You’re my son,” he told me, “on this day I birthed you.
8 Ask me and I grant the wealth of nations to you.
Your inheritance extends to earth’s horizon.
9 Shatter with your iron staff; like jars you’ll break them.”
10 Now kings, think it through. Earth’s judges, heed this warning.
11 Serve the LORD in fear. Rejoice, but do it trembling.
12 Kiss the son lest he destroy your path in anger.
Small things make him burn. Bless all who seek his shelter.
Psalm 3.
0 David’s psalm, while fleeing the presence of his son Absalom. [iambic octameter]
1 My enemies—ten thousand, LORD!—have multiplied and charge at me!
2 The myriads say of my life, “God’s rescue? Not for he.” Selah.
3 But you, LORD, are my shield and honor, granting my authority.
4 I call the LORD, who from his holy mountain answers me. Selah.
5 I lay my head to sleep, and wake because the LORD has strengthened me.
6 Do I fear opposition from ten thousand circling people? Nah.
7 You rose and saved me, LORD my God. Face-punched my every enemy.
Broke evildoers’ teeth. 8 You bless your own with rescue, LORD. Selah.
Psalm 4.
0 To the director, for strings. David’s song.
1 Answer me when I call, God of my rightness!
You’ve widened a narrow place for me. Show me favor! Hear my prayer!
2 Sons of men, how long will your opinion of me be insulting?
You love empty things. You seek lies. Selah.
3 Know this: The LORD separates the pious to himself.
The LORD hears my calling to him.
4 Tremble. Don’t be mistaken. Say to your hearts, on your beds, “Quiet!” Selah.
5 Sacrifice right-minded sacrifices. Trust in the LORD.
6 Many are saying, “Who’s showing us what’s good?”
Lift the light of your face over us, LORD!
7 You gave joy to my heart,
like the time they had much grain and wine.
8 Together, in peace, I lie down and sleep.
Because of you alone, LORD, I live in safety.
Psalm 8.
0 Arranged for lyre. A David psalm. [iambic tetrameter]
1 Our master LORD: What noble name!
You have, in all the earth, great fame
which sets your splendor in the skies.
2 And in the kids’ and infants’ cries
you build your strength against your foes,
the vengeful; stop all who oppose.
3 I see the skies—your fingers’ act:
The moon, fixed stars—and I react:
4 So what are humans, to your mind?—
You care for Adam’s sons so kind.
5 A little less than gods, we’re made
with glory, honor, crowns you’ve laid.
6 The things your hands made, you ordain
beneath our feet; you have us reign.
7 All sheep and cows at our command,
rule over animals on land,
8 birds of the air, fish of the sea,
whatever swims there: All we see.
9 Our master LORD: What noble name!
You have, in all the earth, great fame.
Psalm 14.
0 To the director. By David. [iambic tetrameter]
1 The stupid think God isn’t here.
They wreck. They do no good. They sneer.
2 From heaven, the LORD looks to see
if any child of Adam be
astute enough to seek God out.
3 But all of them are turned about.
They’re twisted. They do nothing good.
Not one of them knows what they should.
4 Their every act is sin; when all
eat bread, it’s not the LORD they call.
5 There’s no respect; no holy dread.
God’s with our righteous group, instead.
6 Ashamed to help the poor, are you?
Because the LORD’s their refuge, true?
7 Was rescue sent from Zion’s hill?
Who got this aid for Israel?
The LORD will set his people free.
May Jacob—Israel—have glee.
29 For with you, I outrun a troop; I hurdle walls with my God’s might.
Psalm 19.
1 The skies are a record of God’s glory.
The space above reports the work of his hands.
2 Day by day, declarations pour out.
Night by night, God shows knowledge.
Psalm 22.
0 Director: To “Doe of the Dawn.” David’s psalm.
1 My God my God, why did you leave me so far from saving, from my roaring words?
2 My God, I call by day and you don’t answer; by night and I’m not silent.
3 You’re holy. You dwell on Israel’s praises.
4 Our ancestors trusted you. They trusted and you helped them escape.
5 They shrieked to you and slipped away. They were unashamedly confident in you.
6 I’m a maggot, not a man. Humanity’s disgrace, the people’s scorn.
7 All who see me, mock me. They shake their heads, open-mouthed:
8 “He committed to the LORD? God should help him escape.
