Revised Version 1885 (RV1885)

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 God,evenGod, theLord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined forth.

3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

4 He shall call to the heavens above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people:

5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness; for God is judge himself. Selah

7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God,eventhy God.

8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; and thy burnt offerings are continually before me.

9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds.

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High:

15 And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes; and that thou hast taken my covenant in thy mouth?

17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.

18 When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.

20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.

21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself:butI will reprove thee, and setthemin order before thine eyes.

22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver:

23 Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversationarightwill I shew the salvation of God.

For the Chief Musician. A psalm of David: when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight: that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: and uphold me with a free spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation;andmy tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16 For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: thou hast no pleasure in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then shalt thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

For the Chief Musician. Maschil of David: when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.

1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the mercy of Godendurethcontinually.

2 Thy tongue deviseth very wickedness; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah

4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee up, and pluck thee out of thy tent, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah

6 The righteous also shall seeit, and fear, and shall laugh at him,saying,

7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

9 I will give thee thanks for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name, for it is good, in the presence of thy saints.

For the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath. Maschil of David.

1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none that doeth good.

2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek after God.

3 Every one of them is gone back; they are together become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon God.

5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee; thou hast put them to shame, because God hath rejected them.

6 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, then shall Jacob rejoice,andIsrael shall be glad.

For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. Maschil of David: when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?

1 Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me in thy might.

2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

3 For strangers are risen up against me, and violent men have sought after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah

4 Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is of them that uphold my soul.

5 He shall requite the evil unto mine enemies: destroy thou them in thy truth.

6 With a freewill offering will I sacrifice unto thee: I will give thanks unto thy name, OLord, for it is good.

7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble; and mine eye hath seenmy desireupon mine enemies.

For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. Maschil of David.

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.

2 Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan;

3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they cast iniquity upon me, and in anger they persecute me.

4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! then would I fly away, and be at rest.

7 Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah

8 I would haste me to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.

9 Destroy, O Lord,anddivide their tongue: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go about upon the walls thereof: iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.

11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: oppression and guile depart not from her streets.

12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my companion, and my familiar friend.

14 We took sweet counsel together, we walked in the house of God with the throng.

15 Let death come suddenly upon them, let them go down alive into the pit: for wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them.

16 As for me, I will call upon God; and theLordshall save me.

17 Evening, and morning, and at noonday, will I complain, and moan: and he shall hear my voice.

18 He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for they were manythat strovewith me.

19 God shall hear, and answer them, even he that abideth of old, Selahthe menwho have no changes, and who fear not God.

20 He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: he hath profaned his covenant.

21 His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

22 Cast thy burden upon theLord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

For the Chief Musician; set to Jonath elem rehokim.

A Psalm

of David: Michtam: when the Philistines took him in Gath.

1 Be merciful unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up: all the day long he fighting oppresseth me.

2 Mine enemies would swallow me up all the day long: for they be many that fight proudly against me.

3 What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in thee.

4 In God I will praise his word: in God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid; what can flesh do unto me?

5 All the day long they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, even as they have waited for my soul.

7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in anger cast down the peoples, O God.

8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle; are they not in thy book?

9 Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day that I call: this I know, that God is for me.

10 In God will I praisehisword: in theLordwill I praisehisword.

11 In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid; what can man do unto me?

12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render thank offerings unto thee.

13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death:hast thounotdeliveredmy feet from falling? that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

For the Chief Musician;

set to

Al-tashheth.

A Psalm

of David: Michtam: when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me; for my soul taketh refuge in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I take refuge, untilthesecalamities be overpast.

2 I will cry unto God Most High; unto God that performethall thingsfor me.

3 He shall send from heaven, and save me,whenhe that would swallow me up reproacheth; Selah God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

4 My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens;letthy glorybeabove all the earth.

6 They have prepared a net for my steps; thy soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me; they are fallen into the midst thereof themselves. Selah

7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing, yea, I will sing praises.

8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early.

9 I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the peoples: I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the skies.

11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens;letthy glorybeabove all the earth.

For the Chief Musician;

set to

Al-tashheth.

A Psalm

of David: Michtam.

1 Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent:they arelike the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;

5 Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, OLord.

7 Let them melt away as water that runneth apace: when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.

8 Let them beas a snail which melteth and passeth away:likethe untimely birth of a woman, that hath not seen the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

11 So that men shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.

For the Chief Musician;

set to

Al-tashheth.

A Psalm

of David: Michtam: when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.

1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: set me on high from them that rise up against me.

2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from the bloodthirsty men.

3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul; the mighty gather themselves together against me: not for my transgression, nor for my sin, OLord.

4 They run and prepare themselves withoutmyfault: awake thou to help me, and behold.

5 Even thou, OLordGod of hosts, the God of Israel, arise to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah

6 They return at evening, they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips: for who,say they, doth hear?

8 But thou, OLord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

9 O my strength, I will wait upon thee: for God is my high tower.

10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me seemy desireupon mine enemies.

11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

12 Forthe sin of their mouth,andthe words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride, and for cursing and lying which they speak.

13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they be no more: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the earth. Selah

14 And at evening let them return, let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

15 They shall wander up and down for meat and tarry all night if they be not satisfied.

16 But I will sing of thy strength; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my high tower, and a refuge in the day of my distress.

17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing praises: for God is my high tower, the God of my mercy.