Psalms 81; Psalms 88; Psalms 92; Psalms 93

1 Shout for joy to God our defender; sing praise to the God of Jacob!

2 Start the music and beat the tambourines; play pleasant music on the harps and the lyres.

3 Blow the trumpet for the festival, when the moon is new and when the moon is full.

4 This is the law in Israel, an order from the God of Jacob.

5 He gave it to the people of Israel when he attacked the land of Egypt. I hear an unknown voice saying,

6 "I took the burdens off your backs; I let you put down your loads of bricks.

7 When you were in trouble, you called to me, and I saved you. From my hiding place in the storm, I answered you. I put you to the test at the springs of Meribah.

8 Listen, my people, to my warning; Israel, how I wish you would listen to me!

9 You must never worship another god.

10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Open your mouth, and I will feed you.

11 "But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not obey me.

12 So I let them go their stubborn ways and do whatever they wanted.

13 How I wish my people would listen to me; how I wish they would obey me!

14 I would quickly defeat their enemies and conquer all their foes.

15 Those who hate me would bow in fear before me; their punishment would last forever.

16 But I would feed you with the finest wheat and satisfy you with wild honey."

1 Lord God, my savior, I cry out all day, and at night I come before you.

2 Hear my prayer; listen to my cry for help!

3 So many troubles have fallen on me that I am close to death.

4 I am like all others who are about to die; all my strength is gone.

5 I am abandoned among the dead; I am like the slain lying in their graves, those you have forgotten completely, who are beyond your help.

6 You have thrown me into the depths of the tomb, into the darkest and deepest pit.

7 Your anger lies heavy on me, and I am crushed beneath its waves.

8 You have caused my friends to abandon me; you have made me repulsive to them. I am closed in and cannot escape;

9 my eyes are weak from suffering. Lord, every day I call to you and lift my hands to you in prayer.

10 Do you perform miracles for the dead? Do they rise up and praise you?

11 Is your constant love spoken of in the grave or your faithfulness in the place of destruction?

12 Are your miracles seen in that place of darkness or your goodness in the land of the forgotten?

13 Lord, I call to you for help; every morning I pray to you.

14 Why do you reject me, Lord? Why do you turn away from me?

15 Ever since I was young, I have suffered and been near death; I am worn out from the burden of your punishments.

16 Your furious anger crushes me; your terrible attacks destroy me.

17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they close in on me from every side.

18 You have made even my closest friends abandon me, and darkness is my only companion.

1 How good it is to give thanks to you, O Lord, to sing in your honor, O Most High God,

2 to proclaim your constant love every morning and your faithfulness every night,

3 with the music of stringed instruments and with melody on the harp.

4 Your mighty deeds, O Lord, make me glad; because of what you have done, I sing for joy.

5 How great are your actions, Lord! How deep are your thoughts!

6 This is something a fool cannot know; someone who is stupid cannot understand:

7 the wicked may grow like weeds, those who do wrong may prosper; yet they will be totally destroyed,

8 because you, Lord, are supreme forever.

9 We know that your enemies will die, and all the wicked will be defeated.

10 You have made me as strong as a wild ox; you have blessed me with happiness.

11 I have seen the defeat of my enemies and heard the cries of the wicked.

12 The righteous will flourish like palm trees; they will grow like the cedars of Lebanon.

13 They are like trees planted in the house of the Lord, that flourish in the Temple of our God,

14 that still bear fruit in old age and are always green and strong.

15 This shows that the Lord is just, that there is no wrong in my protector.

1 The Lord is king. He is clothed with majesty and strength. The earth is set firmly in place and cannot be moved.

2 Your throne, O Lord, has been firm from the beginning, and you existed before time began.

3 The ocean depths raise their voice, O Lord; they raise their voice and roar.

4 The Lord rules supreme in heaven, greater than the roar of the ocean, more powerful than the waves of the sea.

5 Your laws are eternal, Lord, and your Temple is holy indeed, forever and ever.