God should snatch him away, for God delights in him!”
22 I celebrate your name with my brothers, and praise you in the middle of the assembly.
23 You who respect the LORD: Praise him! All Jacob’s seed, honor him! All Israel’s seed, abide in him!
24 For God doesn’t scorn, doesn’t flinch, from the suffering of sufferers.
He doesn’t hide his face from them. They cry to God, and he hears!
Psalm 27.
14 Join the LORD! Be hard!
Be strong in your heart! Join the LORD!
Psalm 29.
1 Come to the LORD, children of God.
Come to the LORD, who’s glorious and mighty.
2 Come to the LORD, whose name is glorious.
Bow to the LORD in honor of his holiness.
Psalm 30.
3 LORD, you lifted my soul out of the grave.
You made me live, rather than go down into the hole.
Psalm 31.
24 Be hard!
Be strong in your hearts, all who wait for the LORD!
Psalm 32.
3 Since I was silent, my bones came apart. I roared all day long.
4 Day and night, your hand was heavy on me.
My freshness was turned into summer droughts. Selah.
5 I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t cover up my depravity.
I said, “I’ll confess my misdeeds to the LORD.”
And you took away my sinful depravity! Selah.
Psalm 35.
4 Say to the hasty in heart, “Be hard! Don’t fear! Look, your God comes to avenge you.
God’s reward comes to save you.”
9 My life exults in the LORD.
His salvation thrills it.
Psalm 37.
12 A wicked person plots against the righteous, and angrily grinds their teeth—
13 and my Master laughs at them, because he sees their day coming.
Psalm 38.
0 David’s psalm—something to remember. [iambic heptameter]
1 LORD, don’t correct me angrily, instructing me in heat,
2 because your arrows fall on me. Your strong hand has me beat.
3 My flesh’s instability from your indignant face;
my bones lack peace; my sinning moves your presence out of place.
4 I’ve more misdeeds than height! a heavy, heavy load for me.
5 My wounds all stink and rot thanks to my clear stupidity.
6 I’m twisted, bent way down; I walk in darkness all the day.
7 My burning genitals!—unstable flesh just wastes away.
8 I’m numb. I’m very crushed. My groaning heart through which I’ve cried—
9 My Master, my desires and sighs are obvious. Don’t hide.
10 My heart vibrates. My strength is gone. My eyes’ light: Also gone.
11 My loves and friends both shun my plague. My nearest: Far along.
12 Some want to trap my soul, have me wreak havoc, do what’s wrong.
They meditate on tricks to play upon me all day long.
13 I’m deaf, so I heard nothing. Mouth not open. I stayed mute.
14 Much like a man who doesn’t hear, I’d nothing to refute.
15 I hope in you, my LORD, my Master God. Reply, I plead:
16 I said, “These big shots hope to see me trip on my own feet.”
17 For I expect to fall! It’s like I’m walking on a thorn.
18 My evil I confess; my sinning causes me to mourn.
19 My enemies, alive and strong—and liars—come in droves.
20 Instead of goodness, vice; since I chase goodness, they oppose.
21 Don’t leave me, LORD! I need you here. Please don’t be far away.
22 Save me quick, my Master and my savior—come today!
Psalm 43.
5 What’s your despair for, my soul? What’s your moaning within me?
Be patient with God. Keep praising him! My God is salvation before me.
Psalm 46.
8 Come see the LORD’s work which has laid waste to the land.
9 To the ends of the earth, wars stopped.
He breaks the bow. He saws the spear into pieces. He burns chariots with fire.
10 “Quit it! Accept that I’m God.
I’m way above your nations. I’m way above the earth.”
Psalm 69.
21 They gave me bitter food, and for my thirst, they made me drink vinegar.
26 Their camp is deserted. No one will live in their tents.
Psalm 72.
1 God, give your judgment to the king; your rightness to the king’s son.
2 He can judge your people rightly, your poor justly.
3 The mountains carry peace to the people; the hills, rightness.
4 He can judge poor people. He can save the needy’s children.
He can crush the oppressor!
Psalm 78.
