The Holy Bible

[34:1] I will always thank the Lord; I will never stop praising him.

[34:2] I will praise him for what he has done; may all who are oppressed listen and be glad!

[34:3] Proclaim with me the Lord's greatness; let us praise his name together!

[34:4] I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me; he freed me from all my fears.

[34:5] The oppressed look to him and are glad; they will never be disappointed.

[34:6] The helpless call to him, and he answers; he saves them from all their troubles.

[34:7] His angel guards those who honor the Lord and rescues them from danger.

[34:8] Find out for yourself how good the Lord is. Happy are those who find safety with him.

[34:9] Honor the Lord, all his people; those who obey him have all they need.

[34:10] Even lions go hungry for lack of food, but those who obey the Lord lack nothing good.

[34:11] Come, my young friends, and listen to me, and I will teach you to honor the Lord.

[34:12] Would you like to enjoy life? Do you want long life and happiness?

[34:13] Then keep from speaking evil and from telling lies.

[34:14] Turn away from evil and do good; strive for peace with all your heart.

[34:15] The Lord watches over the righteous and listens to their cries;

[34:16] but he opposes those who do evil, so that when they die, they are soon forgotten.

[34:17] The righteous call to the Lord, and he listens; he rescues them from all their troubles.

[34:18] The Lord is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope.

[34:19] Good people suffer many troubles, but the Lord saves them from them all;

[34:20] the Lord preserves them completely; not one of their bones is broken.

[34:21] Evil will kill the wicked; those who hate the righteous will be punished.

[34:22] The Lord will save his people; those who go to him for protection will be spared.

[35:1] Oppose those who oppose me, Lord, and fight those who fight against me!

[35:2] Take your shield and armor and come to my rescue.

[35:3] Lift up your spear and war ax against those who pursue me. Promise that you will save me.

[35:4] May those who try to kill me be defeated and disgraced! May those who plot against me be turned back and confused!

[35:5] May they be like straw blown by the wind as the angel of the Lord pursues them!

[35:6] May their path be dark and slippery while the angel of the Lord strikes them down!

[35:7] Without any reason they laid a trap for me and dug a deep hole to catch me.

[35:8] But destruction will catch them before they know it; they will be caught in their own trap and fall to their destruction!

[35:9] Then I will be glad because of the Lord; I will be happy because he saved me.

[35:10] With all my heart I will say to the Lord, “There is no one like you. You protect the weak from the strong, the poor from the oppressor.”

[35:11] Evil people testify against me and accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.

[35:12] They pay me back evil for good, and I sink in despair.

[35:13] But when they were sick, I dressed in mourning; I deprived myself of food; I prayed with my head bowed low,

[35:14] as I would pray for a friend or a brother. I went around bent over in mourning, as one who mourns for his mother.

[35:15] But when I was in trouble, they were all glad and gathered around to make fun of me; strangers beat me and kept striking me.

[35:16] Like those who would mock a cripple, they glared at me with hate.

[35:17] How much longer, Lord, will you just look on? Rescue me from their attacks; save my life from these lions!

[35:18] Then I will thank you in the assembly of your people; I will praise you before them all.

[35:19] Don't let my enemies, those liars, gloat over my defeat. Don't let those who hate me for no reason smirk with delight over my sorrow.

[35:20] They do not speak in a friendly way; instead they invent all kinds of lies about peace-loving people.

[35:21] They accuse me, shouting, “We saw what you did!”

[35:22] But you, O Lord, have seen this. So don't be silent, Lord; don't keep yourself far away!

[35:23] Rouse yourself, O Lord, and defend me; rise up, my God, and plead my cause.

[35:24] You are righteous, O Lord, so declare me innocent; don't let my enemies gloat over me.

[35:25] Don't let them say to themselves, “We are rid of him! That's just what we wanted!”

[35:26] May those who gloat over my suffering be completely defeated and confused; may those who claim to be better than I am be covered with shame and disgrace.

[35:27] May those who want to see me acquitted shout for joy and say again and again, “How great is the Lord! He is pleased with the success of his servant.”

[35:28] Then I will proclaim your righteousness, and I will praise you all day long.

[36:1] Sin speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; they reject God and do not have reverence for him.

[36:2] Because they think so highly of themselves, they think that God will not discover their sin and condemn it.

[36:3] Their speech is wicked and full of lies; they no longer do what is wise and good.

[36:4] They make evil plans as they lie in bed; nothing they do is good, and they never reject anything evil.

[36:5] Lord, your constant love reaches the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the skies.

[36:6] Your righteousness is towering like the mountains; your justice is like the depths of the sea. People and animals are in your care.

