For the music, Director: on Mahalath,

a maskil of David.

In his heart, a fool says

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt and do vile deeds,

none of them do good.

God looks down from heaven on humankind

to see if anyone understands, anyone who seeks God.

Everyone has turned away

 – they have all become corrupt.

Not a single person does good!

Will evildoers never learn?

They devour my people just like bread

and never call upon God.

They live in terror even when

there is nothing to be afraid of.

God has scattered the bones of your foes.

You will put them to shame

because God has rejected them.

Who will bring salvation to Israel from Zion?

When God restores God’s people who are captive,

let Jacob rejoice

let Israel be glad!

For the music director: a maskil (contemplative song)

of David, when Doeg the Edomite reported to Saul

that David went to the house of Ahimalek.

Why do you brag about evil, mighty hero?

God’s merciful compassion is constant.

Like a sharp razor, your tongue plots destruction,

practicing deceit.

You love evil rather than good,

lying instead of speaking correctly.

Selah.

You love only harmful words

– treacherous tongue!

God will forever pull you down,

snatching you right out of your tent,

and uprooting you from the land of the living.

Selah.

Then those who are righteous will see and fear,

and ridicule him: “Here is the man who trusted

in his great riches instead of making God his stronghold

– his strength was in his evil desire.”

But I – I am flourishing

like an olive tree in the house of God.

I will forever trust in God‘s lovingkindness.

I will forever praise You for what You have done.

In the presence of Your faithful people

I will put my hope in Your Name for it is good.

For the director of music: a psalm of David,

when the prophet Nathan approached him

after David committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to Your mercy.

According to Your abundant compassion

wipe away my transgressions.

Thoroughly wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

I know my sin and iniquity is always in front of me.

I have sinned against You, and You alone,

and I’ve done what is evil in Your sight.

You are justified when You pass sentence

and blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was conceived and born

in guilt and sin.

Surely You desire truth to the core,

make me understand wisdom inwardly.

If You cleanse me with hyssop, I will be clean.

If You wash me, I will be whiter than snow.

Make my ears hear joy and gladness

so the bones You have crushed will feel joy.

Look away from my sins

and wipe away all my mistakes.

Oh God, create a clean heart in me

and restore in me a steadfast spirit.

Don’t turn me away from Your presence

or take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore the joy of Your salvation to me

and preserve me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways

so that they may return to You.

Save me from the guilt of shedding blood, O God

– God of my salvation.

Then my tongue will joyfully sing

of Your righteousness.

Oh Lord, open my lips,

so my mouth can declare Your praise.

You don’t want sacrifice – or I would give it –

nor are You pleased with burnt offerings.

What God wants for sacrifice is a broken spirit.

God will not despise a broken and contrite heart.

May it please You to make Zion prosper.

Build up Jerusalem‘s walls.

Then You will delight in sacrifices that are righteous

as well as whole burnt offerings.

Then bulls will be offered up on Your altar.

A psalm of Asaph.

Adonai, the God of gods

speaks and summons the Earth

from where the sun rises to where it sets.

God shines forth out of Zion

 – the perfection of beauty.

Our God comes and is not silent.

A devouring fire is before God

and it rages mightily around God.

God calls to heaven above and earth below

to judge God’s people:

 “Gather my holy ones to Me,

those who make made a covenant with Me with a sacrifice.”

The heavens declare God’s righteousness,

because God alone is judge.

Selah.

“Listen, my people, and I will speak,

I will testify against you, Israel:

I am God, your God.

I don’t rebuke you for your sacrifices

or your burnt offerings, which are always before Me.

I don’t need a bowl from your household

or goats from your pens

because every forest animal is Mine,

along with the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know every bird in the mountains

 and all the creatures in the field are Mine.

I wouldn’t tell you if I were hungry

because the world and all it contains is Mine!

Do I eat the meat from bulls or drink goat’s blood?

Sacrifice thank offerings to God,

then honor your vows to the Most High.

Call upon me on a day of trouble

– I will rescue you and you will honor Me.”

However, God says to the wicked

“Why are you reciting My laws

and talking about My covenant?

You hate discipline

and throw My words behind you.

You are pleased when you see a thief

and you hang out with adulterers.

You use your mouth to unleash evil,

and you have harnessed your tongue to deceit.

You sit and testify against your sibling,

slandering your own mother’s child.

