Psalms 64 - 72
64
Hear me, O my God, hear my lament;
Keep me safe from the threats of the enemy.
Hide me from the factions of the wicked,
from the turbulent mob of evildoers,
who sharpen their tongues like swords
and wing their cruel words like arrows,
to shoot down the innocent from cover,
shooting suddenly, themselves unseen.
They boldly hide their snares,
sure that none will see them;
they hatch their secret plans with skill and cunning,
with evil purpose and deep design.
But God with his arrow shoots them down,
and sudden is their overthrow.
They may repeat their wicked tales,
but their mischievous tongues are their undoing.
All who see their fate take fright at it,
every man is afraid;
'This is God's work', they declare;
they learn their lesson from what he has done.
The righteous rejoice and seek refuge in the LORD
and all the upright exult.
65
We owe thee praise, O God, in Zion;
thou hearest prayer, vows shall be be paid to thee.
All men shall lay their guilt before thee:
our sins are too heavy for us;
only thou canst blot them out.
Happy is the man of thy choice, whom thou dost bring
to dwell in thy courts;
let us enjoy the blessing of thy house,
thy holy temple.
By deed of terror answer us with victory,
O God of our deliverance,
in whom men trust from the ends of the earth
and far-off seas;
thou art girded with strength,
and by thy might dost fix the mountains in their place,
dost claim the rage of the seas and their raging waves.
The dwellers at the ends of the earth
hold thy sign in awe;
thou makest morning and evening sing aloud in triumph.
Thou dost visit the earth and give it abundance,
as often as thou dost enrich it
with the waters of heaven, brimming in their channels,
providing rain for men.
For this is thy provision for it,
watering its furrows, levelling its ridges,
softening it with showers and blessing its growth.
Thou dost crown the year with thy good gifts
and the palm-trees drip with sweet juice;
the pastures in the wild are rich with blessing
and the hills wreathed in happiness,
the meadows are clothed with sheep
and the valleys mantled in corn,
so that they shout, they break into song.
66
Acclaim our God, all men on earth;
let psalms declare the glory of his name,
make glorious his praise.
Say unto God, 'How fearful are thy works!
Thy foes cower before the greatness of thy strength.
All men on earth fall prostrate in thy presence,
and sing to thee, sing psalms in honour of thy name.'
Come and see all that God has done,
tremendous in his dealings with mankind.
He turned the waters n to dry land
so that his people passed through the sea on foot;
there we did rejoice in him.
He rules for ever by his power,
his eye rests on the nations;
let no rebel rise in defiance.
Bless our God, all nations;
let his praise be heard far and near.
He set us in the land of the living;
he keeps our feet from stumbling.
For thou, O God, hast put us to the proof
and refine us like silver.
Thou hast caught us in a net,
thou hast bound our bodies fast;
thou hast let men ride over our heads.
We went through fire and water,
but thou hast brought us out into liberty.
I will bring sacrifices into thy temple
and fulfil my vows to thee,
vows which I made with my own lips
and swore with my own mouth when in distress.
I will offer thee fat beasts as sacrifices
and burn rams as a savoury offering;
I will make ready oxen and he-goats.
Come, listen, all who fear God,
and I will tell you all that he has done for me;
I lifted up my voice in prayer,
his high praise was on my lips.
If I had cherished evil thoughts,
the LORD would not have heard me;
but in truth God has heard
and given heed to my prayer.
Blessed is God
who has not withdrawn his love and care from me.
67
God be gracious to us and bless us,
God make his face shine upon us,
that his ways may be known on earth
and his saving power among all the nations.
Let the people praise thee, O God;
let all peoples praise thee.
Let all nations rejoice and shout in triumph;
for thou dost judge the peoples with justice
and guidest the nations of the earth.
Let the peoples praise thee, O God;
let all people praise thee.
The earth has given its increase
and God, our God, will bless us.
God grant us his blessing,
that all the ends of the earth may fear him.
68
God arises and his enemies are scattered;
those who hate him flee before him,
driven away like smoke in the wind;
like wax melting at the fire,
the wicked perishing at the presence of God.
But the righteous are joyful, they exult before God,
they are jubilant and shout for joy.
Sing the praises of God, raise a psalm to his name,
extol him who rides over the desert plains.
Be joyful and exult before him,
father of the fatherless, the widow's champion——
God in his holy dwelling-place.
God gives the friendless a home
and brings out the prisoner safe and sound;
but rebels must live in the scorching desert.
O God, when thou didst bring forth thy people,
marching across the wilderness,
earth trembled, the very heavens quaked
before God the lord of Sinai, before God the God of Israel.
