Amplified Bible (AMP)

A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked.

1 Why do You stand far away, O Lord?

Why do You hide [Yourself, veiling Your eyes] in times of trouble?

2 In prideandarrogance the wicked hotly pursueandpersecute the afflicted;

Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

3 For the wicked boastsandsings the praises of his heart’s desire,

And the greedy man curses and spurns [and even despises] the Lord.

4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his face, will not seeknorinquire forHim;

All his thoughts are, “There is no God [so there is no accountability or punishment].”

5 His ways prosper at all times;

Your judgments [Lord] are on high, out of his sight [so he never thinks about them];

As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

6 He says to himself, “I will not be moved;

For throughout all generations I will not be in adversity [for nothing bad will happen to me].”

7 His mouth is full of curses and deceit (fraud) and oppression;

Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness [injustice and sin].

8 He lurks in ambush in the villages;

In hiding places he kills the innocent;

He lies in wait for the unfortunate [the unhappy, the poor, the helpless].

9 He lurks in a hiding place like a lion in his lair;

He lies in wait to catch the afflicted;

He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.

10 He crushes [his prey] and crouches;

And the unfortunate fall by his mightyclaws.

11 He says to himself, “God has [quite] forgotten;

He has hidden His face; He will never see my deed.”

12 Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand [in judgment];

Do not forget the suffering.

13 Why has the wicked spurnedandshown disrespect to God?

He has said to himself, “You will not require me to account.”

14 You have seen it, for You have noted mischief and vexation (irritation) to take it into Your hand.

The unfortunate commitshimselfto You;

You are the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,

Seek out his wickedness until You find no more.

16 The Lordis King forever and ever;

The nations will perish from His land.

17 O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humbleandoppressed;

You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to hear,

18 To vindicateandobtain justice for the fatherless and the oppressed,

So that man who is of the earth will no longer terrify them.

The Lord a Refuge and Defense.

To the Chief Musician.

A Psalm

of David.

1 In the LordI take refuge [and put my trust];

How can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to your mountain;

2 For look, the wicked are bending the bow;

They take aim with their arrow on the string

To shoot [by stealth] in darkness at the upright in heart.

3 “If the foundations [of a godly society] are destroyed,

What can the righteous do?”

4 The Lordis in His holy temple; the Lord’sthrone is in heaven.

His eyes see, His eyelids test the children of men.

5 The Lordtests the righteous and the wicked,

And His soul hates the [malevolent] one who loves violence.

6 Upon the wicked (godless) He will rain coals of fire;

Fire andbrimstone and a dreadful scorching wind will be the portion of their cup [of doom].

7 For the Lordis [absolutely] righteous, He loves righteousness (virtue, morality, justice);

The upright shall see His face.

God, a Helper against the Treacherous.

To the Chief Musician;

set an octave below. A Psalm of David.

1 Saveandhelpandrescue, Lord, for godly people cease to be,

For the faithful vanish from among the sons of men.

2 They speak deceitfulandworthless words to one another;

With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

3 May the Lordcut off all flattering lips,

The tongue that speaks great things [in boasting];

4 Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;

Our lips are our own; who is lordandmaster over us?”

5 “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,

Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

6 The wordsandpromises of the Lordare pure words,

Like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.

7 You, O Lord, will preserveandkeep them;

You will protect him from this [evil] generation forever.

8 The wicked strut about [in pompous self-importance] on every side,

As vileness is exaltedandbaseness is prized among the sons of men.

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me?

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul,

Havingsorrow in my heart day after day?

How long will my enemy exalt himselfandtriumph over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lordmy God;

Give light (life) to my eyes, or I will sleep thesleep ofdeath,

4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”

And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

5 But I have trustedandrelied onandbeen confident in Your lovingkindnessandfaithfulness;

My heart shall rejoiceanddelight in Your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Folly and Wickedness of Men.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 The [spiritually ignorant] fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, they have committed repulsiveandunspeakable deeds;

There is no one who does good.

2 The Lordhas looked down from heaven upon the children of men

To see if there are any who understand (act wisely),

Who [truly] seek after God, [longing for His wisdom and guidance].