Should I keep silent about what you have done?

You thought I was the same as you

– but I rebuke you

and lay out the case before your eyes.

You who forgot God – consider this,

or I will tear you to shreds

with nobody to save you.

A sacrifice of praise gives honor,

and whoever is disciplined in this way

will be shown My salvation.”

To the music director: a psalm of Korah’s sons.

Listen, all you peoples.

Give ear, all you who inhabit the world,

both high and low,

poor and rich together.

My mouth speaks words of wisdom;

the meditation of my heart brings understanding.

I will pay close attention to a proverb;

I will speak my riddle with a harp.

Why should I feel fear in evil days?

When the evil of my foes surrounds me?

Or those who trust in their wealth boasting

 about how rich they are?

Nobody can redeem another person

or pay a ransom for them to God.

The cost to redeem a soul is too high

so you should quit trying forever.

Will they live forever and never see the Pit?

Surely they must see it, for even wise people die.

Foolish and senseless people similarly die,

leaving their wealth to the living.

Inwardly, they think their houses are eternal,

their homes throughout the generations,

they even name their lands after themselves.

But a pompous man will not endure.

He is like the animals that perish.

This is the way of those who trust in themselves,

and of their followers who approve of what they say.

Selah.

They are like sheep destined for Sheol.

Death will shepherd them

and the upright will rule over them

when morning comes.

Their image will waste away in Sheol

far from their lofty palaces.

But God redeems my soul from Sheol’s power

– God draws me in.

Selah.

Don’t be concerned when a person grows rich,

or the splendor of their house increases,

for they will take nothing with them when they die,

their splendor will not follow them down.

Even though they congratulate themselves

during their lives

– and people praise you when you prosper –

they will still join their ancestor’s company

who will never again see light.

A pompous, clueless person is like the animals that perish.

A song, a psalm of Korah’s sons.

Great is Adonai,

and most worthy of praise in God’s city,

God‘s holy mountain.

Mount Zion is beautiful in its height,

the joy of the whole world,

to the north of the great Ruler’s city.

God is a stronghold in her palaces.

Behold! When the king assembled they marched together.

When they looked,

they were astounded and ran away in terror.

There they were seized with trembling and pain

like a woman in labor.

God broke the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

Just as we have heard,

so have we seen in the city

of the Ruler of heavenly armies,

in the city of our God.

God will establish the city forever.

Selah.

In the midst of Your Temple

we have meditated on Your loving-kindness.

Like Your name, O God,

Your praise goes to the end of the earth.

Righteousness fills Your right hand.

Mount Zion is glad and the daughters of Judah rejoice

because of Your decrees.

Walk about Zion, encircle her.

Count her towers, consider her ramparts

and stroll through her palaces

so that you may tell a future generation

“This God is our God for all of eternity

and will always guide us.”

For the music director, a psalm of the son of Korah.

All you nations, clap your hands!

Shout with joy to God!

For the Most High is awesome,

a great Ruler over all the world.

God subdues people under us

and puts nations under our feet.

God selects our inheritance for us

– the pride of Jacob, who God loved.

Selah.

God rises up amidst shouts of joy,

Adonai is amidst the sound of the shofar.

Sing praises to God, sing!

Sing praises to our Ruler, sing!

For God is the ruler of all the world.

Sing well a song of praise.

God rules over the nations.

God sits upon God‘s holy throne.

The nobles of the peoples have gathered together

with the people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the world belong to God

– God is greatly exalted!

For the music director, according to Alamoth,

a song of the sons of Korah.

God is our strength and refuge,

an ever-present help in times of trouble,

therefore, we won’t be afraid,

even if the Earth trembles

or the mountains crumble into the ocean depths,

or if the sea waters roar and foam

or if the mountain shake with their turmoil.

Selah.

There is a river whose streams bring gladness

to the city of God – the holy home of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her, she won’t be shaken.

God will aid her at the break of day

when nations rage and kingdoms topple.

God speaks, and the Earth melts!

Adonai, the master of holy armies is with us.

The God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah.

Come and see what Adonai has done,

the One who brings devastation to the Earth.

Adonai makes wars end all over the world.

Adonai breaks the bow and shatters the spear.

Adonai sets chariots ablaze.

“Be still, and know that I am God,

exalted among the nations

and throughout the world.”

Adonai, the master of holy armies is with us.

The God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah.