The Message (MSG)

1-7 God, mark us with grace

and blessing! Smile!

The whole country will see how you work,

all the godless nations see how you save.

God! Let people thank and enjoy you.

Let all people thank and enjoy you.

Let all far-flung people become happy

and shout their happiness because

You judge them fair and square,

you tend the far-flung peoples.

God! Let people thank and enjoy you.

Let all people thank and enjoy you.

Earth, display your exuberance!

You mark us with blessing, O God, our God.

You mark us with blessing, O God.

Earth’s four corners—honor him!

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/67-41d83005103dac52d52a68fdd675908a.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1-4 Up with God!

Down with his enemies!

Adversaries, run for the hills!

Gone like a puff of smoke,

like a blob of wax in the fire—

one look at God and the wicked vanish.

When the righteous see God in action

they’ll laugh, they’ll sing,

they’ll laugh and sing for joy.

Sing hymns to God;

all heaven, sing out;

clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider.

EnjoyGod,

cheer when you see him!

5-6 Father of orphans,

champion of widows,

is God in his holy house.

God makes homes for the homeless,

leads prisoners to freedom,

but leaves rebels to rot in hell.

7-10 God, when you took the lead with your people,

when you marched out into the wild,

Earth shook, sky broke out in a sweat;

God was on the march.

Even Sinai trembled at the sight of God on the move,

at the sight of Israel’s God.

You pour out rain in buckets, O God;

thorn and cactus become an oasis

For your people to camp in and enjoy.

You set them up in business;

they went from rags to riches.

11-14 The Lord gave the word;

thousands called out the good news:

“Kings of the armies

are on the run, on the run!”

While housewives, safe and sound back home,

divide up the plunder,

the plunder of Canaanite silver and gold.

On that day that Shaddai scattered the kings,

snow fell on Black Mountain.

15-16 You huge mountains, Bashan mountains,

mighty mountains, dragon mountains.

All you mountains not chosen,

sulk now, and feel sorry for yourselves,

For this is the mountain God has chosen to live on;

he’ll rule from this mountain forever.

17-18 The chariots of God, twice ten thousand,

and thousands more besides,

The Lord in the lead, riding down Sinai—

straight to the Holy Place!

You climbed to the High Place, captives in tow,

your arms full of booty from rebels,

And now you sit there in state,

God, sovereignGod!

19-23 Blessed be the Lord—

day after day he carries us along.

He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes!

He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us.

LordGodknows all

death’s ins and outs.

What’s more, he made heads roll,

split the skulls of the enemy

As he marched out of heaven,

saying, “I tied up the Dragon in knots,

put a muzzle on the Deep Blue Sea.”

You can wade through your enemies’ blood,

and your dogs taste of your enemies from your boots.

24-31 See God on parade

to the sanctuary, my God,

my King on the march!

Singers out front, the band behind,

maidens in the middle with castanets.

The whole choir blesses God.

Like a fountain of praise, Israel blessesGod.

Look—little Benjamin’s out

front and leading

Princes of Judah in their royal robes,

princes of Zebulun, princes of Naphtali.

Parade your power, O God,

the power, O God, that made us what we are.

Your temple, High God, is Jerusalem;

kings bring gifts to you.

Rebuke that old crocodile, Egypt,

with her herd of wild bulls and calves,

Rapacious in her lust for silver,

crushing peoples, spoiling for a fight.

Let Egyptian traders bring blue cloth

and Cush come running to God, her hands outstretched.

32-34 Sing, O kings of the earth!

Sing praises to the Lord!

There he is: Sky-Rider,

striding the ancient skies.

Listen—he’s calling in thunder,

rumbling, rolling thunder.

Call out “Bravo!” to God,

the High God of Israel.

His splendor and strength

rise huge as thunderheads.

35 A terrible beauty, O God,

streams from your sanctuary.

It’s Israel’s strong God! He gives

power and might to his people!

O you, his people—bless God!

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/68-dacc25325313a902af92ec5a76cde83a.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1 God, God, save me!

I’m in over my head,

2 Quicksand under me, swamp water over me;

I’m going down for the third time.

3 I’m hoarse from calling for help,

Bleary-eyed from searching the sky for God.

4 I’ve got more enemies than hairs on my head;

Sneaks and liars are out to knife me in the back.

What I never stole

Must I now give back?

5 God, you know every sin I’ve committed;

My life’s a wide-open book before you.

