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PSALM 73
The Prosperity of the Wicked,
and their End
A Psalm of
Asaph
Asaph
was an outstanding musician in the time of King David who was appointed
minister of music before the Ark which has been captured by the Philistines.
The Ark
was brought back by David and was now in special “tent” in Jerusalem,
even
though the Tabernacle was still in Gideon.
(1
Chronicles 15:19, 16:1-7).
Asaph’s
descendants were also official musicians.
Psalms
50 and 73 to 83 are all attributed to “Asaph.” But as some of
these
psalms were written after the time of David, it suggests that
at
least one of the psalmists was from the among the descendants of Asaph.
In this
psalm Asaph gives an answer to the perplexing question of why the
wicked
prosper; and contrasts the destinies of the wicked and the righteous.
1 Elohim
is truly good
to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But
as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For
I was envious of the boastful,
when I saw the peace and prosperity of the wicked.
4 For
there are no pangs in their death,
and their strength is firm.
5 They
are not in trouble as other men,
nor are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore
pride surrounds them as a necklace;
violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their
eyes bulge from fatness and abundance;
the imaginations of their heart run riot.
8 They
scoff and speak wickedly of oppression;
they speak from high up - so loftily.
9 They
have set their mouth against the heavens,
and their tongue walks through the earth.
10
Therefore his people return here,
(alternate
trans.:) Therefore
their people turn to them,
and the drink waters in abundance.
11
And they say, ‘How could
God know?
Does
the Most High have
knowledge?’
12
See, these are the wickedly who are
always at ease.
They have increased in wealth.
13
Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For
all day long I am plagued,
and chastened every morning.
15 If
I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’
then I would have betrayed the generation of
Your children.
16 When
I tried to understand this,
it was oppressive to my eyes -
17 until
I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I understood
their final destiny.
18 Surely
You set
them in slippery places;
You make them fall to destruction.
19 Oh,
how they are ruined as in a moment!
They are completely swept away by terrors.
20 Sovereign
Master, when You
awake You
despise their form,
as one does a dream after awakening.
21
When my heart was embittered,
and I was pierced within
(lit.
in my
kidneys).
22
I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before
You.
23
Yet I am always with
You;
You hold me by my
right hand.
24
You guide me with
Your counsel,
and afterward
You receive me
into glory with honour.
25
Whom have I in heaven but
You?
And there is nothing on earth that I
desire besides You.
26
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but
God is the Rock -
the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 For
indeed, those who are far from You
perish;
You will cut off all who are unfaithful to
You.
28 But
as for me, it is good to draw near to
God;
I have made Adonai
YHWH my Refuge,
that I may
declare all Your works.
r
PSALM 74
Elohim,
Remember Your
Covenant
Against
the background of the Babylonian captivity and the destruction of
the
Temple in 586 BC, this psalm relates the nation’s cry for help,
the
conditions of the havoc, and the confidence of their hope.
A Maskil
(a contemplative poem)
of Asaph
1 O
Elohim, why have
You rejected us
forever?
Why does
Your anger
smoulder against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember
Your assembly -
Your people whom
You have purchased of old,
the tribe of Your
inheritance, which
You have redeemed -
and this
Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
3 Turn
Your footsteps to
the endless ruins.
The enemy has wickedly desecrated everything in
the sanctuary.
4 Your
enemies have roared in the midst of Your
meeting places;
they have set up their own banners as signs.
5 They
seem like men who lift up axes upon a thicket of trees.
6 And
now they smash all its carved work with axes and hammers.
7 They
have burned Your sanctuary
to the ground;
they have defiled
the dwelling place of
Your Name.
8 They
said in their hearts,
‘Let us crush them altogether.’
They have burned up all
the meeting places of God
in the land.
9 We
do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet;
nor is there any among us who knows how long.
10 O
God, how long will the adversary revile?
Will the enemy despise
Your Name
forever?
11 Why
do You withdraw Your Hand,
even Your Right Hand?
Bring it out
of Your bosom and destroy them.
12 For
God is my King from of old,
bringing deliverance in the midst of the earth.
13 You
divided the sea by Your strength;
You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.
14 You
broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces,
and gave him as food to the people living in the wilderness.
15 You
broke open the fountain and the flood;
You dried up ever-flowing rivers.
16 The
day is Yours, the night also is Yours;
You have established
the light and the sun.
17 You
have set all the borders of the earth;
You have made summer
and winter.
18 Remember
this: the enemy has reviled YHWH,
and a foolish people has despised
Your Name.
19 Do
not give the life of Your turtledove
to the wild beast!
Do not forget the assembly of
Your poor, afflicted people
forever.
20 Look
and consider the covenant;
for the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts
of violence.
21 Do
not let the oppressed return ashamed!
Let the poor and needy praise
Your Name.
22 Arise,
O God, plead
Your own cause!
Remember how the foolish man reviles
You daily.
23 Do
not forget the voice of Your
enemies;
the uproar of those who rise up against
You increases
continually. r
PSALM 75
But
Elohim
is
the Judge
Asaph
warns of the inevitable judgment that will cut off “the horns”
of the
wicked; and praises God because He is the Judge.
To the
Chief Musician. Set to ‘Do Not Destroy.’
A Psalm of
Asaph. A Song
1 We
give thanks to You, O God,
we give thanks!
for
Your Name
is near.
Your wondrous works
declare it.
2 ‘When
I set the appointed time,
it is I, yes I, who will judge uprightly.
3
When the earth
and all its inhabitants melt;
it is I,
yes I,
who will set its pillars firmly. Selah.
4
I said to the boastful, “Do not boast,”
and to the wicked, “Do not lift up the horn;
(do not proudly vaunt your strength);
5
do not lift up your horn on high;
- you speak with a stiff neck”.’
6
For exaltation comes neither from the east
nor from the west, nor from the wilderness - the south.
7
But God is the
Judge.
He puts down one, and exalts another.
8
For there is a cup in
the hand of
YHWH, and
the wine in it foams;
it is filled with a mixture, and
He pours it out.
Surely all the wicked of the earth drink, draining it to the very dregs.
9
But I, I declare it forever,
I sing praises to
the God of Jacob.
10 And
all the horns of the wicked I cut off,
but the horns of
the righteous are exalted!
r
PSALM 76
The Glorious Power of Elohim
This is
a song of thanksgiving for God’s victory over Israel’s enemies.
To the
Chief Musician. On stringed instruments.
A Psalm of
Asaph. A Song.
1 God
is known in Judah;
His Name is
great in Israel.
2 His
tabernacle is in Salem,
and His dwelling
place in Zion.
3 There
He broke the
flashing arrows of the bow,
the shield, sword, and battle-axe.
Selah.
4 You
are glorious and more
majestic
than the mountains
of prey.
5 The
valiant, stout-hearted have been stripped;
they have sunk into their sleep;
and none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.
6 At
Your
rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both the rider and horse have plunged into a coma.
7 You,
yes You, are to be feared;
and who may stand in
Your Presence
when once You
are angry?
8 You
caused judgment to be heard from heaven.
The earth feared, and was still,
9 when
Elohim rose up to
give judgment,
and
to deliver all the
meek and oppressed of the earth. Selah.
10 Surely
the wrath of man praises You;
and
the remainder of wrath You restrain.
(alternate trans.)
with
the remainder of wrath You gird Yourself.
11 Make
vows to YHWH your God,
and fulfil them.
Let all who are around Him
bring gifts to
the One who is
to be feared.
12 He
cuts off the spirit of rulers;
He is awesome
to the kings of the earth! r
PSALM 77
When Overwhelmed, Remember
the
Works of Yah!
The
troubled writer is discouraged, for seemingly, God has changed,
and has
forgotten to be gracious. But then Asaph is comforted
as he
recounts the wonders of old that God has done.
To the
Chief Musician. To Jeduthun.
A Psalm of
Asaph.
1 My
voice is lifted to God -
and I cry; my voice calls to
Elohim,
and He has listened to me.
2 In
the day of my distress I sought YHWH Adonai;
my hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3 I
remembered God,
and groaned;
When I talked it over in prayer,
and my spirit grew faint - overwhelmed.
Selah.
4 You
hold my eyelids open - You keep me from death;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I
have thought about the days of old,
the years of long ago.
6 I
remember my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
and my spirit searches diligently.
7 Will
Adonai reject
forever?
And will He never be pleased again?
8 Has
His kindness ceased
forever?
Has His
promise failed for all generations?
9 Has
God forgotten to be
gracious?
Has He in anger shut up
His mercies? Selah.
10 And
I said, ‘This is my anguish;
that
the Right Hand of the Most High
has changed.’
(alternate reading:
‘But I will remember
the years of
the right hand of the Most High.’)
11 I
will remember the works of
Yah*,
(*short form of Yahweh)
for I remember Your
wonders of old.
12 I
will also meditate on all Your work,
and talk of Your
deeds.
13 Your
way, O God,
is holy
and set-apart;
what god is great like
our God?