[36:7] How precious, O God, is your constant love! We find protection under the shadow of your wings.

[36:8] We feast on the abundant food you provide; you let us drink from the river of your goodness.

[36:9] You are the source of all life, and because of your light we see the light.

[36:10] Continue to love those who know you and to do good to those who are righteous.

[36:11] Do not let proud people attack me or the wicked make me run away.

[36:12] See where evil people have fallen. There they lie, unable to rise.

[37:1] Don't be worried on account of the wicked; don't be jealous of those who do wrong.

[37:2] They will soon disappear like grass that dries up; they will die like plants that wither.

[37:3] Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and be safe.

[37:4] Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desire.

[37:5] Give yourself to the Lord; trust in him, and he will help you;

[37:6] he will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun.

[37:7] Be patient and wait for the Lord to act; don't be worried about those who prosper or those who succeed in their evil plans.

[37:8] Don't give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.

[37:9] Those who trust in the Lord will possess the land, but the wicked will be driven out.

[37:10] Soon the wicked will disappear; you may look for them, but you won't find them;

[37:11] but the humble will possess the land and enjoy prosperity and peace.

[37:12] The wicked plot against good people and glare at them with hate.

[37:13] But the Lord laughs at wicked people, because he knows they will soon be destroyed.

[37:14] The wicked draw their swords and bend their bows to kill the poor and needy, to slaughter those who do what is right;

[37:15] but they will be killed by their own swords, and their bows will be smashed.

[37:16] The little that a good person owns is worth more than the wealth of all the wicked,

[37:17] because the Lord will take away the strength of the wicked, but protect those who are good.

[37:18] The Lord takes care of those who obey him, and the land will be theirs forever.

[37:19] They will not suffer when times are bad; they will have enough in time of famine.

[37:20] But the wicked will die; the enemies of the Lord will vanish like wild flowers; they will disappear like smoke.

[37:21] The wicked borrow and never pay back, but good people are generous with their gifts.

[37:22] Those who are blessed by the Lord will possess the land, but those who are cursed by him will be driven out.

[37:23] The Lord guides us in the way we should go and protects those who please him.

[37:24] If they fall, they will not stay down, because the Lord will help them up.

[37:25] I am old now; I have lived a long time, but I have never seen good people abandoned by the Lord or their children begging for food.

[37:26] At all times they give freely and lend to others, and their children are a blessing.

[37:27] Turn away from evil and do good, and your descendants will always live in the land;

[37:28] for the Lord loves what is right and does not abandon his faithful people. He protects them forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be driven out.

[37:29] The righteous will possess the land and live in it forever.

[37:30] The words of good people are wise, and they are always fair.

[37:31] They keep the law of their God in their hearts and never depart from it.

[37:32] Wicked people watch good people and try to kill them;

[37:33] but the Lord will not abandon them to their enemy's power or let them be condemned when they are on trial.

[37:34] Put your hope in the Lord and obey his commands; he will honor you by giving you the land, and you will see the wicked driven out.

[37:35] I once knew someone wicked who was a tyrant; he towered over everyone like a cedar of Lebanon;

[37:36] but later I passed by, and he wasn't there; I looked for him, but couldn't find him.

[37:37] Notice good people, observe the righteous; peaceful people have descendants,

[37:38] but sinners are completely destroyed, and their descendants are wiped out.

[37:39] The Lord saves the righteous and protects them in times of trouble.

[37:40] He helps them and rescues them; he saves them from the wicked, because they go to him for protection.

[38:1] O Lord, don't punish me in your anger!

[38:2] You have wounded me with your arrows; you have struck me down.

[38:3] Because of your anger, I am in great pain; my whole body is diseased because of my sins.

[38:4] I am drowning in the flood of my sins; they are a burden too heavy to bear.

[38:5] Because I have been foolish, my sores stink and rot.

[38:6] I am bent over, I am crushed; I mourn all day long.

[38:7] I am burning with fever and I am near death.

[38:8] I am worn out and utterly crushed; my heart is troubled, and I groan with pain.

[38:9] O Lord, you know what I long for; you hear all my groans.

[38:10] My heart is pounding, my strength is gone, and my eyes have lost their brightness.

[38:11] My friends and neighbors will not come near me, because of my sores; even my family keeps away from me.

[38:12] Those who want to kill me lay traps for me, and those who want to hurt me threaten to ruin me; they never stop plotting against me.

[38:13] I am like the deaf and cannot hear, like the dumb and cannot speak.

[38:14] I am like those who do not answer, because they cannot hear.

[38:15] But I trust in you, O Lord; and you, O Lord my God, will answer me.

