Study Desk

A song. A psalm of David.

My heart, O God, is steadfast;^(c) I will sing^(d) and make music with all my soul.

Awake, harp and lyre!^(e) I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, Lord , among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

For great is your love,^(f) higher than the heavens; your faithfulness^(g) reaches to the skies.^(h)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;⁽ⁱ⁾ let your glory be over all the earth.^(j)

Save us and help us with your right hand,^(k) that those you love may be delivered.

God has spoken^(l) from his sanctuary:^(m) "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem⁽ⁿ⁾ and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.^(o)

Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah^(p) is my scepter.

Moab^(q) is my washbasin, on Edom^(r) I toss my sandal; over Philistia^(s) I shout in triumph."

Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?^(t)

Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless.^(u)

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down^(v) our enemies.

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

My God, whom I praise,^(a) do not remain silent,^(b)

for people who are wicked and deceitful^(c) have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.^(d)

With words of hatred^(e) they surround me; they attack me without cause.^(f)

In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.^(g)

They repay me evil for good,^(h) and hatred for my friendship.

Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser⁽ⁱ⁾ stand at his right hand.

When he is tried, let him be found guilty,^(j) and may his prayers condemn^(k) him.

May his days be few;^(l) may another take his place^(m) of leadership.

May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.⁽ⁿ⁾

May his children be wandering beggars;^(o) may they be driven^[a] from their ruined homes.

May a creditor^(p) seize all he has; may strangers plunder^(q) the fruits of his labor.^(r)

May no one extend kindness to him or take pity^(s) on his fatherless children.

May his descendants be cut off,^(t) their names blotted out^(u) from the next generation.

May the iniquity of his fathers^(v) be remembered before the Lord ; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

May their sins always remain before^(w) the Lord , that he may blot out their name^(x) from the earth.

For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy^(y) and the brokenhearted.^(z)

He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him.^(aa) He found no pleasure in blessing— may it be far from him.

He wore cursing^(ab) as his garment; it entered into his body like water,^(ac) into his bones like oil.

May it be like a cloak wrapped^(ad) about him, like a belt tied forever around him.

May this be the Lord 's payment^(ae) to my accusers, to those who speak evil^(af) of me.

But you, Sovereign Lord , help me for your name's sake;^(ag) out of the goodness of your love,^(ah) deliver me.^(ai)

For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

I fade away like an evening shadow;^(aj) I am shaken off like a locust.

My knees give^(ak) way from fasting;^(al) my body is thin and gaunt.^(am)

I am an object of scorn^(an) to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.^(ao)

Help me,^(ap) Lord my God; save me according to your unfailing love.

Let them know^(aq) that it is your hand, that you, Lord , have done it.

While they curse,^(ar) may you bless; may those who attack me be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.^(as)

May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame^(at) as in a cloak.

With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord ; in the great throng^(au) of worshipers I will praise him.

For he stands at the right hand^(av) of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

Of David. A psalm.

The Lord says^(a) to my lord:^[a] "Sit at my right hand^(b) until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."^(c)

The Lord will extend your mighty scepter^(d) from Zion,^(e) saying, "Rule^(f) in the midst of your enemies!"

Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor,^(g) your young men will come to you like dew from the morning's womb.^[b](h)

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind:⁽ⁱ⁾ "You are a priest forever,^(j) in the order of Melchizedek.^(k)"

The Lord is at your right hand^[c];^(l) he will crush kings^(m) on the day of his wrath.⁽ⁿ⁾

He will judge the nations,^(o) heaping up the dead^(p) and crushing the rulers^(q) of the whole earth.

He will drink from a brook along the way,^[d] and so he will lift his head high.^(r)