14 You
are the God who does wonders;
You have declared
Your strength among the peoples.
15 By
Your power
You have redeemed
Your people,
the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16 The
waters saw You,
O Elohim;
the waters saw You,
they were afraid;
the depths also trembled.
17 The
clouds poured out water;
the skies rumbled;
Your arrows also flashed back and forth.
18 The
sound of Your thunder
was in the whirlwind;
the lightnings lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your
way was
in the sea,
Your path in the
great waters,
and Your footsteps
were not known.
20 You
led Your people
like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
r
PSALM 78
God
Continues to Guide
His People
Asaph
recites the early history of the nation in order to warn future generations
against a repetition of unfaithfulness. He recalls Israel’s provocation
in the
wilderness, their ingratitude during the exodus, and
their
unfaithfulness during the period of the judges.
And yet
through it all, God disciplined, shepherded,
restored and guided them with His skilful hands.
A Maskil
of Asaph.
1 Listen,
O my people, to my instruction;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I
will open my mouth in a parable;
I will speak hidden things of old,
3 which
we have heard and known,
for our fathers have related them to us.
4 We
do not conceal them from their children,
but tell to the generation to come,
the praises of
YHWH,
and His strength
and His wonderful
works that He
has done.
5 For
He established a
testimony in
Jacob,
and appointed a
law
in Israel,
which
He commanded
our fathers,
that they should teach them to their children;
6 that
the generation to come might know them,
even
the children yet to be born,
that they, in turn, may rise up and relate them to
their children,
7 and
put their confidence in God,
and not forget the
works of Elohim,
but keep His
commands,
8 and
not be like their fathers -
a stubborn and rebellious generation -
a generation that did not set its heart right,
and whose spirit was not faithful to
God.
9 The
sons of Ephraim though archers equipped with bows,
turned back in the day of battle.
10 They
did not keep the covenant of God,
and refused to walk in
His Law.
11 They
forgot His deeds,
and His wonders
that He had shown them.
12 Marvellous
things He did in the sight of their fathers,
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 He
divided the sea, and caused them to pass
through;
and
He made
the waters stand up like a heap.
14 Then
He led them with
the cloud by
day,
and all through the night with
a light of fire.
15 He
split the rocks in the wilderness,
and gave them
water to drink
as from the great ocean depths.
16 He
also brought streams from out of the
rock,
and
caused
waters to run down like rivers.
17 Yet
they still continued to sin against Him,
rebelling against
the Most High in the
desert.
18 And
in their heart they put God
to the test
by asking for the food they craved.
19 Then
they spoke against God.
They said,
‘Can
God prepare
a table in the wilderness?
20 See,
He struck the rock,
so that waters gushed out,
and streams overflowed.
Can
He give bread also?
Will
He provide meat for
His people?’
21 Therefore
YHWH heard
this and
was furious,
and a fire was kindled against Jacob,
and anger also rose up against Israel,
22 because
they did not believe in God,
and did not trust in
His salvation.*
(*Hebrew:
Yeshuah)
23 Yet
He commanded the
clouds above,
and opened
the doors of the heavens;
24 and
He rained down
manna upon them to eat,
and
gave
them the grain of heaven.
25 Men
ate the bread of angels;
He sent them food
in abundance.
26 He
caused the east wind to blow in the heavens;
and by His power
He directed the
south wind.
27 He
rained meat on them like the dust,
and winged fowls like the sand of the seas;
28 He
let them fall in the midst of
His camp,
round about His
tents.
29 So
they ate and were very satisfied;
for
He gave
them what they desired.
30 Before
they had satisfied their desire,
and while their food was still in their mouths,
31 the
anger of God
came against them,
and killed some of the sturdiest among them,
and stuck down the choice young men of Israel.
32 In
spite of all this they still sinned,
and did not believe in
His wonderful works.
33 So
He brought their
days to an end in futility,
and their years in terror.
34 Whenever
He slew them, then they sought Him,
and returned and searched earnestly for
God;
35 and
they remembered that Elohim
was their Rock,
and El Elyon, the
Most High God, their Redeemer.
36 But
they flattered and deceived Him
with their mouth,
and lied to
Him
with their tongue.
37 For
their heart was not steadfast toward Him,
nor were they faithful in
His covenant.
38 But
He, being compassionate,
forgave their
iniquity,
and did not destroy them.
Often He restrained
His anger,
and did not stir up all
His wrath.
39 For
He remembered that
they were but flesh,
a passing wind that does not return.
40 How often they rebelled against
Him in the
wilderness,
and grieved
Him in the desert!
