1 [For the choir director： A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune "Do Not Destroy!"] Justice - do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly?
2 No! You plot injustice in your hearts. You spread violence throughout the land.
3 These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way.
4 They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen,
5 ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers, no matter how skillfully they play.
6 Break off their fangs, O God! Smash the jaws of these lions, O Lord!
7 May they disappear like water into thirsty ground. Make their weapons useless in their hands.
8 May they be like snails that dissolve into slime, like a stillborn child who will never see the sun.
9 God will sweep them away, both young and old, faster than a pot heats over burning thorns.
10 The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then at last everyone will say, "There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth."
59.
1 [For the choir director： A psalm 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!"] Rescue me from my enemies, O God. Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.
2 Rescue me from these criminals; save me from these murderers.
3 They have set an ambush for me. Fierce enemies are out there waiting, Lord, though I have not sinned or offended them.
4 I have done nothing wrong, yet they prepare to attack me. Wake up! See what is happening and help me!
5 O Lord God of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, wake up and punish those hostile nations. Show no mercy to wicked traitors. Interlude
6 They come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.
7 Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths; their words cut like swords. "After all, who can hear us?" they sneer.
8 But Lord, you laugh at them. You scoff at all the hostile nations.
9 You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me, for you, O God, are my fortress.
10 In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me. He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.
11 Don'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.
12 Because 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.
13 Destroy them in your anger! Wipe them out completely! Then the whole world will know that God reigns in Israel. Interlude
14 My enemies come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.
15 They scavenge for food but go to sleep unsatisfied.
16 But 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.
17 O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.
60.
1 [For the choir director： A psalm of David useful for teaching, regarding the time David fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. To be sung to the tune "Lily of the Testimony."] You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses. You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.
2 You have shaken our land and split it open. Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.
3 You have been very hard on us, making us drink wine that sent us reeling.
4 But you have raised a banner for those who fear you - a rallying point in the face of attack. Interlude
5 Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power.
6 God has promised this by his holiness. "I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh, too. Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors, and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
8 But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant, and I will wipe my feet on Edom and shout in triumph over Philistia."
9 Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me victory over Edom?
10 Have you rejected us, O God? Will you no longer march with our armies?
11 Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless.
12 With God's help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.
61.
1 [For the choir director： A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.] O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!
2 From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
3 for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude
5 For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.
6 Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations!
7 May he reign under God's protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.
8 Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day.
62.
1 [For Jeduthun, the choir director： A psalm of David.] I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.
3 So many enemies against one man - all of them trying to kill me. To them I'm just a broken-down wall or a tottering fence.
4 They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. Interlude
5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
7 My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude
9 Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air.
10 Don't make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don't make it the center of your life.
11 God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times. Power, O God, belongs to you;
12 unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done.
63.
1 [A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.] O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my hole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.
3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!
4 I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.
6 I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.
7 Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
9 But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin. They will go down into the depths of the earth.
10 They will die by the sword and become the food of jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God. All who trust in him will praise him, while liars will be silenced.
64.
1 [For the choir director： A psalm of David.] O God, listen to my complaint. Protect my life from my enemies' threats.
2 Hide me from the plots of this evil mob, from this gang of wrongdoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows.
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent, attacking suddenly and fearlessly.
5 They encourage each other to do evil and plan how to set their traps in secret. "Who will ever notice?" they ask.
6 As they plot their crimes, they say, "We have devised the perfect plan!" Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.
7 But God himself will shoot them with his arrows, suddenly striking them down.
8 Their own tongues will ruin them, and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9 Then everyone will be afraid; they will proclaim the mighty acts of God and realize all the amazing things he does.
10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord and find shelter in him. And those who do what is right will praise him.
65.
1 [For the choir director： A song. A psalm of David.] What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you,
2 for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you.
3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.
4 What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple.
5 You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.
6 You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength.
7 You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations.
8 Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.
9 You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.
10 You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops.
11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!
66.
1 [For the choir director： A song. A psalm.] Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
2 Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is.
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.
4 Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs." Interlude
5 Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people!
6 He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot. There we rejoiced in him.
7 For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations; let no rebel rise in defiance. Interlude
8 Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises.
9 Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.
10 You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver.
11 You captured us in your net and laid the burden of slavery on our backs.
12 Then you put a leader over us. We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance.
13 Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings to fulfill the vows I made to you -
14 yes, the sacred vows that I made when I was in deep trouble.
15 That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you - the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma, and a sacrifice of bulls and male goats. Interlude
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.
17 For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.
18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
19 But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.
20 Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.
