Psalm 1-25 (Amplified Bible)

Psalm 1-25 (Amplified Bible)
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
[AMP at Lockman] [The Lockman Foundation] [Amplified at Zondervan] [Zondervan]

Psalm 1
BOOK ONE
1[a]BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.

2But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.(A)

3And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].(B)

4Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away.

5Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, nor [b]sinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God].

6For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God's will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought).


Psalm 2
1WHY DO the nations assemble with commotion [uproar and confusion of voices], and why do the people imagine (meditate upon and devise) an empty scheme?

2The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed One (the Messiah, the Christ). They say,(C)

3Let us break Their bands [of restraint] asunder and cast Their cords [of control] from us.

4He Who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision [and in supreme contempt He mocks them].

5He speaks to them in His deep anger and troubles (terrifies and confounds) them in His displeasure and fury, saying,

6Yet have I anointed (installed and placed) My King [firmly] on My holy hill of Zion.

7I will declare the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son; this day [I declare] I have begotten You.(D)

8Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as Your possession.

9You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like potters' ware.(E)

10Now therefore, O you kings, act wisely; be instructed and warned, O you rulers of the earth.

11Serve the Lord with reverent awe and worshipful fear; rejoice and be in high spirits with trembling [lest you displease Him].

12Kiss the Son [pay homage to Him in purity], lest He be angry and you perish in the way, for soon shall His wrath be kindled. O blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are all those who seek refuge and put their trust in Him!


Psalm 3
A Psalm of David. When he fled from Absalom his son.
1LORD, HOW they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.

2Many are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

3But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

4With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

5I lay down and slept; I wakened again, for the Lord sustains me.

6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.

7Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8Salvation belongs to the Lord; May Your blessing be upon Your people. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!


Psalm 4
To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
1ANSWER ME when I call, O God of my righteousness (uprightness, justice, and right standing with You)! You have freed me when I was hemmed in and enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me and hear my prayer.

2O you sons of men, how long will you turn my honor and glory into shame? How long will you love vanity and futility and seek after lies? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

3But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself [and given distinction to] him who is godly [the man of loving-kindness]. The Lord listens and heeds when I call to Him.

4Be angry [or stand in awe] and sin not; commune with your own hearts upon your beds and be silent (sorry for the things you say in your hearts). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!(F)

5Offer just and right sacrifices; trust (lean on and be confident) in the Lord.

6Many say, Oh, that we might see some good! Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord.

7You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart than [they know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly.

8In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.


Psalm 5
To the Chief Musician; on wind instruments. A Psalm of David.
1LISTEN TO my words, O Lord, give heed to my sighing and groaning.

2Hear the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You do I pray.

3In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].

4For You are not a God Who takes pleasure in wickedness; neither will the evil [man] so much as dwell [temporarily] with You.

5Boasters can have no standing in Your sight; You abhor all evildoers.

6You will destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors [and rejects] the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7But as for me, I will enter Your house through the abundance of Your steadfast love and mercy; I will worship toward and at Your holy temple in reverent fear and awe of You.

8Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way level (straight and right) before my face.

9For there is nothing trustworthy or steadfast or truthful in their talk; their heart is destruction [or a destructive chasm, a yawning gulf]; their throat is an open sepulcher; they flatter and make smooth with their tongue.(G)

10Hold them guilty, O God; let them fall by their own designs and counsels; cast them out because of the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You.

11But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits.

12For You, Lord, will bless the [uncompromisingly] righteous [him who is upright and in right standing with You]; as with a shield You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favor).


Psalm 6
To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments, set [possibly] an octave below. A Psalm of David.
1O LORD, rebuke me not in Your anger nor discipline and chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

2Have mercy on me and be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am weak (faint and withered away); O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

3My [inner] self [as well as my body] is also exceedingly disturbed and troubled. But You, O Lord, how long [until You return and speak peace to me]?

4Return [to my relief], O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of Your steadfast love and mercy.

5For in death there is no remembrance of You; in Sheol (the place of the dead) who will give You thanks?

6I am weary with my groaning; all night I soak my pillow with tears, I drench my couch with my weeping.

7My eye grows dim because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies.

8Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.(H)

9The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord receives my prayer.

10Let all my enemies be ashamed and sorely troubled; let them turn back and be put to shame suddenly.


Psalm 7
An Ode of David, [probably] in a wild, irregular, enthusiastic strain, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.
1O LORD my God, in You I take refuge and put my trust; save me from all those who pursue and persecute me, and deliver me,

2Lest my foe tear my life [from my body] like a lion, dragging me away while there is none to deliver.

3O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,

4If I have paid back with evil him who was at peace with me or without cause have robbed him who was my enemy,

5Let the enemy pursue my life and take it; yes, let him trample my life to the ground and lay my honor in the dust. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

6Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; lift up Yourself against the rage of my enemies; and awake [and stir up] for me the justice and vindication [that] You have commanded.

7Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about You, and return on high over them.

8The Lord judges the people; judge me, O Lord, and do me justice according to my righteousness [my rightness, justice, and right standing with You] and according to the integrity that is in me.

9Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the [uncompromisingly] righteous [those upright and in harmony with You]; for You, Who try the hearts and emotions and thinking powers, are a righteous God.(I)

10My defense and shield depend on God, Who saves the upright in heart.

11God is a righteous Judge, yes, a God Who is indignant every day.

12If a man does not turn and repent, [God] will whet His sword; He has strung and bent His [huge] bow and made it ready [by treading it with His foot].

13He has also prepared for him deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts.

14Behold, [the wicked man] conceives iniquity and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.

15He made a pit and hollowed it out and has fallen into the hole which he made [before the trap was completed].

16His mischief shall fall back in return upon his own head, and his violence come down [with the loose dirt] upon his own scalp.

17I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His rightness and justice, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.


Psalm 8
To the Chief Musician; set to a Philistine lute, or [possibly] to a particular Hittite tune. A Psalm of David.
1O LORD, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens.

2Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that You might silence the enemy and the avenger.(J)

3When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established,

4What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?

5Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

6You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet:(K)

7All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field,

8The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth!


Psalm 9
To the Chief Musician; set for [possibly] soprano voices. A Psalm of David.
1I WILL praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth (recount and tell aloud) all Your marvelous works and wonderful deeds!

2I will rejoice in You and be in high spirits; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High!

3When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before You.

4For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging righteously.

5You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

6The enemy have been cut off and have vanished in everlasting ruins, You have plucked up and overthrown their cities; the very memory of them has perished and vanished.

7But the Lord shall remain and continue forever; He has prepared and established His throne for judgment.(L)

8And He will judge the world in righteousness (rightness and equity); He will minister justice to the peoples in uprightness.(M)

9The Lord also will be a refuge and a high tower for the oppressed, a refuge and a stronghold in times of trouble (high cost, destitution, and desperation).

10And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God's Word and the right of their necessity].(N)

11Sing praises to the Lord, Who dwells in Zion! Declare among the peoples His doings!

12For He Who avenges the blood [of His people shed unjustly] remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted (the poor and the humble).

13Have mercy upon me and be gracious to me, O Lord; consider how I am afflicted by those who hate me, You Who lift me up from the gates of death,

14That I may show forth (recount and tell aloud) all Your praises! In the gates of the Daughter of Zion I will rejoice in Your salvation and Your saving help.

15The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made; in the net which they hid is their own foot caught.

16The Lord has made Himself known; He executes judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion [meditation]. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

17The wicked shall be turned back [headlong into premature death] into Sheol (the place of the departed spirits of the wicked), even all the nations that forget or are forgetful of God.

18For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the expectation and hope of the meek and the poor shall not perish forever.

19Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before You.

20Put them in fear [make them realize their frail nature], O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!


Psalm 10
1WHY DO You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide Yourself, [veiling Your eyes] in times of trouble (distress and desperation)?

2The wicked in pride and arrogance hotly pursue and persecute the poor; let them be taken in the schemes which they have devised.

3For the wicked man boasts (sings the praises) of his own heart's desire, and the one greedy for gain curses and spurns, yes, renounces and despises the Lord.

4The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God [so He never punishes].