41 Yes,
again and again they put God to the test,
and limited and vexed
the Holy One of Israel.
42 They
did not remember His hand of power,
on the day
He redeemed them from the enemy,
43 when
He displayed His
signs in Egypt,
and
His wonders
in the field of Zoan,
44 how
He turned their
rivers to blood,
and their streams, so that they could not drink.
45 He
sent swarms of flies among them, which
devoured them,
and frogs which destroyed them.
46 He
gave also their crops to the caterpillar,
and the product of their labour to the locust.
47 He
destroyed their vines with hail,
and their sycamore trees with frost.
48 He
gave their cattle over to hailstones,
and their livestock to fiery bolts of lightning.
49 He
sent upon them
His burning anger,
wrath, indignation and distress -
a deputation of messengers of evil.
50 He
made a path for
His anger;
He did not spare
their soul from death,
but gave over their life to the plague,
51 and
He smote
all the firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 But
He made His own people
go forth like sheep,
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
53 and
He led them safely, so that they did not fear;
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 So
He brought them to the border of His holy
place,
to this mountain
which His right hand had gained,
55 and
drove out the nations before them,
and caused them to occupy their allotted inheritance,
and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
56 Yet
they tempted and rebelled against the Most
High God,
and did not keep
His testimonies,
57 but
they turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers.
They became unreliable like a deceitful bow.
58 They
enraged Him
with their high places,
and moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
59 God
heard this,
and He was furious,
and greatly detested and opposed Israel.
60 So
He abandoned the
Dwelling Place of Shiloh,
the Tent which
He had set up
among men;
61 and
gave up the Ark of
His Strength to captivity,
and His glory
to the hand of an adversary.
62 He
also gave
His people over to the sword,
and was furious with
His inheritance.
63 Fire
devoured His young men;
and His maidens
were not praised.
64 His
priests fell by the sword;
and their widows could not weep.
65 Then
YHWH
Adonai awoke as from sleep,
like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
66 And
He beat
back His adversaries;
He
put on them an everlasting reproach.
67 He
also rejected the tent of Joseph,
and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but
chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He
loved.
69 And
He built His
sanctuary like the heights,
like the earth,
He founded it
forever.
70 He
chose David
His servant,
and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 He
brought him in from tending the ewes and lambs,
to shepherd Jacob
His people,
and Israel His
inheritance.
72 So
David shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
and led them by
His skillful hands. r
PSALM 79
How Long,
O YHWH? Come
Quickly!
Asaph
bemoans the destruction of Jerusalem, and
beseeches God to destroy Israel’s enemies
A Psalm of
Asaph.
1 O
God, the nations have come and invaded
Your inheritance;
they have defiled
Your holy Temple;
they have turned Jerusalem into ruins.
2 They
have given the dead bodies of Your servants
as food to the birds of the heavens,
the flesh of
Your devout, set-apart people
to the beasts of the earth.
3 They
have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem;
and there is no-one to bury them.
4 We
have become an object of reproach to our neighbours,
a scorn and mockery to those around us.
5 How
long, O YHWH?
Will You
be angry forever?
Will
Your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out Your
wrath upon the nations that do not know
You,
and upon the kingdoms that do not call upon
Your Name.
7 For
they have devoured Jacob,
and ruined his dwellings and pasture.
8 Do
not remember the iniquities of our fathers against us!
Let Your compassion
come quickly to meet us,
for we have been brought very low.
9 Help
us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of
Your Name.
Deliver us, and
forgive and cover our sins, for
Your Name’s sake.
10 Why
should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the blood of
Your servants which
has been shed,
be known among the nations before our eyes.
11 Let
the groaning of the prisoner come before You;
according to the
greatness of Your Arm
preserve those who are doomed to die.
12 And
return into the bosom of our neighbours sevenfold the reproach
with which they have reproached
You, O Adonai.
13 And
we, Your people
and the sheep of
Your pasture
will give thanks to
You forever;
we will tell of
Your
praise to all generations.
r
PSALM 80
Elohim,
Cause Your Face
to Shine Upon Us,
And We Will Be
Saved
Written
against the background of the Assyrian captivity of the
northern tribes of Israel,
(2 Kings
17:6),
this psalm reveals the shock
that
event had in Jerusalem where the Asaph singers lived.
Exposed
to Assyria in the north, the people of Judah now cry to God
as the
Shepherd of His sheep, and the Husbandman of His vineyard.
To the
Chief Musician. Set to El Shoshannim, “The Lilies.”
