Psalms 1; Psalms 2; Psalms 15; Psalms 22; Psalms 23; Psalms 24; Psalms 47; Psalms 68

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Psalms 1

1 Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people, who do not follow the example of sinners or join those who have no use for God.

2 Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord, and they study it day and night.

3 They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.

4 But evil people are not like this at all; they are like straw that the wind blows away.

5 Sinners will be condemned by God and kept apart from God's own people.

6 The righteous are guided and protected by the Lord, but the evil are on the way to their doom.

Psalms 2

1 Why do the nations plan rebellion? Why do people make their useless plots?

2 Their kings revolt, their rulers plot together against the Lord and against the king he chose.

3 "Let us free ourselves from their rule," they say; "let us throw off their control."

4 From his throne in heaven the Lord laughs and mocks their feeble plans.

5 Then he warns them in anger and terrifies them with his fury.

6 "On Zion, my sacred hill," he says, "I have installed my king."

7 "I will announce," says the king, "what the Lord has declared. He said to me: "You are my son; today I have become your father.

8 Ask, and I will give you all the nations; the whole earth will be yours.

9 You will break them with an iron rod; you will shatter them in pieces like a clay pot.' "

10 Now listen to this warning, you kings; learn this lesson, you rulers of the world:

11 Serve the Lord with fear; tremble

12 and bow down to him; or else his anger will be quickly aroused, and you will suddenly die. Happy are all who go to him for protection.

Psalms 15

1 Lord, who may enter your Temple? Who may worship on Zion, your sacred hill?

2 Those who obey God in everything and always do what is right, whose words are true and sincere,

3 and who do not slander others. They do no wrong to their friends nor spread rumors about their neighbors.

4 They despise those whom God rejects, but honor those who obey the Lord. They always do what they promise, no matter how much it may cost.

5 They make loans without charging interest and cannot be bribed to testify against the innocent. Whoever does these things will always be secure.

Psalms 22

1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come.

2 During the day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer; I call at night, but get no rest.

3 But you are enthroned as the Holy One, the one whom Israel praises.

4 Our ancestors put their trust in you; they trusted you, and you saved them.

5 They called to you and escaped from danger; they trusted you and were not disappointed.

6 But I am no longer a human being; I am a worm, despised and scorned by everyone!

7 All who see me make fun of me; they stick out their tongues and shake their heads.

8 "You relied on the Lord," they say. "Why doesn't he save you? If the Lord likes you, why doesn't he help you?"

9 It was you who brought me safely through birth, and when I was a baby, you kept me safe.

10 I have relied on you since the day I was born, and you have always been my God.

11 Do not stay away from me! Trouble is near, and there is no one to help.

12 Many enemies surround me like bulls; they are all around me, like fierce bulls from the land of Bashan.

13 They open their mouths like lions, roaring and tearing at me.

14 My strength is gone, gone like water spilled on the ground. All my bones are out of joint; my heart is like melted wax.

15 My throat is as dry as dust, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have left me for dead in the dust.

16 An evil gang is around me; like a pack of dogs they close in on me; they tear at my hands and feet.

17 All my bones can be seen. My enemies look at me and stare.

18 They gamble for my clothes and divide them among themselves.

19 O Lord, don't stay away from me! Come quickly to my rescue!

20 Save me from the sword; save my life from these dogs.

21 Rescue me from these lions; I am helpless before these wild bulls.

22 I will tell my people what you have done; I will praise you in their assembly:

23 "Praise him, you servants of the Lord! Honor him, you descendants of Jacob! Worship him, you people of Israel!

24 He does not neglect the poor or ignore their suffering; he does not turn away from them, but answers when they call for help."

25 In the full assembly I will praise you for what you have done; in the presence of those who worship you I will offer the sacrifices I promised.

26 The poor will eat as much as they want; those who come to the Lord will praise him. May they prosper forever!

27 All nations will remember the Lord. From every part of the world they will turn to him; all races will worship him.

28 The Lord is king, and he rules the nations.

29 All proud people will bow down to him; all mortals will bow down before him.

30 Future generations will serve him; they will speak of the Lord to the coming generation.

31 People not yet born will be told: "The Lord saved his people."

Psalms 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.

2 He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.

3 He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths, as he has promised.

4 Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me. Your shepherd's rod and staff protect me

5 You prepare a banquet for me, where all my enemies can see me; you welcome me as an honored guest and fill my cup to the brim.