6 Don’t let those who look to you in hope

Be discouraged by what happens to me,

Dear Lord!Godof the armies!

Don’t let those out looking for you

Come to a dead end by following me—

Please, dear God of Israel!

7 Because of you I look like an idiot,

I walk around ashamed to show my face.

8 My brothers shun me like a bum off the street;

My family treats me like an unwanted guest.

9 I love you more than I can say.

Because I’m madly in love with you,

They blame me for everything they dislike about you.

10 When I poured myself out in prayer and fasting,

All it got me was more contempt.

11 When I put on a sad face,

They treated me like a clown.

12 Now drunks and gluttons

Make up drinking songs about me.

13 And me? I pray.

God, it’s time for a break!

God, answer in love!

Answer with your sure salvation!

14 Rescue me from the swamp,

Don’t let me go under for good,

Pull me out of the clutch of the enemy;

This whirlpool is sucking me down.

15 Don’t let the swamp be my grave, the Black Hole

Swallow me, its jaws clenched around me.

16 Now answer me,God, because you love me;

Let me see your great mercy full-face.

17 Don’t look the other way; your servant can’t take it.

I’m in trouble. Answer right now!

18 Come close, God; get me out of here.

Rescue me from this deathtrap.

19 You know how they kick me around—

Pin on me the donkey’s ears, the dunce’s cap.

20 I’m broken by their taunts,

Flat on my face, reduced to a nothing.

I looked in vain for one friendly face. Not one.

I couldn’t find one shoulder to cry on.

21 They put poison in my soup,

Vinegar in my drink.

22 Let their supper be bait in a trap that snaps shut;

May their best friends be trappers who’ll skin them alive.

23 Make them become blind as bats,

Give them the shakes from morning to night.

24 Let them know what you think of them,

Blast them with your red-hot anger.

25 Burn down their houses,

Leave them desolate with nobody at home.

26 They gossiped about the one you disciplined,

Made up stories about anyone wounded by God.

27 Pile on the guilt,

Don’t let them off the hook.

28 Strike their names from the list of the living;

No rock-carved honor for them among the righteous.

29 I’m hurt and in pain;

Give me space for healing, and mountain air.

30 Let me shout God’s name with a praising song,

Let me tell his greatness in a prayer of thanks.

31 ForGod, this is better than oxen on the altar,

Far better than blue-ribbon bulls.

32 The poor in spirit see and are glad—

Oh, you God-seekers, take heart!

33 ForGodlistens to the poor,

He doesn’t walk out on the wretched.

34 You heavens, praise him; praise him, earth;

Also ocean and all things that swim in it.

35 For God is out to help Zion,

Rebuilding the wrecked towns of Judah.

Guess who will live there—

The proud owners of the land?

36 No, the children of his servants will get it,

The lovers of his name will live in it.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/69-a1f3cf4da1383cbbc9d9ef85852fab1e.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Prayer

1-3 God! Please hurry to my rescue!

God, come quickly to my side!

Those who are out to get me—

let them fall all over themselves.

Those who relish my downfall—

send them down a blind alley.

Give them a taste of their own medicine,

those gossips off clucking their tongues.

4 Let those on the hunt for you

sing and celebrate.

Let all who love your saving way

say over and over, “God is mighty!”

5 But I’ve lost it. I’m wasted.

God—quickly, quickly!

Quick to my side, quick to my rescue!

God, don’t lose a minute.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/70-52abadc3363d23009760aefcd778829a.mp3?version_id=97—

1-3 I run for dear life toGod,

I’ll never live to regret it.

Do what you do so well:

get me out of this mess and up on my feet.

Put your ear to the ground and listen,

give me space for salvation.

Be a guest room where I can retreat;

you said your door was always open!

You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.

4-7 My God, free me from the grip of Wicked,

from the clutch of Bad and Bully.

You keep me going when times are tough—

my bedrock,God, since my childhood.

I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth,

the day you took me from the cradle;

I’ll never run out of praise.

Many gasp in alarm when they see me,

but you take me in stride.

8-11 Just as each day brims with your beauty,

my mouth brims with praise.

But don’t turn me out to pasture when I’m old

or put me on the shelf when I can’t pull my weight.

My enemies are talking behind my back,

watching for their chance to knife me.

The gossip is: “God has abandoned him.

Pounce on him now; no one will help him.”

12-16 God, don’t just watch from the sidelines.

Come on! Run to my side!

My accusers—make them lose face.

Those out to get me—make them look

Like idiots, while I stretch out, reaching for you,

and daily add praise to praise.

I’ll write the book on your righteousness,

talk up your salvation the livelong day,

never run out of good things to write or say.

I come in the power of the LordGod,

I post signs marking his right-of-way.

17-24 You got me when I was an unformed youth,

God, and taught me everything I know.

Now I’m telling the world your wonders;

I’ll keep at it until I’m old and gray.

God, don’t walk off and leave me

until I get out the news

Of your strong right arm to this world,

news of your power to the world yet to come,

Your famous and righteous

ways, O God.

God, you’ve done it all!

Who is quite like you?

You, who made me stare trouble in the face,

Turn me around;

Now let me look life in the face.

I’ve been to the bottom;

Bring me up, streaming with honors;

turn to me, be tender to me,

And I’ll take up the lute and thank you

to the tune of your faithfulness, God.

I’ll make music for you on a harp,

Holy One of Israel.

When I open up in song to you,

I let out lungsful of praise,

my rescued life a song.

All day long I’m chanting

about you and your righteous ways,

While those who tried to do me in

slink off looking ashamed.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/71-fb974c9bb6b662fc918f320015073c92.mp3?version_id=97—

A Solomon Psalm

1-8 Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God,

the gift of just rule to the crown prince.

May he judge your people rightly,

be honorable to your meek and lowly.

Let the mountains give exuberant witness;

shape the hills with the contours of right living.

Please stand up for the poor,

help the children of the needy,

come down hard on the cruel tyrants.

Outlast the sun, outlive the moon—

age after age after age.

Be rainfall on cut grass,

earth-refreshing rain showers.

Let righteousness burst into blossom

and peace abound until the moon fades to nothing.

Rule from sea to sea,

from the River to the Rim.

9-14 Foes will fall on their knees before God,

his enemies lick the dust.

Kings remote and legendary will pay homage,

kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth.

All kings will fall down and worship,

and godless nations sign up to serve him,

Because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need,

the destitute who have run out of luck.

He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out,

he restores the wretched of the earth.

He frees them from tyranny and torture—

when they bleed, he bleeds;

when they die, he dies.

15-17 And live! Oh, let him live!

Deck him out in Sheba gold.

Offer prayers unceasing to him,

bless him from morning to night.

Fields of golden grain in the land,

cresting the mountains in wild exuberance,

Cornucopias of praise, praises

springing from the city like grass from the earth.

May he never be forgotten,

his fame shine on like sunshine.

May all godless people enter his circle of blessing

and bless the One who blessed them.

18-20 BlessedGod, Israel’s God,

the one and only wonder-working God!

Blessed always his blazing glory!

All earth brims with his glory.

Yes and Yes and Yes.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/72-6096355b5e2cb82ac65b2e6ab179812e.mp3?version_id=97—

An Asaph Psalm

1-5 No doubt about it! God is good—

good to good people, good to the good-hearted.

But I nearly missed it,

missed seeing his goodness.

I was looking the other way,

looking up to the people

At the top,

envying the wicked who have it made,

Who have nothing to worry about,

not a care in the whole wide world.

6-10 Pretentious with arrogance,

they wear the latest fashions in violence,

Pampered and overfed,

decked out in silk bows of silliness.

They jeer, using words to kill;

they bully their way with words.

They’re full of hot air,

loudmouths disturbing the peace.

People actually listen to them—can you believe it?

Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.

11-14 What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch?

Nobody’s tending the store.

The wicked get by with everything;

they have it made, piling up riches.

I’ve been stupid to play by the rules;

what has it gotten me?

A long run of bad luck, that’s what—

a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.

15-20 If I’d have given in and talked like this,

I would have betrayed your dear children.

Still, when I tried to figure it out,

all I got was a splitting headache . . .

Until I entered the sanctuary of God.

Then I saw the whole picture:

The slippery road you’ve put them on,

with a final crash in a ditch of delusions.

In the blink of an eye, disaster!

A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare!

We wake up and rub our eyes. . . . Nothing.

There’s nothing to them. And there never was.

21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter,

totally consumed by envy,

I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox

in your very presence.

I’m still in your presence,

but you’ve taken my hand.

You wisely and tenderly lead me,

and then you bless me.

25-28 You’re all I want in heaven!

You’re all I want on earth!

When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,

Godis rock-firm and faithful.

Look! Those who left you are falling apart!

Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again.

But I’m in the very presence of God—

oh, how refreshing it is!

I’ve made LordGodmy home.

God, I’m telling the world what you do!

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/73-c56bcb2c3d50d60058a37e00b8bebad5.mp3?version_id=97—

An Asaph Psalm

1 You walked off and left us, and never looked back.

God, how could you do that?

We’re your very own sheep;

how can you stomp off in anger?

2-3 Refresh your memory of us—you bought us a long time ago.

Your most precious tribe—you paid a good price for us!

Your very own Mount Zion—you actually lived here once!

Come and visit the site of disaster,

see how they’ve wrecked the sanctuary.

4-8 While your people were at worship, your enemies barged in,

brawling and scrawling graffiti.

They set fire to the porch;

axes swinging, they chopped up the woodwork,

Beat down the doors with sledgehammers,

then split them into kindling.

They burned your holy place to the ground,

violated the place of worship.

They said to themselves, “We’ll wipe them all out,”

and burned down all the places of worship.

9-17 There’s not a sign or symbol of God in sight,

nor anyone to speak in his name,

no one who knows what’s going on.

How long, God, will barbarians blaspheme,

enemies curse and get by with it?

Why don’t you do something? How long are you going

to sit there with your hands folded in your lap?

God is my King from the very start;

he works salvation in the womb of the earth.

With one blow you split the sea in two,

you made mincemeat of the dragon Tannin.

You lopped off the heads of Leviathan,

then served them up in a stew for the animals.

With your finger you opened up springs and creeks,

and dried up the wild floodwaters.

You own the day, you own the night;

you put stars and sun in place.

You laid out the four corners of earth,

shaped the seasons of summer and winter.

18-21 Mark and remember,God, all the enemy

taunts, each idiot desecration.

Don’t throw your lambs to the wolves;

after all we’ve been through, don’t forget us.

Remember your promises;

the city is in darkness, the countryside violent.

Don’t leave the victims to rot in the street;

make them a choir that sings your praises.

22-23 On your feet, O God—

stand up for yourself!

Do you hear what they’re saying about you,

all the vile obscenities?

Don’t tune out their malicious filth,

the brawling invective that never lets up.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/74-32316f3a590ac8b8a67ac0bba9477a99.mp3?version_id=97—

An Asaph Psalm

1 We thank you, God, we thank you—

your Name is our favorite word;

your mighty works are all we talk about.

2-4 You say, “I’m calling this meeting to order,

I’m ready to set things right.

When the earth goes topsy-turvy

And nobody knows which end is up,

I nail it all down,

I put everything in place again.

I say to the smart alecks, ‘That’s enough,’

to the bullies, ‘Not so fast.’”

5-6 Don’t raise your fist against High God.

Don’t raise your voice against Rock of Ages.

He’s the One from east to west;

from desert to mountains, he’s the One.

7-8 God rules: he brings this one down to his knees,

pulls that one up on her feet.

Godhas a cup in his hand,

a bowl of wine, full to the brim.

He draws from it and pours;

it’s drained to the dregs.

Earth’s wicked ones drink it all,

drink it down to the last bitter drop!

9-10 And I’m telling the story of God Eternal,

singing the praises of Jacob’s God.

The fists of the wicked

are bloody stumps,

The arms of the righteous

are lofty green branches.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/75-952e77e758b0144866ebaf5c3e9f34d3.mp3?version_id=97—

An Asaph Psalm

1-3 God is well-known in Judah;

in Israel, he’s a household name.

He keeps a house in Salem,

his own suite of rooms in Zion.

That’s where, using arrows for kindling,

he made a bonfire of weapons of war.

4-6 Oh, how bright you shine!

Outshining their huge piles of loot!

The warriors were plundered

and left there impotent.

And now there’s nothing to them,

nothing to show for their swagger and threats.

Your sudden roar, God of Jacob,

knocked the wind out of horse and rider.

7-10 Fierce you are, and fearsome!

Who can stand up to your rising anger?

From heaven you thunder judgment;

earth falls to her knees and holds her breath.

God stands tall and makes things right,

he saves all the wretched on earth.

Instead of smoldering rage—God-praise!

All that sputtering rage—now a garland for God!

11-12 Do forGodwhat you said you’d do—

he is, after all, your God.

Let everyone in town bring offerings

to the One Who Watches our every move.

Nobody gets by with anything,

no one plays fast and loose with him.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/PSA/76-09a01fd24e29ac20cfbf9cf602b7ecc8.mp3?version_id=97—