Psalms 71-75

Chapter 71

In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. 2 Deliver me in Thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline Thine ear unto me, and save me. 3 Be Thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: Thou have given commandment to save me; for Thou are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

5 For Thou are my hope, O Lord God: Thou are my trust from my youth. 6 By Thee have I been held up from the womb: Thou are He that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of Thee. 7 I am as a wonder unto many; but Thou are my strong refuge. 8 Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise and with Thy honor all the day. 9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength fails. 10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together, 11 Saying, God has forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him. 12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help. 13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt. 14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise Thee more and more. 15 My mouth shall show forth Thy righteousness and Thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only.

17 O God, Thou have taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared Thy wondrous works. 18 Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed Thy strength unto this generation, and Thy power to everyone that is to come. 19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who has done great things: O God, who is like unto Thee! 20 Thou, which has showed me great and sore troubles, shall quicken me again, and shall bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 Thou shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. 22 I will also praise Thee with the psaltery, even Thy truth, O my God: unto Thee will I sing with the harp, O Thou Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto Thee; and my soul, which Thou have redeemed. 24 My tongue also shall talk of Thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

​Chapter 72

Give the king Thy judgments, O God, and Thy righteousness unto the king’s son. 2 He shall judge Thy people with righteousness, and Thy poor with judgment. 3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. 4 He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. 5 They shall fear Thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. 6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. 7 In His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endures. 8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him; and His enemies shall lick the dust. 10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him. 12 For He shall deliver the needy when he cries; the poor also, and him that has no helper. 13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. 14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in His sight. 15 And he shall live, and to Him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for Him continually; and daily shall He be praised. 16 There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. 17 His name shall endure forever: His name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in Him: all nations shall call Him blessed.

18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things. 19 And blessed be His glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen, and Amen.

20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Chapter 73

Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well almost slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. 6 Therefore pride compasses them about as a chain; violence covers them as a garment. 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 9 They set their mouth against the Heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth. 10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. 11 And they say, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. 15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of Thy children. 16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 18 Surely Thou did set them in slippery places: Thou casted them down into destruction. 19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. 20 As a dream when one awakes; so, O Lord, when Thou awake, Thou shall despise their image.

21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. 22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with Thee: Thou has held me by my right hand. 24 Thou shall guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee. 26 My flesh and my heart fails: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever. 27 For, lo, they that are far from Thee shall perish: Thou have destroyed all them that go a whoring from Thee. 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy works.

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​Chapter 74

O God, why have Thou cast us off forever? why does Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy pasture? 2 Remember Thy congregation, which Thou have purchased of old; the rod of Thine inheritance, which Thou have redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein Thou have dwelt. 3 Lift up Thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary.

4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs. 5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. 6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers. 7 They have cast fire into Thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of Thy name to the ground. 8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knows how long. 10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme Thy name forever? 11 Why withdraw Thou Thy hand, even Thy right hand? pluck it out of Thy bosom.

12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13 Thou did divide the sea by Thy strength: Thou brake the heads of the dragons in the waters. 14 Thou brake the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gave him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness. 15 Thou did cleave the fountain and the flood: Thou dried up mighty rivers. 16 The day is Thine, the night also is Thine: Thou have prepared the light and the sun. 17 Thou have set all the borders of the earth: Thou have made summer and winter.

18 Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed Thy name. 19 O deliver not the soul of Thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of Thy poor forever. 20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. 21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise Thy name.

22 Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproaches Thee daily. 23 Forget not the voice of Thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against Thee increases continually.

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​Chapter 75

Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto Thee do we give thanks: for that Thy name is near Thy wondrous works declare. 2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. 3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.

4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: 5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. 6 For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: He puts down one, and sets up another. 8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and He pours out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

9 But I will declare forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.