6 I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and your house will be my home as long as I live.

Psalms 24

1 The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his.

2 He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.

3 Who has the right to go up the Lord's hill? Who may enter his holy Temple?

4 Those who are pure in act and in thought, who do not worship idols or make false promises.

5 The Lord will bless them and save them; God will declare them innocent.

6 Such are the people who come to God, who come into the presence of the God of Jacob.

7 Fling wide the gates, open the ancient doors, and the great king will come in.

8 Who is this great king? He is the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, victorious in battle.

9 Fling wide the gates, open the ancient doors, and the great king will come in.

10 Who is this great king? The triumphant Lord - he is the great king!

Psalms 47

1 Clap your hands for joy, all peoples! Praise God with loud songs!

2 The Lord, the Most High, is to be feared; he is a great king, ruling over all the world.

3 He gave us victory over the peoples; he made us rule over the nations.

4 He chose for us the land where we live, the proud possession of his people, whom he loves.

5 God goes up to his throne. There are shouts of joy and the blast of trumpets, as the Lord goes up.

6 Sing praise to God; sing praise to our king!

7 God is king over all the world; praise him with songs!

8 God sits on his sacred throne; he rules over the nations.

9 The rulers of the nations assemble with the people of the God of Abraham. More powerful than all armies is he; he rules supreme.

Psalms 68

1 God rises up and scatters his enemies. Those who hate him run away in defeat.

2 As smoke is blown away, so he drives them off; as wax melts in front of the fire, so do the wicked perish in God's presence.

3 But the righteous are glad and rejoice in his presence; they are happy and shout for joy.

4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; prepare a way for him who rides on the clouds. His name is the Lord - be glad in his presence!

5 God, who lives in his sacred Temple, cares for orphans and protects widows.

6 He gives the lonely a home to live in and leads prisoners out into happy freedom, but rebels will have to live in a desolate land.

7 O God, when you led your people, when you marched across the desert,

8 the earth shook, and the sky poured down rain, because of the coming of the God of Sinai, the coming of the God of Israel.

9 You caused abundant rain to fall and restored your worn-out land;

10 your people made their home there; in your goodness you provided for the poor.

11 The Lord gave the command, and many women carried the news:

12 "Kings and their armies are running away!" The women at home divided what was captured:

13 figures of doves covered with silver, whose wings glittered with fine gold. (Why did some of you stay among the sheep pens on the day of battle?)

14 When Almighty God scattered the kings on Mount Zalmon, he caused snow to fall there.

15 What a mighty mountain is Bashan, a mountain of many peaks!

16 Why from your mighty peaks do you look with scorn on the mountain on which God chose to live? The Lord will live there forever!

17 With his many thousands of mighty chariots the Lord comes from Sinai into the holy place.

18 He goes up to the heights, taking many captives with him; he receives gifts from rebellious people. The Lord God will live there.

19 Praise the Lord, who carries our burdens day after day; he is the God who saves us.

20 Our God is a God who saves; he is the Lord, our Lord, who rescues us from death.

21 God will surely break the heads of his enemies, of those who persist in their sinful ways.

22 The Lord has said, "I will bring your enemies back from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the ocean,

23 so that you may wade in their blood, and your dogs may lap up as much as they want."

24 O God, your march of triumph is seen by all, the procession of God, my king, into his sanctuary.

25 The singers are in front, the musicians are behind, in between are the young women beating the tambourines.

26 "Praise God in the meeting of his people; praise the Lord, all you descendants of Jacob!"

27 First comes Benjamin, the smallest tribe, then the leaders of Judah with their group, followed by the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali.

28 Show your power, O God, the power you have used on our behalf

29 from your Temple in Jerusalem, where kings bring gifts to you.

30 Rebuke Egypt, that wild animal in the reeds; rebuke the nations, that herd of bulls with their calves, until they all bow down and offer you their silver. Scatter those people who love to make war!

31 Ambassadors will come from Egypt; the Ethiopians will raise their hands in prayer to God.

32 Sing to God, kingdoms of the world, sing praise to the Lord,

33 to him who rides in the sky, the ancient sky. Listen to him shout with a mighty roar.

34 Proclaim God's power; his majesty is over Israel, his might is in the skies.

35 How awesome is God as he comes from his sanctuary - the God of Israel! He gives strength and power to his people. Praise God!