3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;

There is no one who does good, not even one.

4 Have all the workers of wickednessandinjustice no knowledge,

Who eat up my people as they eat bread,

And do not call upon the Lord?

5 There they tremble with great fear,

For God is with the [consistently] righteous generation.

6 You [evildoers] shamefully plan against the poor,

But the Lordis his safe refuge.

7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!

When the Lordrestores His captive people,

Then Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent?

Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill?

2 He who walks with integrityandstrength of character, and works righteousness,

And speaksandholds truth in his heart.

3 He does not slander with his tongue,

Nor does evil to his neighbor,

Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

4 In his eyes an evil person is despised,

But he honors those who fear the Lord[and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].

He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit];

5 He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],

And does not take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things will never be shaken.

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A

Mikhtam of David [probably intended to record memorable thoughts].

1 Keepandprotect me, O God, for in You I have placed my trustandfound refuge.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

I have no good besides You.”

3 As for the saints (godly people) who are in the land,

They are the majesticandthe nobleandthe excellent ones in whom is all my delight.

4 The sorrows [pain and suffering] of those who have chosen anothergodwill be multiplied [because of their idolatry];

I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,

Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lordis the portion of my inheritance, my cup [He is all I need];

You support my lot.

6 The [boundary] lines [of the land] have fallen for me in pleasant places;

Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lordwho has counseled me;

Indeed, my heart (mind) instructs me in the night.

8 I have set the Lordcontinually before me;

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my innermost self] rejoices;

My body too will dwell [confidently] in safety,

10 For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

11 You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Prayer for Protection against Oppressors.

A Prayer of David.

1 Hear the just (righteous) cause, O Lord; listen to my loud [piercing] cry;

Listen to my prayer, that comes from guileless lips.

2 Let my verdict of vindication come from Your presence;

May Your eyes look with equityandbehold things that are just.

3 You have tried my heart;

You have visited me in the night;

You have tested me and You find nothing [evil in me];

I intend that my mouth will not transgress.

4 Concerning the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips

I have kept away from the paths of the violent.

5 My steps have held closely to Your paths;

My feet have not staggered.

6 I have called upon You, for You, O God, will answer me;

Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.

7 Wondrously show Your [marvelous and amazing] lovingkindness,

O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand

From those who rise upagainst them.

8 Keep me [in Your affectionate care, protect me] as theapple of Your eye;

Hide me in the [protective] shadow of Your wings

9 From the wicked who despoilanddeal violently with me,

My deadly enemies who surround me.

10 They have closed theirunfeelingheart[to kindness and compassion];

With their mouths they speak proudlyandmake presumptuous claims.

11 They track us downandhave now surrounded us in our steps;

They set their eyes to force us to the ground,

12 He is like a lion eager to tear [his prey],

And like a young lion lurking in hiding places.

13 Arise, O Lord, confront him, cast him down;

Save my soul from the wicked with Your sword,

14 From men with Your hand, O Lord,

From men of the world [these moths of the night] whose portion [of enjoyment] is in this life–idle and vain,

And whose belly You fill with Your treasure;

They are satisfied with children,

And they leave what they have left [of wealth] to their children.

15 As for me, I shall see Your face in righteousness;

I will be [fully] satisfied when I awake [to find myself] seeing Your likeness.

David Praises the Lord for Rescuing Him.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David, the servant of the L

ord

, who spoke the words of this song to the L

ord

on the day when the L

ord

rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:

1 “I love You [fervently and devotedly], O Lord, my strength.”

2 The Lordis my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me;

My God, my rockandstrength in whom I trustandtake refuge;

My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower–my stronghold.

3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;

And I am saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death surrounded me,

And the streams of ungodlinessandtorrents of destruction terrified me.

5 The cords of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) surrounded me;

The snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress [when I seemed surrounded] I called upon the Lord

And cried to my God for help;

He heard my voice from His temple,

And my cry for help came before Him, into Hisveryears.

7 Then the earth shook and quaked,

The foundations of the mountains trembled;

They were shaken because He was indignantandangry.

8 Smoke went up from His nostrils,

And fire from His mouth devoured;

Coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also and came down;

And thick darkness was under His feet.