5His ways are grievous [or persist] at all times; Your judgments [Lord] are far above and on high out of his sight [so he never thinks about them]; as for all his foes, he sniffs and sneers at them.

6He thinks in his heart, I shall not be moved; for throughout all generations I shall not come to want or be in adversity.

7His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, oppression (fraud); under his tongue are trouble and sin (mischief and iniquity).

8He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he slays the innocent; he watches stealthily for the poor (the helpless and unfortunate).

9He lurks in secret places like a lion in his thicket; he lies in wait that he may seize the poor (the helpless and the unfortunate); he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

10[The prey] is crushed, sinks down; and the helpless falls by his mighty [claws].

11[The foe] thinks in his heart, God has quite forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see [my deed].

12Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand; forget not the humble [patient and crushed].

13Why does the wicked [man] condemn (spurn and renounce) God? Why has he thought in his heart, You will not call to account?

14You have seen it; yes, You note trouble and grief (vexation) to requite it with Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.

15Break the arm of the wicked man; and as for the evil man, search out his wickedness until You find no more.

16The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish out of His land.

17O Lord, You have heard the desire and the longing of the humble and oppressed; You will prepare and strengthen and direct their hearts, You will cause Your ear to hear,

18To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man, who is of the earth, may not terrify them any more.


Psalm 11
To the Chief Musician or Choir Leader. [A Psalm] of David.
1IN THE Lord I take refuge [and put my trust]; how can you say to me, Flee like a bird to your mountain?

2For see, the wicked are bending the bow; they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they [furtively] in darkness may shoot at the upright in heart.

3If the foundations are destroyed, what can the [unyieldingly] righteous do, or what has He [the Righteous One] wrought or accomplished?

4The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold; His eyelids test and prove the children of men.(O)

5The Lord tests and proves the [unyieldingly] righteous, but His soul abhors the wicked and him who loves violence.(P)

6Upon the wicked He will rain quick burning coals or snares; fire, brimstone, and a [dreadful] scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

7For the Lord is [rigidly] righteous, He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face, or He beholds the upright.


Psalm 12
To the Chief Musician; set [possibly] an octave below. A Psalm of David.
1HELP, LORD! For principled and godly people are here no more; faithfulness and the faithful vanish from among the sons of men.

2To his neighbor each one speaks words without use or worth or truth; with flattering lips and double heart [deceitfully] they speak.

3May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongues that speak proud boasting,

4Those who say, With our tongues we prevail; our lips are our own [to command at our will]--who is lord and master over us?

5Now will I arise, says the Lord, because the poor are oppressed, because of the groans of the needy; I will set him in safety and in the salvation for which he pants.

6The words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over.

7You will keep them and preserve them, O Lord; You will guard and keep us from this [evil] generation forever.

8The wicked walk or prowl about on every side, as vileness is exalted [and baseness is rated high] among the sons of men.


Psalm 13
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1HOW LONG will You forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?

2How long must I lay up cares within me and have sorrow in my heart day after day? How long shall my enemy exalt himself over me?

3Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; lighten the eyes [of my faith to behold Your face in the pitchlike darkness], lest I sleep the sleep of death,

4Lest my enemy say, I have prevailed over him, and those that trouble me rejoice when I am shaken.

5But I have trusted, leaned on, and been confident in Your mercy and loving-kindness; my heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in Your salvation.

6I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.


Psalm 14
To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David.
1THE [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds; there is none that does good or right.(Q)

2The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely, and sought after God, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity].

3They are all gone aside, they have all together become filthy; there is none that does good or right, no, not one.(R)

4Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread and who do not call on the Lord?

5There they shall be in great fear [literally--dreading a dread], for God is with the generation of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright and in right standing with Him).

6You [evildoers] would put to shame and confound the plans of the poor and patient, but the Lord is his safe refuge.

7Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord shall restore the fortunes of His people, then Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.(S)


Psalm 15
A Psalm of David.
1LORD, WHO shall dwell [temporarily] in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell [permanently] on Your holy hill?