Of thy bounty, O God, thou dost refresh with rain
thy own land in its weariness,
the land which thou thyself didst provide,
where thy own people made their home,
which thou, O God, in thy goodness providest for the poor.
The Lord proclaims good news:
'Kings with their armies have fled headlong.'
O mighty host, you will linger among the sheep folds
while the women in your tents divide the spoil——
an image of a dove, its wings sheathed in silver
and its pinions in yellow gold——
while the Almighty scatters kings far and wide
like snowflakes falling on Zalmon?
The hill of Bashan is a hill of God indeed,
a hill of many peaks is Bashan's hill.
But, O hill of many peaks, why gaze in envy
at the hill where the LORD delights to dwell,
where the LORD himself will live for ever?
Twice ten thousand were God's chariots, thousands upon
thousands,
when the Lord came in holiness from Sinai.
Thou didst go up to thy lofty home with captives in thy train,
having received tribute from men;
in the presence of the LORD God no rebel could live.
Blessed is the Lord:
he carries us day by day,
God is our salvation.
Or God is a God who saves us,
in the LORD God's hand lies escape from death.
God himself will smite the head of his enemies,
those proud sinners with their flowing locks.
The Lord says, 'I will return from the Dragon,
I will return from the depths of the sea,
that you may dabble your feet in blood,
while the tongues of your dogs are eager for it.'
Thy procession, O God, comes into view,
the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary:
at its head the singers, next come minstrels,
girls among them playing on the tambourines.
In the great concourse they bless God,
all Israel assembled bless the LORD.
There is the little tribe of Benjamin leading them,
there the company of Judah's princes,
the princes of Zebulun and Naphtali.
O God, in virtue of thy power——
that godlike power which has acted for us——
command kings to bring gifts to thee
for the honour of thy temple in Jerusalem.
Rebuke those wild beasts of the reeds, that herd of bulls,
the bull-calf warriors of the nations;
scatter these nations which revel in war;
make them bring tribute from Egypt,
precious stones and silver from Pathros;
let Nubia stretch out her hands to God.
All you kingdoms of the world, sing praises to God,
sing psalms to the Lord,
to him who rides on the heavens, the ancient heavens.
Hark! he speaks in the mighty thunder.
Ascribe all might to God, Israel's High God,
Israel's pride and might throned in the skies.
Terrible is God as he comes from his sanctuary;
he is Israel's own God,
who gives to his people might and abundant power.
Blessed be God.
69
Save me, O God;
for the waters have risen up to my neck.
I sink in muddy depths and have no foothold;
I am swept into deep water, and the flood carries me away.
I am wearied with crying out, my throat is sore,
my eyes grow dim as I wait for God to help me.
Those who hate me without reason
let me be rescued from the muddy depths,
are more than the hairs of my head;
they outnumber my hairs, those who accuse me falsely.
How can I give back what I have not stolen?
O God, thou knowest how foolish I am,
and my guilty deeds are not hidden from thee.
Let none of those who look to thee be shamed on my account,
O Lord GOD of Hosts;
let none who seek thee be humbled through my fault,
O God of Israel.
For in thy service I have suffered reproach;
I dare not show my face for shame.
I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother's sons;
bitter enemies of thy temple tear me in pieces;
those who reproach thee reproach me.
I have broken my spirit with fasting,
only to lay myself open to many reproaches.
I have made sackcloth my clothing
and have become a byword among them.
Those who sit by the town gate and talk about me;
drunkards sing songs about me in their cups.
But I lift up this prayer to thee, O LORD:
accept me now in thy great love,
answer me with thy sure deliverance, O God.
Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink;
let me be rescued from the muddy depths,
so that no flood may carry me away,
no abyss swallow me up,
no deep close over me.
Answer me, O LORD, in the goodness of thy unfailing love,
turn towards me in thy great affection.
I am thy servant, do not hide thy face from me.
Make haste to answer me, for I am in distress.
Come near me and redeem me;
ransom me, for I have many enemies.
Thou knowest what reproaches I bear,
all my anguish is seen by thee.
Reproach has broken my heart,
my shame and my dishonour are past hope;
I looked for consolation and received none,
for comfort and did not find any.
They put poison in my food
and gave me vinegar when I was thirsty.
May their own table be a snare to them
and their sacred feasts lure them to their ruin;
may their eyes be darkened so that they do not see,
let a continual ague shake their loins.
Pour out thine indignation upon them
and let thy burning anger overtake them.
May their settlements be desolate,
and no one living in their tents;
for they pursue him whom thou hast struck down
and multiply the torments of those whom thou hast wounded.
Give them the punishment their sin deserves;
exclude them from thy righteous mercy;
let them be blotted out from the book of life
and not be enrolled among the righteous.
But by thy saving power, O God, lift me high
above my pain and distress,
then I will praise God's name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving;
that will please the LORD more than the offering of a bull,
a young bull with horn and cloven hoof.
See and rejoice, you humble folk,
take heart, you seekers after God;
for the LORD listens to the poor
and does not despise those bound to his service.
Let shy and earth praise him,
the seas and all that move in them,
for God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
His servants' children shall inherit them;
they shall dwell their in their own possession
and all who love his name shall live in them.
70
Show me favour, O God, and save me;
hasten to help me, O LORD.
Let all who seek my life be brought to shame and dismay,
let all who love to hurt me shrink back disgraced;
let those who cry 'Hurrah!' at my downfall
turn back at the shame they incur,
but let all who seek thee
be jubilant and rejoice thee,
and let those who long for thy saving help ever cry,
'All glory to God!'
But I am poor and needy;
O God, hasten to my aid.
Thou art my help, my salvation;
O LORD, make no delay.
71
In thee, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
never let me be put to shame.
As thou art righteous rescue me and save my life;
hear me and set me free,
be a rock of refuge for me,
where I may ever find safety at thy call;
for thou art my towering crag and stronghold.
O God, keep my life safe from the wicked,
from the clutches of unjust and cruel men.
Thou art my hope, O Lord,
my trust, O LORD, since boyhood.
From birth I have leaned upon thee,
my protector since I left my mother's womb.
To many I seem a solemn warning;
but I have thee for my strong refuge.
My mouth shall be full of thy praises,
I shall tell of thy splendour all day long.
Do not cast me off when old age comes,
nor forsake me when my strength fails,
when my enemies' rancour bursts upon me
and those who watch me whisper together,
saying, 'God has forsaken him;
after him! seize him; no one will rescue him.'
O God, do not stand aloof from me;
O my God hasten to my help.
Let all my traducers be shamed and dishonoured,
let all who seek my hurt be covered with scorn.
But I will wait in continual hope,
I will praise thee again and yet again;
all day long thy righteousness,
thy saving acts, shall be upon my lips.
Thou shalt ever be the theme of my praise,
although I have not the skill of a poet.
I will begin with a tale of great deeds, O Lord GOD,
and sing of thy righteousness, thine alone.
O God, thou hast taught me from boyhood,
all my life I have proclaimed thy marvellous works;
and now that I am old and my hairs are grey,
forsake me not, O God,
when I extol thy mighty arm to future generations,
thy power and righteousness, O God, to highest heaven;
for thou hast done great things.
Who is like thee, O God?
Thou hast made me pass through bitter and deep distress,
yet dost revive me once again
and lift me again from earth's watery depths.
Restore me to honour, turn and comfort me,
then I will praise thee on the lute
for thy faithfulness, O God;
I will sing psalms to thee with the harp,
thou Holy One of Israel;
songs of joy shall be on my lips;
I will sing thee psalms, because thou hast redeemed me.
All day long my tongue shall tell of thy righteousness;
shame and disgrace await those who seek my hurt.
72
O God, endow the king with thy own justice,
and give thy righteousness to a king's son,
that he may judge thy people rightly
and deal out justice to the poor and suffering.
May hills and mountains afford thy people
peace and prosperity in righteousness.
He shall give judgement for the suffering
and help those of the people that are needy;
he shall crush the oppressor.
He shall live as long as the sun endures,
long as the moon, age after age.
He shall be like rain falling on early crops,
like showers watering the earth.
In his days righteousness shall flourish,
prosperity abound until the moon is no more.
May he hold sway from sea to sea,
from the River to the ends of the earth.
Ethiopians shall crouch low before him;
his enemies shall lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and the islands shall bring gifts,
the kings of Sheba and Seba shall resent their tribute,
and all kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
For he shall rescue the needy from their rich oppressors,
the distressed who have no protector.
May he have pity on the needy and the poor,
deliver the poor from death;
may he redeem them from oppression and violence
and may their blood be precious in his eyes.
May the king live long
and receive gifts of gold from Sheba;
payer be made for him continually,
blessings be his all the day long.
May there be abundance of corn in the land,
growing in plenty to the tops of the hills;
may the the crops flourish like Lebanon,
and the sheaves be numbered as blades of grass.
Long may the king's name endure,
may it live forever like the sun;
so shall all peoples pray to be blessed as he was,
all nations tell of his happiness.
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvellous things;
blessed be his glorious name for ever,
and may his glory fill all the earth.
Amen, Amen.
Here end the prayers of David son of Jesse.
The New English Bible (with Apocrypha)
Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, 1970
Posted Jun 29, 2019, 7:23 PM UTC
10