Psalms 61-70

Psalm 61

For the Chief Musician. For a stringed instrument. By David.

Hear my cry, God.: Listen to my prayer.
From the end of the earth, I will call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed.: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been a refuge for me,: a strong tower from the enemy.
I will dwell in your tent forever.: I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Selah.
For you, God, have heard my vows.: You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
You will prolong the king’s life;: his years shall be for generations.
He shall be enthroned in God’s presence forever.: Appoint your loving kindness and truth, that they may preserve him.
So I will sing praise to your name forever,: that I may fulfill my vows daily.

Psalm 62

For the Chief Musician. To Jeduthan. A Psalm by David.

My soul rests in God alone.: My salvation is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress—: I will never be greatly shaken.
How long will you assault a man,: would all of you throw him down,; Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?
They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place.: They delight in lies.; They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly.
Selah.
My soul, wait in silence for God alone,: for my expectation is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress.: I will not be shaken.
With God is my salvation and my honor.: The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Trust in him at all times, you people.: Pour out your heart before him.; God is a refuge for us.
Selah.
Surely men of low degree are just a breath,: and men of high degree are a lie.
In the balances they will go up.: They are together lighter than a breath.
Don’t trust in oppression.: Don’t become vain in robbery.
If riches increase,: don’t set your heart on them.
God has spoken once;: twice I have heard this,; that power belongs to God.
Also to you, Lord, belongs loving kindness,: for you reward every man according to his work.

Psalm 63

A Psalm by David, when he was in the desert of Judah.

God, you are my God.: I will earnestly seek you.
My soul thirsts for you.: My flesh longs for you,; in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.
So I have seen you in the sanctuary,: watching your power and your glory.
Because your loving kindness is better than life,: my lips shall praise you.
So I will bless you while I live.: I will lift up my hands in your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food.: My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,; when I remember you on my bed,; and think about you in the night watches.
For you have been my help.: I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
My soul stays close to you.: Your right hand holds me up.
But those who seek my soul, to destroy it,: shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
They shall be given over to the power of the sword.: They shall be jackal food.
But the king shall rejoice in God.: Everyone who swears by him will praise him,; for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced.

Psalm 64

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.

Hear my voice, God, in my complaint.: Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,: from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;
who sharpen their tongue like a sword,: and aim their arrows, deadly words,; to shoot innocent men from ambushes.; They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly.
They encourage themselves in evil plans.: They talk about laying snares secretly.; They say, “Who will see them?”
They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!”: Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.
But God will shoot at them.: They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.
Their own tongues shall ruin them.: All who see them will shake their heads.
All mankind shall be afraid.: They shall declare the work of God,; and shall wisely ponder what he has done.
The righteous shall be glad in Yahweh,: and shall take refuge in him.; All the upright in heart shall praise him!

Psalm 65

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song.

Praise waits for you, God, in Zion.: To you shall vows be performed.
You who hear prayer,: to you all men will come.
Sins overwhelmed me,: but you atoned for our transgressions.
Blessed is one whom you choose, and cause to come near,: that he may live in your courts.; We will be filled with the goodness of your house,; your holy temple.
By awesome deeds of righteousness, you answer us,: God of our salvation.
You who are the hope of all the ends of the earth,: of those who are far away on the sea;
Who by his power forms the mountains,: having armed yourself with strength;
who stills the roaring of the seas,: the roaring of their waves,; and the turmoil of the nations.
They also who dwell in faraway places are afraid at your wonders.: You call the morning’s dawn and the evening with songs of joy.
You visit the earth, and water it.: You greatly enrich it.
The river of God is full of water.: You provide them grain, for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows.: You level its ridges.; You soften it with showers.; You bless it with a crop.
You crown the year with your bounty.: Your carts overflow with abundance.
The wilderness grasslands overflow.: The hills are clothed with gladness.
The pastures are covered with flocks.: The valleys also are clothed with grain.
They shout for joy!: They also sing.

Psalm 66

For the Chief Musician. A song. A Psalm.

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!: Sing to the glory of his name!; Offer glory and praise!
Tell God, “How awesome are your deeds!: Through the greatness of your power, your enemies submit themselves to you.
All the earth will worship you,: and will sing to you;; they will sing to your name.”
Selah.
Come, and see God’s deeds—: awesome work on behalf of the children of men.
He turned the sea into dry land.: They went through the river on foot.; There, we rejoiced in him.
He rules by his might forever.: His eyes watch the nations.; Don’t let the rebellious rise up against him.
Selah.
Praise our God, you peoples!: Make the sound of his praise heard,
who preserves our life among the living,: and doesn’t allow our feet to be moved.
For you, God, have tested us.: You have refined us, as silver is refined.
You brought us into prison.: You laid a burden on our backs.
You allowed men to ride over our heads.: We went through fire and through water,; but you brought us to the place of abundance.
I will come into your temple with burnt offerings.: I will pay my vows to you, which my lips promised,; and my mouth spoke, when I was in distress.
I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat animals,: with the offering of rams,; I will offer bulls with goats.
Selah.
Come, and hear, all you who fear God.: I will declare what he has done for my soul.
I cried to him with my mouth.: He was extolled with my tongue.
If I cherished sin in my heart,: the Lord wouldn’t have listened.
But most certainly, God has listened.: He has heard the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,: nor his loving kindness from me.

