Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 For the leader. On the death of Labben. A psalm of David:

2 I give thanks toAdonaiwith all my heart.

I will tell about all your wonderful deeds.

3 I will be glad and exult in you.

I will sing praise to your name,‘Elyon.

4 When my enemies turn back,

they stumble and perish before you.

5 For you upheld my cause as just,

sitting on the throne as the righteous judge.

6 You rebuked the nations, destroyed the wicked,

blotted out their name forever and ever.

7 The enemy is finished, in ruins forever;

you destroyed their cities; all memory of them is lost.

8 ButAdonaiis enthroned forever;

he has set up his throne for judgment.

9 He will judge the world in righteousness;

he will judge the peoples fairly.

10 Adonaiis a stronghold for the oppressed,

a tower of strength in times of trouble.

11 Those who know your name put their trust in you,

for you have not abandoned those who seek you,Adonai.

12 Sing praises toAdonai, who lives in Tziyon;

proclaim his deeds among the peoples.

13 For the avenger of blood remembers them,

he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted:

14 “Have mercy on me,Adonai!

See how I suffer from those who hate me;

you raise me from the gates of death,

15 so that I can proclaim all your praises

at the gates of the daughter of Tziyon

and rejoice in this deliverance of yours.”

16 The nations have drowned in the pit they dug,

caught their own feet in the net they hid.

17 Adonaimade himself known and executed judgment;

the wicked are ensnared in the work of their own hands. (Higgayon;Selah)

18 The wicked will return to Sh’ol,

all the nations that forget God.

19 For the poor will not always be forgotten

or the hope of the needy perish forever.

20 Arise,Adonai! Don’t let mortals prevail!

Let the nations be judged in your presence.

21 Strike them with terror,Adonai!

Let the nations know they are only human.(Selah)

1 Why,Adonai, do you stand at a distance?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 The wicked in their arrogance hunt down the poor,

who get caught in the schemes they think up.

3 For the wicked boasts about his lusts;

he blesses greed and despisesAdonai.

4 Every scheme of the wicked in his arrogance [says],

“There is no God, [so] it won’t be held against me.”

5 His ways prosper at all times.

Your judgments are way up there,

so he takes no notice.

His adversaries? He scoffs at them all.

6 In his heart he thinks, “I will never be shaken;

I won’t meet trouble, not now or ever.”

7 His mouth is full of curses, deceit, oppression;

under his tongue, mischief and injustice.

8 He waits near settlements in ambush

and kills an innocent man in secret;

his eyes are on the hunt for the helpless.

9 Lurking unseen like a lion in his lair,

he lies in wait to pounce on the poor,

then seizes the poor and drags him off in his net.

10 Yes, he stoops, crouches down low;

and the helpless wretch falls into his clutches.

11 He says in his heart, “God forgets,

he hides his face, he will never see.”

12 Arise,Adonai! God, raise your hand!

Don’t forget the humble!

13 Why does the wicked despise God

and say in his heart, “It won’t be held against me”?

14 You have seen; for you look at mischief and grief,

so that you can take the matter in hand.

The helpless commits himself to you;

you help the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked!

As for the evil man,

search out his wickedness

until there is none left.

16 Adonaiis king forever and ever!

The nations have vanished from his land.

17 Adonai, you have heard what the humble want;

you encourage them and listen to them,

18 to give justice to the fatherless and oppressed,

so that no one on earth will strike terror again.

1 For the leader. By David:

InAdonaiI find refuge.

So how can you say to me,

“Flee like a bird to the mountains!

2 See how the wicked are drawing their bows

and setting their arrows on the string,

to shoot from the shadows at honest men.

3 If the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”

4 Adonaiis in his holy temple.

Adonai, his throne is in heaven.

His eyes see and test humankind.

5 Adonaitests the righteous;

but he hates the wicked and the lover of violence.

6 He will rain hot coals down on the wicked,

fire, sulfur and scorching wind

will be what they get to drink.

7 ForAdonaiis righteous;

he loves righteousness;

the upright will see his face.

1 For the leader. Onsh’minit[low-pitched musical instruments?]. A psalm of David:

2 Help,Adonai! For no one godly is left;

the faithful have vanished from humankind.

3 They all tell lies to each other,

flattering with their lips, but speaking from divided hearts.

