Study Desk

For the choir director; set to ^[a]Al-tashheth. A ^[b]Mikhtam of David.

Do you indeed ^[c]speak righteousness, O ^[d]gods? Do you ^(a)judge ^[e]uprightly, O sons of men?

No, in heart you ^(b)work unrighteousness; On earth you ^(c)weigh out the violence of your hands.

The wicked are estranged ^(d)from the womb; These who speak lies ^(e)go astray from ^[f]birth.

They have venom like the ^(f)venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,

So that it ^(g)does not hear the voice of ^[g](h)charmers, Or a skillful caster of spells.

O God, ⁽ⁱ⁾shatter their teeth in their mouth; Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord .

Let them ^(j)flow away like water that runs off; When he ^[h](k)aims his arrows, let them be as ^[i]headless shafts.

Let them be as a snail which ^[j]melts away as it goes along, Like the ^(l)miscarriages of a woman which never see the sun.

Before your ^(m)pots can feel the fire of thorns He will ⁽ⁿ⁾sweep them away with a whirlwind, the ^[k]green and the burning alike.

The ^(o)righteous will rejoice when he ^(p)sees the vengeance; He will ^(q)wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

And men will say, "Surely there is a ^[l](r)reward for the righteous; Surely there is a God who ^(s)judges ^[m]on earth!"

For the choir director; set to ^[a]Al-tashheth. A ^[b]Mikhtam of David, ^[c]when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.

^(a)Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; ^[d](b)Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.

Deliver me from ^(c)those who do iniquity And save me from ^(d)men of bloodshed.

For behold, they ^(e)have ^[e]set an ambush for my ^[f]life; ^[g]Fierce men ^[h](f)launch an attack against me, ^(g)Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord ,

^[i](h)For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me. ⁽ⁱ⁾Arouse Yourself to ^[j]help me, and see!

You, ^(j)O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to ^[k](k)punish all the nations; ^(l)Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. ^[l]Selah.

They ^(m)return at evening, they howl like a ⁽ⁿ⁾dog, And go around the city.

Behold, they ^(o)belch forth with their mouth; ^(p)Swords are in their lips, For, they say, "^(q)Who hears?"

But You, O Lord , ^(r)laugh at them; You ^(s)scoff at all the nations.

Because of ^[m]his ^(t)strength I will watch for You, For God is my ^(u)stronghold.

^[n]My God ^(v)in His lovingkindness will meet me; God will let me ^(w)look triumphantly upon ^[o]my foes.

Do not slay them, ^(x)or my people will forget; ^[p](y)Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord, ^(z)our shield.

^[q]On account of the ^(aa)sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be ^(ab)caught in their pride, And on account of ^(ac)curses and ^[r]lies which they utter.

^[s](ad)Destroy them in wrath, ^[t]destroy them that they may be no more; That men may ^(ae)know that God ^[u]rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah.

They ^(af)return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go around the city.

They ^(ag)wander about ^[v]for food And ^[w]growl if they are not satisfied.

But as for me, I shall ^(ah)sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall ^(ai)joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the ^(aj)morning, For You have been my ^(ak)stronghold And a ^(al)refuge in the day of my distress.

^(am)O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my ^(an)stronghold, the ^[x]God who shows me lovingkindness.

For the choir director; according to ^[a]Shushan Eduth. A ^[b]Mikhtam of David, to teach; ^[c]when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

O God, ^(a)You have rejected us. You have ^[d](b)broken us; You have been ^(c)angry; O, ^(d)restore us.

You have made the ^[e](e)land quake, You have split it open; ^(f)Heal its breaches, for it totters.

You have ^[f](g)made Your people experience hardship; You have given us ^[g]wine to ^(h)drink that makes us stagger.

You have given a ⁽ⁱ⁾banner to those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. ^[h]Selah.

^(j)That Your ^(k)beloved may be delivered, ^(l)Save with Your right hand, and answer ^[i]us!

God has spoken in His ^[j](m)holiness: "I will exult, I will portion out ⁽ⁿ⁾Shechem and measure out the valley of ^(o)Succoth.

"^(p)Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; ^(q)Ephraim also is the ^[k]helmet of My head; Judah is My ^[l](r)scepter.

"^(s)Moab is My washbowl; Over ^(t)Edom I shall throw My shoe; Shout loud, O ^(u)Philistia, because of Me!"

Who will bring me into the besieged city? Who ^[m]will lead me to Edom?

Have not You Yourself, O God, ^(v)rejected us? And ^(w)will You not go forth with our armies, O God?

O give us help against the adversary, For ^(x)deliverance ^[n]by man is in vain.

^[o]Through God we shall ^(y)do valiantly, And it is He who will ^(z)tread down our adversaries.

For the choir director; on a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.

^(a)Hear my cry, O God; ^(b)Give heed to my prayer.

From the ^(c)end of the earth I call to You when my heart is ^(d)faint; Lead me to ^(e)the rock that is higher than I.

For You have been a ^(f)refuge for me, A ^(g)tower of strength ^[a]against the enemy.

Let me ^[b](h)dwell in Your tent forever; Let me ⁽ⁱ⁾take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. ^[c]Selah.