0 Asaph’s wisdom-psalm. [trochaic septameter]
1 People, hear my law. Stretch out your ears to my mouth speaking,
2 for I open wide in parables and ancient riddles.
Psalm 82.
0 Asaph’s psalm. [anapestic trimeter]
1 In the god-council, our God stands up.
In their middle, God judges them all:
2 “For how long must you judge people wrong?
Lifting up wicked faces?” Selah.
3 “Judge the weak, orphaned, troubled—be fair!
4 Save the needy and weak from cruel hands.
5 They don’t realize they walk in the dark.
All foundations are cracked in their lands.
6 I have said you are gods, every one—
all of you, children of the Most High.
7 But like one of the princes, you’ll fall,
and like any old human, you’ll die.”
8 God, stand up! Judge the land! Rule and bless!
For the gentiles, each one, you possess!
Psalm 91.
[trochaic octameter]
1 Seated in the Highest’s secret, seated in Almighty’s shadow,
2 tell the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress—God, I trust you.”
3 For he frees you from the fowler’s traps, from pestilence, destruction.
4 With his pinions you he covers. Under wing you find protection.
His truth is your shield and buckler 5 from the arrow’s daily flight.
His truth is your strong defense, so do not fear the dread of night.
6 Pestilence which walks in darkness, ruin at noon devastates—
7 thousands at your side and right may fall—but round you, it abates.
8 Only with your eyes you look, and see the wicked get their due.
9 The LORD God’s your refuge, and the Most High is a home to you.
10 Evil gets cut off from you. Inside your tent, plague is expelled.
11 For his angels, God commands to watch you, all your ways surveilled.
12 Lest you strike your foot on rocks, by hand they lift you in protection.
13 Step on lion, cobra; trample cub—and dragon!—his discretion.
14 “Since they love me, know my name, I rescue them and grant them safety.
15 They call; they I answer. I’m with them in all their difficulty.
I deliver them, and honor them, 16 and fill with days sufficient.
I will show them my salvation,” says with grace the LORD omniscient.
Psalm 107.
9 The prowling life is satisfied.
He’s filled the starving life with goodness.
Psalm 109.
6 Place a wicked person over him, with Satan standing at his right.
7 May those judging him return an evil verdict, and his prayers be offensive.
8 May his days be few, and another ruler supervise him.
9 May his children become fatherless, and his woman a widow.
10 May his children wander, wander, begging, digging through people’s trash.
11 May debt seize everything he owns, and strangers steal his labor.
12 May he never find love; his fatherless children never be given grace.
13 May his generation be the last one, and his family name be wiped out.
Psalm 110.
4 The LORD swore, and isn’t turning back from it:
“You’re a priest, eternally, in the manner of Melchizédek.”
Psalm 111.
9 He sent the ransom for his people:
He instructed his child in his holy covenant.
His name is respected.
Psalm 123.
3 Show us grace, LORD. Show us grace, for we’re greatly despised.
Psalm 137.
7 LORD, remember Edom’s sons on the day Jerusalem fell.
They said, “Strip it bare, down to the ground!”
8 Babylon’s daughter: You’re destined for ruin,
and bless the one who pays you back for how you dealt with us!
9 Bless the one who grabs and shatters your children against the rock!
Psalm 139.
7 How can I leave your Spirit? How can I run away from your face?
8 You’re there if I climb to the skies, or rest in the grave: Look, it’s you!
9 I wear the dawn’s wings. I pitch a tent on the far side of the sea—
10 yet even there your hand guides me. Your right hand holds me.
11 I can say, “Yes, darkness surrounds me; night is ‘light’ around me”—
12 yet even darkness isn’t dark to you. Night shines like day. Darkness, light; doesn’t matter.
23 Search me, God. Know my heart. Test me. Know my worries.
24 See whether there’s a path of pain in me. Lead me in the eternal path.
Psalm 147.
7 Sing in thanksgiving to the LORD.
Compose to God on the guitar.
8 He covers the skies with clouds.
He prepares rain for the earth; grass to grow on the hills.
9 He gives animals their food,
to the ravens’ children, which call him.
10 He doesn’t delight in horses’ strength.
He doesn’t take pleasure in men’s legs.
11 The LORD does take pleasure in those who respect him,
in those who patiently wait for his love.