2He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart,

3He who does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;

4In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he who honors those who fear the Lord (who revere and worship Him); who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

5[He who] does not put out his money for [c]interest [to one of his own people] and who will not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.(T)


Psalm 16
A Poem of David; [probably] intended to record memorable thoughts.
1KEEP and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge, and in You do I put my trust and hide myself.

2I say to the Lord, You are my Lord; I have no good beside or beyond You.

3As for the godly (the saints) who are in the land, they are the excellent, the noble, and the glorious, in whom is all my delight.

4Their sorrows shall be multiplied who choose another god; their drink offerings of blood will I not offer or take their names upon my lips.

5The Lord is my chosen and assigned portion, my cup; You hold and maintain my lot.

6The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good heritage.

7I will bless the Lord, Who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.

8I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety,

10For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the place of the dead), neither will You suffer Your holy one [Holy One] to see corruption.(U)

11You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.(V)


Psalm 17
A Prayer of David.
1HEAR THE right (my righteous cause), O Lord; listen to my shrill, piercing cry! Give ear to my prayer, that comes from unfeigned and guileless lips.

2Let my sentence of vindication come from You! May Your eyes behold the things that are just and upright.

3You have proved my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and find nothing [no evil purpose in me]; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

4Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent (the paths of the destroyer).

5My steps have held closely to Your paths [to the tracks of the One Who has gone on before]; my feet have not slipped.

6I have called upon You, O God, for You will hear me; incline Your ear to me and hear my speech.

7Show Your marvelous loving-kindness, O You Who save by Your right hand those who trust and take refuge in You from those who rise up against them.

8Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings

9From the wicked who despoil and oppress me, my deadly adversaries who surround me.

10They are enclosed in their own prosperity and have shut up their hearts to pity; with their mouths they make exorbitant claims and proudly and arrogantly speak.

11They track us down in each step we take; now they surround us; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground,

12Like a lion greedy and eager to tear his prey, and as a young lion lurking in hidden places.

13Arise, O Lord! Confront and forestall them, cast them down! Deliver my life from the wicked by Your sword,

14From men by Your hand, O Lord, from men of this world [these poor moths of the night] whose portion in life is idle and vain. Their bellies are filled with Your hidden treasure [what You have stored up]; their children are satiated, and they leave the rest [of their] wealth to their babes.

15As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You].


Psalm 18
To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:
1I LOVE You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength.

2The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower.(W)

3I will call upon the Lord, Who is to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.(X)

4The cords or bands of death surrounded me, and the streams of ungodliness and the torrents of ruin terrified me.

5The cords of Sheol (the place of the dead) surrounded me; the snares of death confronted and came upon me.

6In my distress [when seemingly closed in] I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His temple (heavenly dwelling place), and my cry came before Him, into His [very] ears.

7Then the earth quaked and rocked, the foundations also of the mountains trembled; they moved and were shaken because He was indignant and angry.

8There went up smoke from His nostrils; and lightning out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it.

9He bowed the heavens also and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet.

10And He rode upon a cherub [a storm] and flew [swiftly]; yes, He sped on with the wings of the wind.

11He made darkness His secret hiding place; as His pavilion (His canopy) round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12Out of the brightness before Him there broke forth through His thick clouds hailstones and coals of fire.

13The Lord also thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, amid hailstones and coals of fire.

14And He sent out His arrows and scattered them; and He flashed forth lightnings and put them to rout.

15Then the beds of the sea appeared and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

16He reached from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

17He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated and abhorred me, for they were too strong for me.

18They confronted and came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay and support.

19He brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me.

20The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness (my conscious integrity and sincerity with Him); according to the cleanness of my hands has He recompensed me.

21For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22For all His ordinances were before me, and I put not away His statutes from me.

23I was upright before Him and blameless with Him, ever [on guard] to keep myself free from my sin and guilt.

24Therefore has the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness (my uprightness and right standing with Him), according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

25With the kind and merciful You will show Yourself kind and merciful, with an upright man You will show Yourself upright,

26With the pure You will show Yourself pure, and with the perverse You will show Yourself contrary.

27For You deliver an afflicted and humble people but will bring down those with haughty looks.