A
Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.
1 Give
ear, O Shepherd of Israel;
You who lead Joseph
like a flock;
You who dwell between the cheribim,
shine forth!
2 Before
Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
stir up
Your power, and come
and save*
us!
(*Yeshuah)
3 Cause
us to turn back to You,
O Elohim;
cause Your Face
to shine upon us, and
we will be saved!
4 O
YHWH, God of Hosts,
how long will Your
anger
smoulder
against the prayer of
Your people?
5 You
have fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink a third time - in great measure.
6 You
have made us a source of strife to our
neighbours,
and our enemies mock us and laugh among themselves.
7 Turn
us back to You,
O God of Hosts;
cause Your Face
to shine upon us, and
we will be saved!
8 You
have brought a vine
out of Egypt;
You have driven out
the nations, and planted it.
9 You
prepared room
for the vine,
and it took deep root and filled the land.
10 Hills
were covered with its shade,
and its boughs are like
the mighty cedars of
God.
11 It
sent out its boughs to the Sea,
and its shoots to the River.
12 Why
have You
broken down its hedges,
so that all who pass that way pluck its fruit?
13 The
boar out of the forest ravages it,
and a wild beast of the field devours it.
14 Return
to us, we beseech
You, O God of Hosts;
look down from heaven and see!
Visit and inspect this vine.
15 And
the root that Your Right Hand
has planted,
and the Branch -
the Son - whom
You made strong for Yourself,
16 is
burned with fire, it is cut down.
They perish at the rebuke of
Your Countenance.
17 Let
Your Hand be upon
the Man at Your Right Hand,
upon the Son of
Man whom You made strong for Yourself.
18 Then
we will not turn away from You.
Revive us, and we will
call upon Your Name.
19 Turn
us back to You,
O YHWH, God of Hosts;
Cause Your face
to shine upon us, and
we will be saved. r
PSALM 81
If
My People
Would Listen to
Me!
This psalm
relates to the wilderness experiences of Israel,
and the
memorial Feast of Booths.
(Leviticus
23:33-43).
It calls
for praise, remembrance and repentance.
To the
Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath.
A Psalm of
Asaph.
1 Shout
for joy to God, our Strength;
shout to the God
of Jacob.
2 Start
up a song and sound the timbrel,
and the pleasant harp with the lute.
3 Blow
the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
at the full moon, on the day of our
festival.
4 For
this is a
statute for
Israel,
a decree of
the God of Jacob.
5 This
He appointed
in Joseph for a testimony,
when
He went
throughout the land of Egypt,
where I heard a language that I did not understand.
God says:
6
“I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the baskets.
7 You
called in distress, and I rescued you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I proved you at the waters of Meribah.
Selah.
8 “Hear,
O My people, and I
will admonish you -
if you will listen to
Me, O Israel!
9 There
shall be no strange god among you;
nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10
I am YHWH your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 “But
My people did
not listen to My voice,
and Israel would not submit to
Me.
12 So
I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
to walk in their own counsels.
13 O,
that My people
would listen to Me;
if only
Israel would walk in My ways,
14 I
would quickly subdue their enemies,
and turn
My hand against
their adversaries!
15 Those
who hate YHWH
would cringe before Him,
but their time of punishment would be forever.
16
But you would be
fed with the finest of wheat;
and with
honey from
the Rock I would
satisfy you.” r
PSALM 82
Arise,
O Elohim! Judge
the Earth!
This
psalm brings condemnation on the unjust judges in God’s assembly.
They
consider themselves as high and mighty, but they die like all men.
The
psalm ends with a call for God to judge the earth.
A Psalm of
Asaph
1
God stands in the assembly of the mighty;
He judges among
“the gods” – the rulers.
2
Men, how long will
you judge unjustly,
and show partiality to the wicked?
Selah.
3
Defend the poor and fatherless;
do
justice
to the afflicted and needy.
4
Rescue the poor and
needy;
deliver them from
the hand of the wicked!
5 They
do not know, nor do they understand;
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6
I said, ‘You are gods,
and all of you are sons of
the Most High,
7
but you die like men,
and fall like one of the princes.’
8
Arise,
O Elohim, judge
the earth;
for
You
shall inherit all the nations.
r
PSALM 83
Destroy Your Enemies,
O God!
This
psalm pictures a coalition of enemy nations that conspire to wipe out Israel.
It
prays for God to deal with them, so that they may know that
Yahweh
alone is the Most High over all the earth.
A Song. A
Psalm of Asaph.
1 O
Elohim, do not keep silent!