4 MayAdonaicut off all flattering lips

and the tongue that speaks so proudly,

5 those who say, “By our tongues, we will prevail;

our lips are with us. Who can master us?”

6 “Because the poor are oppressed,

because the needy are groaning,

I will now rise up,” saysAdonai,

“and grant security to those whom they scorn.”

7 The words ofAdonaiare pure words,

silver in a melting-pot set in the earth,

refined and purified seven times over.

8 You,Adonai, protect us;

guard us forever from this generation —

9 the wicked strut about everywhere

when vileness is held in general esteem.

1 For the leader. A psalm of David:

2 How long,Adonai?

Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

3 How long must I keep asking myself what to do,

with sorrow in my heart every day?

How long must my enemy dominate me?

4 Look, and answer me,Adonaimy God!

Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death.

5 Then my enemy would say, “I was able to beat him”;

and my adversaries would rejoice at my downfall.

6 But I trust in your grace,

my heart rejoices as you bring me to safety.

I will sing toAdonai, because he gives me

even more than I need.

1 For the leader. By David:

Fools say in their hearts,

“There is no God.”

They deal corruptly, their deeds are vile,

not one does what is right.

2 From heavenAdonaiobserves humankind

to see if anyone has understanding,

if anyone seeks God.

3 But all turn aside, all alike are corrupt;

no one does what is right,

not a single one.

4 Don’t they ever learn,

all those evildoers,

who eat up my people as if eating bread

and never call onAdonai?

5 There they are, utterly terrified;

for God is with those who are righteous.

6 You may mock the plans of the poor,

but their refuge isAdonai.

7 How I wish Isra’el’s salvation

would come out of Tziyon!

WhenAdonairestores his people’s fortunes,

Ya‘akov will rejoice, Isra’el will be glad!

1 A psalm of David:

Adonai, who can rest in your tent?

Who can live on your holy mountain?

2 Those who live a blameless life,

who behave uprightly,

who speak truth from their hearts

3 and keep their tongues from slander;

who never do harm to others

or seek to discredit neighbors;

4 who look with scorn on the vile,

but honor those who fearAdonai;

who hold to an oath, no matter the cost;

5 who refuse usury when they lend money

and refuse a bribe to damage the innocent.

Those who do these things

never will be moved.

1 Mikhtam. By David:

Protect me, God,

for you are my refuge.

2 I said toAdonai, “You are my Lord;

I have nothing good outside of you.”

3 The holy people in the land are the ones

who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.

4 Those who run after another god

multiply their sorrows;

To such gods I will not offer

drink offerings of blood

or take their names on my lips.

5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup:

you safeguard my share.

6 Pleasant places were measured out for me;

I am content with my heritage.

7 I blessAdonai, my counselor;

at night my inmost being instructs me.

8 I always setAdonaibefore me;

with him at my right hand, I can never be moved;

9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices,

and my body too rests in safety;

10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol,

you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss.

11 You make me know the path of life;

in your presence is unbounded joy,

in your right hand eternal delight.

1 A prayer of David:

Hear a just cause,Adonai, heed my cry;

listen to my prayer from honest lips.

2 Let my vindication come from you,

let your eyes see what is right.

3 You probed my heart,

you visited me at night,

and you assayed me without finding evil thoughts

that should not pass my lips.

4 As for what others do, by words from your lips

I have kept myself from the ways of the violent;

5 my steps hold steadily to your paths,

my feet do not slip.

6 Now I call on you, God, for you will answer me.

Turn your ear to me, hear my words.

7 Show how wonderful is your grace,

savior of those who seek at your right hand

refuge from their foes.

8 Protect me like the pupil of your eye,

hide me in the shadow of your wings

9 from the wicked, who are assailing me,

from my deadly enemies, who are all around me.

10 They close their hearts to compassion;

they speak arrogantly with their mouths;

11 they track me down, they surround me;

they watch for a chance to bring me to the ground.

12 They are like lions eager to tear the prey,

like young lions crouching in ambush.

13 Arise,Adonai, confront them! Bring them down!

With your sword deliver me from the wicked,

14 with your hand,Adonai, from human beings,

from people whose portion in life is this world.

You fill their stomachs with your treasure,

their children will be satisfied too

and will leave their wealth to their little ones.