28For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine; the Lord my God illumines my darkness.

29For by You I can run through a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

30As for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him.

31For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God,

32The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect?

33He makes my feet like hinds' feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places.

34He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand has held me up; Your gentleness and condescension have made me great.

36You have given plenty of room for my steps under me, that my feet would not slip.

37I pursued my enemies and overtook them; neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

38I smote them so that they were not able to rise; they fell wounded under my feet.

39For You have girded me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me and caused to bow down those who rose up against me.

40You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

41They cried [for help], but there was none to deliver--even unto the Lord, but He answered them not.

42Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I emptied them out as the dirt and mire of the streets.

43You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; You made me the head of the nations; a people I had not known served me.

44As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me; foreigners submitted themselves cringingly and yielded feigned obedience to me.

45Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their caves or strongholds.

46The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted,

47The God Who avenges me and subdues peoples under me,

48Who delivers me from my enemies; yes, You lift me up above those who rise up against me; You deliver me from the man of violence.

49Therefore will I give thanks and extol You, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name.(Y)

50Great deliverances and triumphs gives He to His king; and He shows mercy and steadfast love to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever.(Z)


Psalm 19
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1THE HEAVENS declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.(AA)

2Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge.

3There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard.

4Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world. Of the heavens has God made a tent for the sun,(AB)

5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; and it rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

6Its going forth is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the ends of it; and nothing [yes, no one] is hidden from the heat of it.

7The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes.

9The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

10More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb.

11Moreover, by them is Your servant warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed); and in keeping them there is great reward.

12Who can discern his lapses and errors? Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults.

13Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then shall I be blameless, and I shall be innocent and clear of great transgression.

14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.


Psalm 20
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1MAY THE Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high [and defend you];

2Send you help from the sanctuary and support, refresh, and strengthen you from Zion;

3Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah [pause, and think of that]!

4May He grant you according to your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.

5We will [shout in] triumph at your salvation and victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

6Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.

7Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God.

8They are bowed down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright.

9O Lord, give victory; let the King answer us when we call.


Psalm 21
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1THE KING [David] shall joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

2You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah [pause, and think of that]!

3For You send blessings of good things to meet him; You set a crown of pure gold on his head.

4He asked life of You, and You gave it to him--long life forever and evermore.

5His glory is great because of Your aid; splendor and majesty You bestow upon him.

6For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence.(AC)

7For the king trusts, relies on, and is confident in the Lord, and through the mercy and steadfast love of the Most High he will never be moved.

8Your hand shall find all Your enemies; Your right hand shall find all those who hate You.

9You will make them as if in a blazing oven in the time of Your anger; the Lord will swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire will utterly consume them.

10Their offspring You will destroy from the earth, and their sons from among the children of men.

11For they planned evil against You; they conceived a mischievous plot which they are not able to perform.

12For You will make them turn their backs; You will aim Your bow [of divine justice] at their faces.

13Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your power.


Psalm 22
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] Aijeleth Hashshahar [the hind of the morning dawn]. A Psalm of David.
1[d]MY GOD, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?(AD)

2O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You answer not; and by night I am not silent or find no rest.

3But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].

4Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted (leaned on, relied on You, and were confident) and You delivered them.

5They cried to You and were delivered; they trusted in, leaned on, and confidently relied on You, and were not ashamed or confounded or disappointed.

6But I am a worm, and no man; I am the scorn of men, and despised by the people.(AE)

7All who see me laugh at me and mock me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,(AF)

8He trusted and rolled himself on the Lord, that He would deliver him. Let Him deliver him, seeing that He delights in him!(AG)

9Yet You are He Who took me out of the womb; You made me hope and trust when I was on my mother's breasts.

10I was cast upon You from my very birth; from my mother's womb You have been my God.

11Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is none to help.

12Many [foes like] bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have hedged me in.(AH)

13Against me they opened their mouths wide, like a ravening and roaring lion.

14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is softened [with anguish] and melted down within me.