Do not be quiet,
and do not be still,
O God!
2
For look, Your
enemies are roaring;
and those who hate
You have raised
their heads.
3
They craftily plot against
Your people,
and conspire against
Your hidden, treasured ones.
4
They have said, ‘Come, and let us destroy them as a
nation,
that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’
5
For they have conspired together with one mind;
they make a pact against
You;
6
the tents of Edom and the Ishmailites;
Moab and the Hagarites;
7 Gebal,
Ammon, and Amalek;
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre.
8 Assyria
also had joined with them;
they have been a help to the sons of Lot.
Selah.
9 Deal
with them as with Midian, as with Sisera,
as with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,
10 who
perished at Endor,
and became as dung for the earth.
11 Make
their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb,
and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who
said, ‘Let us take possession of the pastures
of God for ourselves.’
13 O
my God, make them
like the whirling dust,
like stubble before the wind!
14 As
a fire burns a forest,
and as a flame sets the mountains on fire,
15 so
pursue them with Your tornado,
and terrify them with
Your cyclone.
16 Cover
their faces with shame,
that they may seek
Your Name, O
YHWH.
17 Let
them be ashamed and dismayed forever;
yes, let them be humiliated and perish,
18 that
they may know that You,
whose Name is
YHWH -
You alone are
the Most High over all the earth. r
PSALM 84
The Joy of Dwelling in the
House of YHWH
This is
a song of a pilgrim who expresses his passion for God’s House,
and
praises Yahweh Elohim who gives grace and glory.
To the
Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath.
A Psalm of
the sons of Korah.
1 How
lovely are Your dwelling places,
O YHWH of Hosts!
2 My
soul yearns, yes, it is even consumed
with longing
for the
courts of YHWH.
My heart and my flesh cry out for
the living God.
3 Even
the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young -
even on
Your altars, O YHWH of Hosts,
my King and my God.
4 Blessed
are those who dwell in Your House;
they are ever praising
You. Selah.
5 Blessed
is the man who strength is in You;
highways to
your House
are in their heart.
Passing through the Valley of Baca (of Weeping),
they make it a fountain - a place of springs.
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They
go from strength to strength;
appearing before
God in Zion.
8 O
YHWH God of Hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O Elohim
of Jacob! Selah.
9 O
God, see our shield,
and look upon the face
of Your anointed.
10 For
a day in Your courts
is better than a
thousand outside.
I would rather be a doorkeeper standing
at the threshold of the
House of my God,
than to dwell in the
tents of wickedness.
11 For
YHWH God is a Sun and Shield;
YHWH
gives grace
and glory;
He withholds no good thing
from those who walk uprightly.
12 O
YHWH of Hosts,
blessed is the man who trusts in
You! r]
PSALM 85
Restore and Revive Us,
O YHWH!
During
a time of national setback, the psalm recalls the deeds of God
in the
past, and pleads for revival and restoration in the present distress.
It also
brings reassurance concerning deliverance and blessing in the future.
To the
Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 O YHWH, You
have been favorable to
Your land;
You have turned
back the captivity of Jacob.
2 You
have forgiven the iniquity of
Your people;
You
have covered all their sin.
Selah.
3 You
have taken away all Your wrath;
You have turned from the fierceness of
Your anger.
4 Turn
back and restore
us, O God of our
salvation,
and cause Your anger
toward us to cease.
5 Will
You be enraged
with us for ever?
Will You
prolong Your
anger to all generations?
6 Will
You not return and
revive us,
that Your people
may rejoice in You?
7 Show
us Your lovingkindness,
O YHWH,
and grant us Your
salvation.
8 I
will hear what God, YHWH,
will speak,
for
He
speaks peace
to His people
and to His devout,
set-apart people;
but let them not turn again to folly!
9 Truly,
His salvation
is near to those who stand in awe of
Him,
that glory
may dwell in our land.
10 Lovingkindness
and truth
have met,
righteousness and
peace have kissed.
11 Truth
springs forth from the earth,
and righteousness
looks down from heaven.
12 Yes,
YHWH gives what
is good;
and our land yields its increase.
13 Righteousness
goes before Him,
and prepares a way for
His footsteps. r
PSALM 86
God is Merciful and Gracious,
Slow to Anger and
Abundant in
Lovingkindness and Truth
David
praises the Sovereign Master, giving thanks for
His
abundant lovingkindness; and prays for deliverance and grace.
This is
the only psalm of David in Book 3.
A Prayer
of David.
1 Incline
Your ear, O YHWH;
hear me, for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve
my life, for I am devoted and set apart;
Oh!