10 And He rode upon a cherub (storm) and flew;

And He sped on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness His hiding place (covering); His pavilion (canopy) around Him,

The darkness of the waters, the thick clouds of the skies.

12 Out of the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,

Hailstones and coals of fire.

13 The Lordalso thundered in the heavens,

And the Most High uttered His voice,

Hailstones and coals of fire.

14 He sent out His arrows and scattered them;

AndHe sentan abundance of lightning flashes and confusedandrouted them [in defeat].

15 Then the stream beds of the waters appeared,

And the foundations of the world were laid bare

At Your rebuke, O Lord,

At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

16 He reached from on high, He took me;

He drew me out of many waters.

17 He rescued me from my strong enemy,

And from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

But the Lordwas my support.

19 He brought me out into a broad place;

He rescued me because He was pleased with meanddelighted in me.

20 The Lorddealt with me according to my righteousness (moral character, spiritual integrity);

According to the cleanness of my hands He has rewarded me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,

And have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all His ordinances were before me,

And I did not put away His statutes from me.

23 I wasblameless before Him,

And I kept myself free from my sin.

24 Therefore the Lordhas rewarded me according to my righteousness (moral character, spiritual integrity),

According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

25 With the kind (merciful, faithful, loyal) You show Yourself kind,

With the blameless You show Yourself blameless,

26 With the pure You show Yourself pure,

And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.

27 For You save an afflictedandhumble people,

But bring down those [arrogant fools] with haughty eyes.

28 For You cause my lamp to be lightedandto shine;

The Lordmy God illumines my darkness.

29 For by You I can crush a troop,

And by my God I can leap over a wall.

30 As for God, His way isblameless.

The word of the Lordis tested [it is perfect, it is faultless];

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

31 For who is God, but the Lord?

Or who is a rock, except our God,

32 The God who encircles me with strength

And makes my way blameless?

33 He makes my feet likehinds’ feet [able to stand firmly and tread safely on paths of testing and trouble];

He sets me [securely] upon my high places.

34 He trains my hands for war,

So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,

And Your right hand upholdsandsustains me;

Your gentleness [Your gracious response when I pray] makes me great.

36 You enlarge the path beneath meandmake my steps secure,

So that my feet will not slip.

37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;

And I did not turn back until they were consumed.

38 I shattered them so that they were not able to rise;

They fell [wounded] under my feet.

39 For You have encircled me with strength for the battle;

You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me [in defeat],

And I silencedanddestroyed those who hated me.

41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them–

Even to the Lord[they cried], but He did not answer them.

42 Then I beat them fine as the dust before the wind;

I emptied them out as the dirt of the streets.

43 You have rescued me from the contentions of the people;

You have placed me as the head of the nations;

A people whom I have not known serve me.

44 As soon as they hear me, they respondandobey me;

Foreigners feign obedience to me.

45 Foreigners lose heart,

And come trembling out of their strongholds.

46 The Lordlives, blessed be my rock;

And may the God of my salvation be exalted,

47 The God who avenges me,

And subdues peoples (nations) under me.

48 He rescues me from my enemies;

Yes, You lift me up above those who rise up against me;

You deliver me from the man of violence.

49 Therefore will I give thanksandpraise You, O Lord, among the nations,

And sing praises to Your name.

50 He gives great triumphs to His king,

And shows steadfast loveandmercy to His anointed,

To David and his descendants forever.

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.

2 Day after day pours forth speech,

And night after night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];

Their voice is not heard.

4 Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,

Their words to the end of the world.

In themandin the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,

5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;

It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

6 The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,

And its circuit to the other end of them;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lordis perfect (flawless), restoringandrefreshing the soul;

The statutes of the Lordare reliableandtrustworthy, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lordare right, bringing joy to the heart;

The commandment of the Lordis pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lordis clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lordare true, they are righteous altogether.

10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];

In keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can understand his errorsoromissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended)faults.

13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful)sins;

Let them not ruleandhave control over me.

Then I will be blameless (complete),

And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptableandpleasing in Your sight,

O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.