Psalms 131; Psalms 138; Psalms 139; Psalms 143; Psalms 144; Psalms 145

1 Lord, I have given up my pride and turned away from my arrogance. I am not concerned with great matters or with subjects too difficult for me.

2 Instead, I am content and at peace. As a child lies quietly in its mother's arms, so my heart is quiet within me.

3 Israel, trust in the Lord now and forever!

1 I thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I sing praise to you before the gods.

2 I face your holy Temple, bow down, and praise your name because of your constant love and faithfulness, because you have shown that your name and your commands are supreme.

3 You answered me when I called to you; with your strength you strengthened me.

4 All the kings in the world will praise you, Lord, because they have heard your promises.

5 They will sing about what you have done and about your great glory.

6 Even though you are so high above, you care for the lowly, and the proud cannot hide from you.

7 When I am surrounded by troubles, you keep me safe. You oppose my angry enemies and save me by your power.

8 You will do everything you have promised; Lord, your love is eternal. Complete the work that you have begun.

1 Lord, you have examined me and you know me.

2 You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.

3 You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions.

4 Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.

5 You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.

6 Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.

7 Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence?

8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there.

9 If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west,

10 you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me or the light around me to turn into night,

12 but even darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because you are to be feared; all you do is strange and wonderful. I know it with all my heart.

15 When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother's womb, when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there -

16 you saw me before I was born. The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them ever began.

17 O God, how difficult I find your thoughts; how many of them there are!

18 If I counted them, they would be more than the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

19 O God, how I wish you would kill the wicked! How I wish violent people would leave me alone!

20 They say wicked things about you; they speak evil things against your name.

21 O Lord, how I hate those who hate you! How I despise those who rebel against you!

22 I hate them with a total hatred; I regard them as my enemies.

23 Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts.

24 Find out if there is any evil in me and guide me in the everlasting way.

1 Lord, hear my prayer! In your righteousness listen to my plea; answer me in your faithfulness!

2 Don't put me, your servant, on trial; no one is innocent in your sight.

3 My enemies have hunted me down and completely defeated me. They have put me in a dark prison, and I am like those who died long ago.

4 So I am ready to give up; I am in deep despair.

5 I remember the days gone by; I think about all that you have done, I bring to mind all your deeds.

6 I lift up my hands to you in prayer; like dry ground my soul is thirsty for you.

7 Answer me now, Lord! I have lost all hope. Don't hide yourself from me, or I will be among those who go down to the world of the dead.

8 Remind me each morning of your constant love, for I put my trust in you. My prayers go up to you; show me the way I should go.

9 I go to you for protection, Lord; rescue me from my enemies.

10 You are my God; teach me to do your will. Be good to me, and guide me on a safe path.

11 Rescue me, Lord, as you have promised; in your goodness save me from my troubles!

12 Because of your love for me, kill my enemies and destroy all my oppressors, for I am your servant.

1 Praise the Lord, my protector! He trains me for battle and prepares me for war.

2 He is my protector and defender, my shelter and savior, in whom I trust for safety. He subdues the nations under me.

3 Lord, what are mortals, that you notice them; mere mortals, that you pay attention to us?

4 We are like a puff of wind; our days are like a passing shadow.

5 O Lord, tear the sky open and come down; touch the mountains, and they will pour out smoke.

6 Send flashes of lightning and scatter your enemies; shoot your arrows and send them running.

7 Reach down from above, pull me out of the deep water, and rescue me; save me from the power of foreigners,

8 who never tell the truth and lie even under oath.

9 I will sing you a new song, O God; I will play the harp and sing to you.

10 You give victory to kings and rescue your servant David.

11 Save me from my cruel enemies; rescue me from the power of foreigners, who never tell the truth and lie even under oath.

12 May our sons in their youth be like plants that grow up strong. May our daughters be like stately columns which adorn the corners of a palace.

13 May our barns be filled with crops of every kind. May the sheep in our fields bear young by the tens of thousands.

14 May our cattle reproduce plentifully without miscarriage or loss. May there be no cries of distress in our streets.

15 Happy is the nation of whom this is true; happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

1 I will proclaim your greatness, my God and king; I will thank you forever and ever.

2 Every day I will thank you; I will praise you forever and ever.

3 The Lord is great and is to be highly praised; his greatness is beyond understanding.

4 What you have done will be praised from one generation to the next; they will proclaim your mighty acts.

5 They will speak of your glory and majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.

6 People will speak of your mighty deeds, and I will proclaim your greatness.

7 They will tell about all your goodness and sing about your kindness.

8 The Lord is loving and merciful, slow to become angry and full of constant love.

9 He is good to everyone and has compassion on all he made.

10 All your creatures, Lord, will praise you, and all your people will give you thanks.

11 They will speak of the glory of your royal power and tell of your might,

12 so that everyone will know your mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of your kingdom.

13 Your rule is eternal, and you are king forever. The Lord is faithful to his promises; he is merciful in all his acts.

14 He helps those who are in trouble; he lifts those who have fallen.

15 All living things look hopefully to you, and you give them food when they need it.

16 You give them enough and satisfy the needs of all.

17 The Lord is righteous in all he does, merciful in all his acts.

18 He is near to those who call to him, who call to him with sincerity.

19 He supplies the needs of those who honor him; he hears their cries and saves them.

20 He protects everyone who loves him, but he will destroy the wicked.

21 I will always praise the Lord; let all his creatures praise his holy name forever.