You who are
my God;
save Your servant
who is trusting in
You!
3 Be
merciful to me,
Adonai,
for I cry to You
all day long.
4 Cause
the soul of Your servant
to rejoice,
for to You,
O Sovereign Master,
I lift up my soul.
5 For
You, Adonai,
are good, and
ready to forgive,
and great in
kindness to all those who call upon
You.
6 Give
ear, O YHWH,
to my prayer,
and listen to the voice of my pleadings.
7 In
the day of my distress I call upon You,
for You answer me.
8 Among
the gods there is none like You,
O Adonai;
nor are there any works like
Your works.
9 All
nations whom You have made
will come and
worship before
You, O Sovereign Master,
and glorify
Your Name.
10 For
You are
great, and
are doing wonders;
You are God, You alone.
11 Teach
me Your way, O YHWH;
and
I will walk in Your
truth.
Give me an undivided heart, that I may stand in awe of
Your Name.
12 I
will give thanks to You, O Adonai my God,
with all my heart,
I will glorify
Your Name for
ever.”
13 For
great is Your kindness
toward me,
and You
have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol - the
grave.
14 O
God, the proud have risen against me,
and a band of violent men have sought my life,
and they have not set
You
before them.
15 But
You, O Adonai,
are a gracious God, full of compassion,
slow to anger and abundant in kindness and truth.
16 Turn
to me, and be gracious
on me!
Give
Your strength to
Your servant,
and save
the son of Your
maidservant.
17 Show
me a sign for good,
that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
for
You, O YHWH, have
helped me and comforted me. r
PSALM 87
Glorious Zion, the City of God
This is
a song of Zion, the City of God that Yahweh loves and establishes.
A Psalm of
the sons of Korah. A Song.
1 His
foundation is
in the holy
mountains.
2 YHWH
loves the gates of
Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious
things are spoken of you,
O City of God! Selah.
4 “I
mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know me.
See, Philistia and Tyre, with Kush (Ethiopia) are saying:
‘This man was born there’.”
5 And
of Zion it
will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her;
and Elyon, the Most
High Himself establishes her.”
6 YHWH
records in the register of the peoples:
“This one was born there.”
Selah.
7 Both
the singers and instrumentalists say,
‘All my springs of life and joy are in you.’
r
PSALM 88
O YHWH,
Save Me From the Pit!
In this
saddest of psalms, the writer is overwhelmed by discouragement
because
of troubles, loneliness, and seemingly, rejection by God.
A Song. A
Psalm of the sons of Korah.
To the
Chief Musician. Set to Mahalath Leannoth.
A Maskil
of Heman the Ezralite.
1 O
YHWH, God of
my salvation,
I have cried out by day and night before
You.
2 Let
my prayer come before You;
incline Your ear
to my cry!
3 For
my soul has been filled with troubles,
and my life has drawn near to Sheol.
4 I
am reckoned among those who go down to the pit;
I have become like a man without strength,
5 forsaken
among the dead,
like the slain ones lying in the grave,
whom You
have remembered no more,
and who have been cut off from
Your hand.
6 You
have put me in the lowest pit,
in dark places, in the depths.
7 Your
wrath has rested heavily upon me,
and
You
have afflicted me with all
Your waves.
Selah.
8 You
have removed my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me repulsive to them;
I am shut up and cannot go out.
9 My
eye grows dim because of affliction;
I have called upon
You, YHWH, all day
long;
I have spread out my hands to
You.
10 Will
You perform
wonders for the dead?
Will the dead rise and praise
You? Selah.
11 Will
Your lovingkindness
be declared in the grave,
or Your
faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12 Are
Your wonders known
in the dark?
And Your
righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But
I have cried out to You, O YHWH,
and in the morning my prayer comes before
You.
14 O
YHWH, why do You reject my soul?
Why do
You hide Your
Face from me?
15 I
have been afflicted and dying from my youth on;
I have suffered
Your terrors;
I am distraught and pine away.
16 Your
fierce wrath has swept over me;
Your terrors
have destroyed me.
17 They
have surrounded me like water all day long;
they have completely engulfed me.
18 You
have removed loved ones and friends far from me;
the darkness is my acquaintance.
r
PSALM 89
The Covenant
of YHWH
with David.
And Israel’s Afflictions.
In this
psalm, the writer recites the covenant of God with David,
and
exalts Yahweh who is absolutely incomparable.
After
rehearsing the Davidic covenant in poetic form (19-37),
the
psalmist argues that God had spurned His covenant
and
brought about the present King’s humiliating defeat.
He thus
petitions God to remember His covenant.
The
final palm of Book 3 ends with “Blessed be Yahweh forever.”
A Maskil
of Ethan the Ezrahite.
1 I
will sing of the lovingkindness of YHWH
forever;
with my mouth I will make known
Your faithfulness
to all generations.
2 For
I have said, ‘Lovingkindness
is be built up forever;
You establish
Your faithfulness in the heavens.’
3 You
have said, “I have made a covenant with
My chosen;
I have sworn to David My servant:
4 ‘I
will establish your seed - your line -
forever,
and build up
your throne
to all generations’.”
Selah.
5 The
heavens praise Your wonders, O YHWH;
Your faithfulness
also, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For
who in the skies is comparable to YHWH?
Who among the
sons of the mighty is like YHWH?
7 God
is greatly feared in the council of
the holy ones,
and awesome
above all those who are around
Him?
8 O
YHWH, God of Hosts,
who is a mighty One like
You, O
Yah?
Your faithfulness
is all around You.
9 You
rule the
surging of the sea;
when its waves rise,
You still them.
10 You
have crushed Rahab as one who is slain;
You have
scattered Your enemies with Your mighty Arm.
11 The
heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
the world and all that fills it.
You have founded them.
12 You
have created
the north and the south;
Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at
Your Name.
13 You
have a mighty Arm;
Your Hand is strong, Your Right Hand is exalted.
14 Righteousness
and justice
are the foundation of
Your throne;
lovingkindness
and truth
go before You.
15 How
blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O YHWH, they walk
in the light of Your Countenance.
16 In
Your Name
they rejoice
all day long,
and by Your
righteousness they are exalted.
17 For
You are the glory
of their strength,
and by
Your favour our
horn is exalted.
18 For
our shield belongs to YHWH,
and our king to the
Holy One of Israel.
19 Once
You spoke in
a vision to Your holy one,
and You
said, ‘I
have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted
one chosen from the people.
20 I
have found David My servant;
with My holy oil
I have anointed him,
21 with
whom My Hand
is established;
My Arm also
strengthens him.
22 The
enemy will not deceive him,
nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 But
I shall crush his adversaries before him,
and plague those who hate him.
24 But
My faithfulness and
My lovingkindness
are with him,
and in
My Name
his horn is exalted.
25 I
will also set his hand on the sea,
and his right hand over the rivers.
26 He
will cry to Me, ‘You
are my
Father,
my God,
and the Rock of my
salvation.’
27 I
also make him My
first-born,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 I
will maintain My lovingkindness
for him forever,
My covenant with him will be steadfast,
29 And
I will establish his descendants forever,
and his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If
his sons forsake My torah -
teaching,
and do not walk in
My judgments,
31 if
they violate My laws,
and do not keep My
commands,
32 then
I will punish their transgression with the rod,
and their iniquity with stripes.
33 But
I will not break off My lovingkindness
from him,
nor deal falsely in
My faithfulness.
34 I
will not violate My covenant,
nor will I change what has gone out from
My lips.
35 Once
I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.
36 His
descendants shall be forever,
and
his throne
as the sun before
Me.
37 Like
the moon, it is established forever,
and the witness in the sky is steadfast.’
Selah.
38 But
You have
cast off and rejected,
You have been
very angry with Your anointed.
39 You
have disowned the
covenant of Your servant;
You have defiled
his crown by casting it to the ground.
40 You
have broken down all his hedges;
You have reduced
his strongholds to ruins.
41 All
who pass by the way plunder him;
he has become a reproach to his neighbours.
42 You
have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all
his enemies rejoice.
43 Moreover
You turn back the
edge of his sword,
and have not made him stand in battle.
44 You
have made his splendour to cease,
and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You
have shortened the days of his youth;
You have covered
him with shame. Selah.
46 How
long, O YHWH?
Will You
hide Yourself
forever?
Will
Your wrath
burn like fire?
47 Please
remember what my span of life is;
Why should
You have created all
the sons of men in vain?
48 What
man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?
Selah.
49 Adonai,
where are
Your former lovingkindnesses,
which You
swore to David in
Your faithfulness?
50 Remember,
O Sovereign Master,
the reproach of Your servants;
that I have borne in my bosom -
the reproach of
all the many peoples,
51 with
which Your
enemies have reproached, O YHWH,
with which they have reproached the footsteps
of Your
anointed.
52 Blessed
be YWHWH
forever! Amen and Amen. r
END OF
PSALMS BOOK THREE |