15My strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery; [with thirst] my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You have brought me into the dust of death.(AI)

16For [like a pack of] dogs they have encompassed me; a company of evildoers has encircled me, they pierced my hands and my feet.(AJ)

17I can count all my bones; [the evildoers] gaze at me.(AK)

18They part my clothing among them and cast lots for my raiment (a long, shirtlike garment, a seamless undertunic).(AL))

19But be not far from me, O Lord; O my Help, hasten to aid me!

20Deliver my life from the sword, my dear life [my only one] from the power of the dog [the agent of execution].

21Save me from the lion's mouth; for You have answered me [kindly] from the horns of the wild oxen.

22I will declare Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise You.(AM)

23You who fear (revere and worship) the Lord, praise Him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify Him. Fear (revere and worship) Him, all you offspring of Israel.

24For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither has He hidden His face from him, but when he cried to Him, He heard.

25My praise shall be of You in the great congregation. I will pay to Him my vows [made in the time of trouble] before them who fear (revere and worship) Him.

26The poor and afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise the Lord--they who [diligently] seek for, inquire of and for Him, and require Him [as their greatest need]. May your hearts be quickened now and forever!

27All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall bow down and worship before You,

28For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord's, and He is the ruler over the nations.

29All the mighty ones upon earth shall eat [in thanksgiving] and worship; all they that go down to the dust shall bow before Him, even he who cannot keep himself alive.

30Posterity shall serve Him; they shall tell of the Lord to the next generation.

31They shall come and shall declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born--that He has done it [that it is finished]!(AN)


Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.

2He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.(AO)

3He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake.

4Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [e]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

6Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.


Psalm 24
A Psalm of David.
1THE EARTH is the Lord's, and the fullness of it, the world and they who dwell in it.(AP)

2For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the currents and the rivers.

3Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place?

4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully.(AQ)

5He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6This is the generation [description] of those who seek Him [who inquire of and for Him and of necessity require Him], who seek Your face, [O God of] Jacob. Selah [pause, and think of that]!(AR)

7Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up, you age-abiding doors, that the King of glory may come in.

8Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

9Lift up your heads, O you gates; yes, lift them up, you age-abiding doors, that the King of glory may come in.

10Who is [He then] this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah [pause, and think of that]!


Psalm 25
[A Psalm] of David.
1UNTO YOU, O Lord, do I bring my life.

2O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on, and am confident in You. Let me not be put to shame or [my hope in You] be disappointed; let not my enemies triumph over me.

3Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed; let them be ashamed who forsake the right or deal treacherously without cause.

4Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.

5Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long.

6Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercy and loving-kindness; for they have been ever from of old.

7Remember not the sins (the lapses and frailties) of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your mercy and steadfast love remember me, for Your goodness' sake, O Lord.

8Good and upright is the Lord; therefore will He instruct sinners in [His] way.

9He leads the humble in what is right, and the humble He teaches His way.

10All the paths of the Lord are mercy and steadfast love, even truth and faithfulness are they for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

11For Your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity and my guilt, for [they are] great.

12Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose.

13He himself shall dwell at ease, and his offspring shall inherit the land.

14The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.(AS)

15My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net.

16[Lord] turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

17The troubles of my heart are multiplied; bring me out of my distresses.

18Behold my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins [of thinking and doing].

19Consider my enemies, for they abound; they hate me with cruel hatred.

20O keep me, Lord, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed or disappointed, for my trust and my refuge are in You.

21Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for and expect You.

22Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles.



Footnotes:

1. Psalm 1:1 This has been called "The Preface Psalm" because in some respects it may be considered "the text upon which the whole of the Psalms make up a divine sermon." It opens with a benediction, "Blessed," as does our Lord's Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3).
2. Psalm 1:5 Charles Haddon Spurgeon (The Treasury of David) said, "Sinners cannot live in heaven. They would be out of their element. Sooner could a fish live upon a tree than the wicked in paradise." The only way they will ever be able to endure heaven is to be born again and become new creatures with pure hearts able fully to enjoy the presence of God, His holy angels, and the redeemed.
3. Psalm 15:5 "Israel was originally not a mercantile people, and the law aimed at an equal diffusion of wealth, not at enriching some while others were poor. The spirit of the law still is obligatory--not to take advantage of a brother's distress to lend at interest ruinous to him--but the letter of the law is abrogated, and a loan at moderate interest is often of great service to the poor. Hence, it is referred to by our Lord in parables, apparently as a lawful as well as recognized usage. (Matt. 25:27; Luke 19:23)" (A.R. Fausset, Bible Encyclopedia and Dictionary).
4. Psalm 22:1 "This is beyond all others 'The Psalm of the Cross.' It may have been actually repeated by our Lord when hanging on the tree; it would be too bold to say so, but even a casual reader may see that it might have been. It begins with, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' and ends [with the thought], 'It is finished.' For plaintive expressions uprising from unutterable depths of woe, we may say of this psalm, 'There is none like it'" (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Treasury of David). Quoted in the Gospels (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34; and alluded to in Matt. 27:35, 39, 43 and John 19:23-24, 28) as being fulfilled at Christ's crucifixion.
5. Psalm 23:5 It is difficult for those living in a temperate climate to appreciate, but it was customary in hot climates to anoint the body with oil to protect it from excessive perspiration. When mixed with perfume, the oil imparted a delightfully refreshing and invigorating sensation. Athletes anointed their bodies as a matter of course before running a race. As the body, therefore, anointed with oil was refreshed, invigorated, and better fitted for action, so the Lord would anoint His "sheep" with the Holy Spirit, Whom oil symbolizes, to fit them to engage more freely in His service and run in the way He directs--in heavenly fellowship with Him.


Cross references:

1. Psalm 1:2 : Rom 13:8-10; Gal 3:1-29; II Tim 3:16
2. Psalm 1:3 : Jer 17:7, 8
3. Psalm 2:2 : Acts 4:25-27
4. Psalm 2:7 : Heb 1:5; 3:5, 6; II Pet 1:17, 18
5. Psalm 2:9 : Rev 12:5; 19:15
6. Psalm 4:4 : Eph 4:26
7. Psalm 5:9 : Rom 3:13
8. Psalm 6:8 : Matt 7:23; Luke 13:27
9. Psalm 7:9 : Rev 2:23
10. Psalm 8:2 : Matt 21:15, 16
11. Psalm 8:6 : I Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22, 23; Heb 2:6-8
12. Psalm 9:7 : Heb 1:11
13. Psalm 9:8 : Acts 17:31
14. Psalm 9:10 : Ps 42:1
15. Psalm 11:4 : Acts 7:49; Rev 4:2
16. Psalm 11:5 : James 1:12
17. Psalm 14:1 : Rom 3:10
18. Psalm 14:3 : Rom 3:11, 12
19. Psalm 14:7 : Rom 11:25-27
20. Psalm 15:5 : Exod 22:25, 26
21. Psalm 16:10 : Acts 13:35
22. Psalm 16:11 : Acts 2:25-28, 31
23. Psalm 18:2 : Heb 2:13
24. Psalm 18:3 : Rev 5:12
25. Psalm 18:49 : Rom 15:9
26. Psalm 18:50 : II Sam 22:2-51
27. Psalm 19:1 : Rom 1:20, 21
28. Psalm 19:4 : Rom 10:18
29. Psalm 21:6 : Gen 12:2
30. Psalm 22:1 : Matt 27:46
31. Psalm 22:6 : Matt 27:39-44
32. Psalm 22:7 : Matt 27:43
33. Psalm 22:8 : Matt 27:39, 43; Mark 15:29, 30; Luke 23:35
34. Psalm 22:12 : Ezek 39:18
35. Psalm 22:15 : John 19:28
36. Psalm 22:16 : Isa 53:7; John 19:37
37. Psalm 22:17 : Luke 23:27, 35
38. Psalm 22:18 : John 19:23, 24
39. Psalm 22:22 : John 20:17; Rom 8:29; Heb 2:12
40. Psalm 22:31 : John 19:30
41. Psalm 23:2 : Rev 7:17
42. Psalm 24:1 : I Cor 10:26
43. Psalm 24:4 : Matt 5:8
44. Psalm 24:6 : Ps 42:1
45. Psalm 25:14 : John 7:17; 15:15