The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!

The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
from there he rules over everything.

Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I confidently trust! For then He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

Then He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only a spectator shall you be as you witness the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. For He will give His angels[especial charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways of obedience and service. They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.

Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness–trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never.

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Your love has always been our lives’ foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world. You once said, “I joined forces with my chosen leader, I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying, ‘Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life; I’ll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.’”

God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways, the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways! Search high and low, scan skies and land, you’ll find nothing and no one quite like God.

The holy angels are in awe before him; he looms immense and august over everyone around him. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle?

You put the arrogant ocean in its place and calm its waves when they turn unruly. You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand, you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist.

You own the cosmos—you made everything in it, everything from atom to archangel. You positioned the North and South Poles; the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you. With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—nobody trifles with you! The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule; Love and Truth are its fruits.

Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do—they can’t keep it quiet! Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—you’ve been so good to us! We’re walking on air! All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King!

I call to you, God; all day I call.
I wring my hands, I plead for help.
Are the dead a live audience for your miracles?
Do ghosts ever join the choirs that praise you?
Does your love make any difference in a graveyard?
Is your faithful presence noticed in the corridors of hell?
Are your marvelous wonders ever seen in the dark,
your righteous ways noticed in the Land of No Memory?

13-18 I’m standing my ground, God, shouting for help,
at my prayers every morning, on my knees each daybreak.
Why, God, do you turn a deaf ear?
Why do you make yourself scarce?
For as long as I remember I’ve been hurting;
I’ve taken the worst you can hand out, and I’ve had it.
Your wildfire anger has blazed through my life;
I’m bleeding, black-and-blue.
You’ve attacked me fiercely from every side,
raining down blows till I’m nearly dead.
You made lover and neighbor alike dump me;
the only friend I have left is Darkness.

Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah [pause, and calmly realize what that means]!

I will make mention of Rahab [the poetic name for Egypt] and Babylon as among those who know the city of God–behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia (Cush)–saying, This man was born there.

Yes, of Zion it shall be said, This man and that man were born in her, for the Most High Himself will establish her. The Lord shall count, when He registers the peoples, that this man was born there. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! The singers as well as the players on instruments shall say, All my springs–my sources of life and joy–are in the city of our God.

Be merciful and gracious to me, O Lord, for to You do I cry all the day. Make me, Your servant, to rejoice, O Lord, for to You do I lift myself up.

For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive my trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever; and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to anyone who calls upon You.

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and listen to the cry of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call on You, for You will answer me.

There is none like You among the gods, O Lord, neither are their works like Yours. All nations whom You have made shall come and fall down before You, O Lord; and they shall glorify Your name. For You are great and work wonders! You alone are God.

Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart solely and reverently to fear and honor Your name.

I will confess and praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy and loving-kindness toward me; and You have delivered me from the exceeding depths of affliction.

O God, the proud and insolent are risen against me; a rabble of violent and ruthless men has sought and demanded my life, and they have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness and truth.

O turn to me and have mercy and be gracious to me; grant strength and inflexibility to temptation to Your servant and save the son of Your handmaiden. Show me a sign of Your evident goodwill and favor, that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because You, Lord, will show Your approval of me when You help and comfort me.

Blessed are the chosen! Blessed the guest at home in your place! We expect our fill of good things in your house, your heavenly manse.
All your salvation wonders are on display in your trophy room.

Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer, Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser, Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash, of mobs in noisy riot—Far and wide they’ll come to a stop, they’ll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, “Come and worship.”

^9-13 Oh, visit the earth, ask her to join the dance! Deck her out in spring showers, fill the God-River with living water.

Paint the wheat fields golden. Creation was made for this! Drench the plowed fields, soak the dirt clods With rainfall as harrow and rake bring her to blossom and fruit.

Snow-crown the peaks with splendor, scatter rose petals down your paths, All through the wild meadows, rose petals. Set the hills to dancing, Dress the canyon walls with live sheep, a drape of flax across the valleys. Let them shout, and shout, and shout! Oh, oh, let them sing!

“Let’s wipe this nation from the face of the earth,” they say; “scratch Israel’s name off the books.” And now they’re putting their heads together, making plans to get rid of you.

^9-12 Do to them what you did to Midian, to Sisera and Jabin at Kishon Brook; They came to a bad end at Endor, nothing but dung for the garden. Cut down their leaders as you did Oreb and Zeeb, their princes to nothings like Zebah and Zalmunna, With their empty brags, “We’re grabbing it all,
grabbing God’s gardens for ourselves.”

^13-18 My God! I’ve had it with them! Blow them away!

Tumbleweeds in the desert waste, charred sticks in the burned-over ground. Knock the breath right out of them, so they’re gasping for breath, gasping, “God.” Bring them to the end of their rope, and leave them there dangling, helpless.Then they’ll learn your name: “God,” the one and only High God on earth.