15 But my prayer, in righteousness, is to see your face;

on waking, may I be satisfied with a vision of you.

1 For the leader. By David the servant ofAdonai, who addressed the words of this song toAdonaion the day whenAdonaidelivered him from the power of all his enemies, including from the power of Sha’ul.

2 He said:

“I love you,Adonai, my strength!

3 “Adonaiis my Rock, my fortress and deliverer,

my God, my Rock, in whom I find shelter,

my shield, the power that saves me,

my stronghold.

4 I call onAdonai, who is worthy of praise;

and I am saved from my enemies.

5 “For the cords of death surrounded me,

the floods of B’liya‘al terrified me,

6 the ropes of Sh’ol were wrapped around me,

the snares of death lay there before me.

7 In my distress I called toAdonai;

I cried out to my God.

Out of his temple he heard my voice;

my cry reached his ears.

8 “Then the earth quaked and shook,

the foundations of the mountains trembled.

They were shaken because he was angry.

9 Smoke arose in his nostrils;

out of his mouth came devouring fire;

sparks blazed forth from him.

10 He lowered heaven and came down

with thick darkness under his feet.

11 He rode on akeruv; he flew,

swooping down on the wings of the wind.

12 He made darkness his hiding-place,

his canopy thick clouds dark with water.

13 From the brightness before him,

there broke through his thick clouds

hailstones and fiery coals.

14 “Adonaialso thundered in heaven,

Ha‘Elyonsounded his voice —

hailstones and fiery coals.

15 He sent out arrows and scattered them,

shot out lightning and routed them.

16 The channels of water appeared,

the foundations of the world were exposed

at your rebuke,Adonai,

at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

17 “He sent from on high, he took me

and pulled me out of deep water;

18 he rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from those who hated me,

for they were stronger than I.

19 They came against me on my day of disaster,

butAdonaiwas my support.

20 He brought me out to an open place;

he rescued me, because he took pleasure in me.

21 Adonairewarded me for my uprightness,

he repaid me because my hands were clean.

22 “For I have kept the ways ofAdonai,

I have not done evil by leaving my God;

23 for all his rulings were before me,

I did not distance his regulations from me.

24 I was pure-hearted with him

and kept myself from my sin.

25 “HenceAdonairepaid me for my uprightness,

according to the purity of my hands in his view.

26 With the merciful, you are merciful;

with a man who is sincere, you are sincere;

27 with the pure, you are pure;

but with the crooked you are cunning.

28 People afflicted, you save;

but haughty eyes, you humble.

29 “For you,Adonai, light my lamp;

Adonai, my God, lights up my darkness.

30 With you I can run through a whole troop of men,

with my God I can leap a wall.

31 “As for God, his way is perfect,

the word ofAdonaihas been tested by fire;

he shields all who take refuge in him.

32 “For who is God butAdonai?

Who is a Rock but our God?

33 “It is God who girds me with strength;

he makes my way go straight.

34 He makes me swift, sure-footed as a deer,

and enables me to stand on my high places.

35 He trains my hands for war

until my arms can bend a bow of bronze;

36 “You give me your shield, which is salvation,

your right hand holds me up,

your humility makes me great.

37 You lengthen the steps I can take,

yet my ankles do not turn.

38 “I pursued my enemies and overtook them,

without turning back until they were destroyed.

39 I crushed them, so that they can’t get up;

they have fallen under my feet.

40 “For you braced me with strength for the battle

and bent down my adversaries beneath me.

41 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,

and I destroyed those who hated me.

42 “They cried out, but there was no one to help,

even toAdonai, but he didn’t answer.

43 I pulverized them like dust in the wind,

threw them out like mud in the streets.

44 “You also freed me from the quarrels of my people.

You made me head of the nations;

a people I did not know now serve me —

45 the moment they hear of me, they obey me,

foreigners come cringing to me.

46 Foreigners lose heart

as they come trembling from their fortresses.

47 “Adonaiis alive! Blessed is my Rock!

Exalted be the God of my salvation,

48 the God who avenges me

and subdues peoples under me.

49 He delivers me from my enemies.

You lift me high above my enemies,

you rescue me from violent men.

50 “So I give thanks to you,Adonai, among the nations;

I sing praises to your name.

51 Great salvation he gives to his king;

he displays grace to his anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.”