Psalm 67

For the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song.

May God be merciful to us, bless us,: and cause his face to shine on us.
Selah.
That your way may be known on earth,: and your salvation among all nations,
let the peoples praise you, God.: Let all the peoples praise you.
Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy,: for you will judge the peoples with equity,; and govern the nations on earth.
Selah.
Let the peoples praise you, God.: Let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has yielded its increase.: God, even our own God, will bless us.
God will bless us.: All the ends of the earth shall fear him.

Psalm 68

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song.

Let God arise!: Let his enemies be scattered!; Let them who hate him also flee before him.
As smoke is driven away,: so drive them away.
As wax melts before the fire,: so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad.: Let them rejoice before God.; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!: Extol him who rides on the clouds:
to Yah, his name!: Rejoice before him!
A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows,: is God in his holy habitation.
God sets the lonely in families.
He brings out the prisoners with singing,: but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.
God, when you went forth before your people,: when you marched through the wilderness...
Selah.
The earth trembled.: The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai—; at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
You, God, sent a plentiful rain.: You confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary.
Your congregation lived therein.: You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.
The Lord announced the word.: The ones who proclaim it are a great company.
“Kings of armies flee! They flee!”: She who waits at home divides the spoil,; while you sleep among the campfires,; the wings of a dove sheathed with silver,; her feathers with shining gold.
When the Almighty scattered kings in her,: it snowed on Zalmon.
The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains.: The mountains of Bashan are rugged.
Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains,: at the mountain where God chooses to reign?; Yes, Yahweh will dwell there forever.
The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands.: The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.
You have ascended on high.: You have led away captives.
You have received gifts among men,: yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens,: even the God who is our salvation.
Selah.
God is to us a God of deliverance.: To Yahweh, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
But God will strike through the head of his enemies,: the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.
The Lord said, “I will bring you again from Bashan,: I will bring you again from the depths of the sea;
That you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood,: that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
They have seen your processions, God,: even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
The singers went before, the minstrels followed after,: in the midst of the ladies playing with tambourines,
“Bless God in the congregations,: even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!”
There is little Benjamin, their ruler,: the princes of Judah, their council,; the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

Your God has commanded your strength.: Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.
Because of your temple at Jerusalem,: kings shall bring presents to you.
Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds,: the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples.
Being humbled, may it bring bars of silver.: Scatter the nations that delight in war.
Princes shall come out of Egypt.: Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.
Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth!: Sing praises to the Lord!
Selah.
To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old;: behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
Ascribe strength to God!: His excellency is over Israel,; his strength is in the skies.
You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries.: The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people.; Praise be to God!

Psalm 69

For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Lilies.” By David.

Save me, God,: for the waters have come up to my neck!
I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold.: I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
I am weary with my crying.: My throat is dry.; My eyes fail, looking for my God.
Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head.: Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty.; I have to restore what I didn’t take away.
God, you know my foolishness.: My sins aren’t hidden from you.
Don’t let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Armies.: Don’t let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.
Because for your sake, I have borne reproach.: Shame has covered my face.
I have become a stranger to my brothers,: an alien to my mother’s children.
For the zeal of your house consumes me.: The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
When I wept and I fasted,: that was to my reproach.
When I made sackcloth my clothing,: I became a byword to them.
Those who sit in the gate talk about me.: I am the song of the drunkards.
But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time.: God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.
Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink.: Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
Don’t let the flood waters overwhelm me,: neither let the deep swallow me up.; Don’t let the pit shut its mouth on me.
Answer me, Yahweh, for your loving kindness is good.: According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.
Don’t hide your face from your servant,: for I am in distress.; Answer me speedily!
Draw near to my soul, and redeem it.: Ransom me because of my enemies.
You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor.: My adversaries are all before you.
Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness.: I looked for some to take pity, but there was none;; for comforters, but I found none.
They also gave me gall for my food.: In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.
Let their table before them become a snare.: May it become a retribution and a trap.
Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see.: Let their backs be continually bent.
Pour out your indignation on them.: Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.
Let their habitation be desolate.: Let no one dwell in their tents.
For they persecute him whom you have wounded.: They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt.
Charge them with crime upon crime.: Don’t let them come into your righteousness.
Let them be blotted out of the book of life,: and not be written with the righteous.
But I am in pain and distress.: Let your salvation, God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God with a song,: and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
It will please Yahweh better than an ox,: or a bull that has horns and hoofs.
The humble have seen it, and are glad.: You who seek after God, let your heart live.
For Yahweh hears the needy,: and doesn’t despise his captive people.
Let heaven and earth praise him;: the seas, and everything that moves therein!
For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah.: They shall settle there, and own it.
The children also of his servants shall inherit it.: Those who love his name shall dwell therein.