For You have heard my ^(j)vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance of those who ^(k)fear Your name.

You will ^[d](l)prolong the king's ^[e]life; His years will be as many generations.

He will ^[f]abide ^(m)before God forever; Appoint ⁽ⁿ⁾lovingkindness and truth that they may preserve him.

So I will ^(o)sing praise to Your name forever, That I may ^(p)pay my vows day by day.

For the choir director; ^[a]according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

^(a)My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him ^(b)is my salvation.

He only is my ^(c)rock and my salvation, My ^(d)stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

How long will you assail a man, That you may murder him, all of you, Like a ^(e)leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; They ^(f)delight in falsehood; They ^(g)bless with ^[b]their mouth, But inwardly they curse. ^[c]Selah.

My soul, ^(h)wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.

He only is ⁽ⁱ⁾my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

On God my ^(j)salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my ^(k)refuge is in God.

^(l)Trust in Him at all times, O people; ^(m)Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Men of ⁽ⁿ⁾low degree are only ^(o)vanity and men of rank are a ^(p)lie; In the ^(q)balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath.

^(r)Do not trust in oppression And do not ^[d]vainly hope in ^(s)robbery; If riches increase, ^(t)do not set your heart upon them.

^[e]Once God has ^(u)spoken; ^[f]Twice I have heard this: That ^(v)power belongs to God;

And lovingkindness ^(w)is Yours, O Lord, For You ^(x)recompense a man according to his work.

A Psalm of David, ^[a]when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, ^(a)You are my God; I shall seek You ^[b]earnestly; My soul ^(b)thirsts for You, my flesh ^[c]yearns for You, In a ^(c)dry and weary land where there is no water.

Thus I have ^(d)seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your ^(e)lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.

So I will bless You ^(f)as long as I live; I will ^(g)lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul is ^(h)satisfied as with ^[d]marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers ⁽ⁱ⁾praises with joyful lips.

When I remember You ^(j)on my bed, I meditate on You in the ^(k)night watches,

For ^(l)You have been my help, And in the ^(m)shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.

My soul ⁽ⁿ⁾clings ^[e]to You; Your ^(o)right hand upholds me.

But those who ^(p)seek my ^[f]life to destroy it, Will go into the ^[g](q)depths of the earth.

^[h]They will be ^[i](r)delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a ^[j](s)prey for foxes.

But the ^(t)king will rejoice in God; Everyone who ^(u)swears by Him will glory, For the ^(v)mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

Hear my voice, O God, in ^(a)my ^[a]complaint; ^(b)Preserve my life from dread of the enemy.

Hide me from the ^(c)secret counsel of evildoers, From the tumult of ^(d)those who do iniquity,

Who ^(e)have sharpened their tongue like a sword. They ^(f)aimed bitter speech as their arrow,

To ^(g)shoot ^[b]from concealment at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him, and ^(h)do not fear.

They ^[c]hold fast to themselves an evil purpose; They ^[d]talk of ⁽ⁱ⁾laying snares secretly; They say, "^(j)Who can see them?"

They ^[e]devise injustices, saying, "We are ^[f]ready with a well-conceived plot"; For the ^[g](k)inward thought and the heart of a man are ^[h]deep.

But ^(l)God ^[i]will shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly ^[j]they will be wounded.

So ^[k]they ^[l]will ^(m)make him stumble; ⁽ⁿ⁾Their own tongue is against them; All who see them will ^(o)shake the head.

Then all men ^[m]will ^(p)fear, And they ^[n]will ^(q)declare the work of God, And ^[o]will consider ^[p]what He has done.

The righteous man will be ^(r)glad in the Lord and will ^(s)take refuge in Him; And all the upright in heart will glory.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song.

There will be silence ^[a]before You, and praise in Zion, O God, And to You the ^(a)vow will be performed.

O You who hear prayer, To You ^(b)all ^[b]men come.

^[c](c)Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You ^[d](d)forgive them.

How ^(e)blessed is the one whom You ^(f)choose and bring near to You To dwell in Your courts. We will be ^(g)satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.

By ^(h)awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O ⁽ⁱ⁾God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ^(j)ends of the earth and of the farthest ^[e](k)sea;

Who ^(l)establishes the mountains by His strength, Being ^(m)girded with might;

Who ⁽ⁿ⁾stills the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the ^(o)tumult of the peoples.

They who dwell in the ^(p)ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the ^[f]dawn and the sunset shout for joy.

You visit the earth and ^(q)cause it to overflow; You greatly ^(r)enrich it; The ^[g](s)stream of God is full of water; You prepare their ^(t)grain, for thus You prepare ^[h]the earth.

You water its furrows abundantly, You ^[i]settle its ridges, You soften it ^(u)with showers, You bless its growth.

You have crowned the year ^[j]with Your ^[k](v)bounty, And Your ^[l]paths ^(w)drip with fatness.

^(x)The pastures of the wilderness drip, And the ^(y)hills gird themselves with rejoicing.

The meadows are ^(z)clothed with flocks And the valleys are ^(aa)covered with grain; They ^(ab)shout for joy, yes, they sing.