[38:16] Don't let my enemies gloat over my distress; don't let them boast about my downfall!

[38:17] I am about to fall and am in constant pain.

[38:18] I confess my sins; they fill me with anxiety.

[38:19] My enemies are healthy and strong; there are many who hate me for no reason.

[38:20] Those who pay back evil for good are against me because I try to do right.

[38:21] Do not abandon me, O Lord; do not stay away, my God!

[38:22] Help me now, O Lord my savior!

[39:1] I said, “I will be careful about what I do and will not let my tongue make me sin; I will not say anything while evil people are near.”

[39:2] I kept quiet, not saying a word, not even about anything good! But my suffering only grew worse,

[39:3] and I was overcome with anxiety. The more I thought, the more troubled I became; I could not keep from asking:

[39:4] “Lord, how long will I live? When will I die? Tell me how soon my life will end.”

[39:5] How short you have made my life! In your sight my lifetime seems nothing. Indeed every living being is no more than a puff of wind,

[39:6] no more than a shadow. All we do is for nothing; we gather wealth, but don't know who will get it.

[39:7] What, then, can I hope for, Lord? I put my hope in you.

[39:8] Save me from all my sins, and don't let fools make fun of me.

[39:9] I will keep quiet, I will not say a word, for you are the one who made me suffer like this.

[39:10] Don't punish me any more! I am about to die from your blows.

[39:11] You punish our sins by your rebukes, and like a moth you destroy what we love. Indeed we are no more than a puff of wind!

[39:12] Hear my prayer, Lord, and listen to my cry; come to my aid when I weep. Like all my ancestors I am only your guest for a little while.

[39:13] Leave me alone so that I may have some happiness before I go away and am no more.

[40:1] I waited patiently for the Lord's help; then he listened to me and heard my cry.

[40:2] He pulled me out of a dangerous pit, out of the deadly quicksand. He set me safely on a rock and made me secure.

[40:3] He taught me to sing a new song, a song of praise to our God. Many who see this will take warning and will put their trust in the Lord.

[40:4] Happy are those who trust the Lord, who do not turn to idols or join those who worship false gods.

[40:5] You have done many things for us, O Lord our God; there is no one like you! You have made many wonderful plans for us. I could never speak of them all— their number is so great!

[40:6] You do not want sacrifices and offerings; you do not ask for animals burned whole on the altar or for sacrifices to take away sins. Instead, you have given me ears to hear you,

[40:7] and so I answered, “Here I am; your instructions for me are in the book of the Law.

[40:8] How I love to do your will, my God! I keep your teaching in my heart.”

[40:9] In the assembly of all your people, Lord, I told the good news that you save us. You know that I will never stop telling it.

[40:10] I have not kept the news of salvation to myself; I have always spoken of your faithfulness and help. In the assembly of all your people I have not been silent about your loyalty and constant love.

[40:11] Lord, I know you will never stop being merciful to me. Your love and loyalty will always keep me safe.

[40:12] I am surrounded by many troubles— too many to count! My sins have caught up with me, and I can no longer see; they are more than the hairs of my head, and I have lost my courage.

[40:13] Save me, Lord! Help me now!

[40:14] May those who try to kill me be completely defeated and confused. May those who are happy because of my troubles be turned back and disgraced.

[40:15] May those who make fun of me be dismayed by their defeat.

[40:16] May all who come to you be glad and joyful. May all who are thankful for your salvation always say, “How great is the Lord!”

[40:17] I am weak and poor, O Lord, but you have not forgotten me. You are my savior and my God— hurry to my aid!

[41:1] Happy are those who are concerned for the poor; the Lord will help them when they are in trouble.

[41:2] The Lord will protect them and preserve their lives; he will make them happy in the land; he will not abandon them to the power of their enemies.

[41:3] The Lord will help them when they are sick and will restore them to health.

[41:4] I said, “I have sinned against you, Lord; be merciful to me and heal me.”

[41:5] My enemies say cruel things about me. They want me to die and be forgotten.

[41:6] Those who come to see me are not sincere; they gather bad news about me and then go out and tell it everywhere.

[41:7] All who hate me whisper to each other about me, they imagine the worst about me.

[41:8] They say, “He is fatally ill; he will never leave his bed again.”

[41:9] Even my best friend, the one I trusted most, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.

[41:10] Be merciful to me, Lord, and restore my health, and I will pay my enemies back.

[41:11] They will not triumph over me, and I will know that you are pleased with me.

[41:12] You will help me, because I do what is right; you will keep me in your presence forever.

[41:13] Praise the Lord, the God of Israel! Praise him now and forever!