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Psalm

Psalm 131

A Pilgrim Song

1 God, I’m not trying to rule the roost,

I don’t want to be king of the mountain.

I haven’t meddled where I have no business

or fantasized grandiose plans.

2 I’ve kept my feet on the ground,

I’ve cultivated a quiet heart.

Like a baby content in its mother’s arms,

my soul is a baby content.

3 Wait, Israel, forGod. Wait with hope.

Hope now; hope always!

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/131-2aa9f2d24a2013add30ff5b58f49ebde.mp3?version_id=97—

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Psalm

Psalm 132

A Pilgrim Song

1-5 OGod, remember David,

remember all his troubles!

And remember how he promisedGod,

made a vow to the Strong God of Jacob,

“I’m not going home,

and I’m not going to bed,

I’m not going to sleep,

not even take time to rest,

Until I find a home forGod,

a house for the Strong God of Jacob.”

6-7 Remember how we got the news in Ephrathah,

learned all about it at Jaar Meadows?

We shouted, “Let’s go to the shrine dedication!

Let’s worship at God’s own footstool!”

8-10 Up,God, enjoy your new place of quiet repose,

you and your mighty covenant ark;

Get your priests all dressed up in justice;

prompt your worshipers to sing this prayer:

“Honor your servant David;

don’t disdain your anointed one.”

11-18 Godgave David his word,

he won’t back out on this promise:

“One of your sons

I will set on your throne;

If your sons stay true to my Covenant

and learn to live the way I teach them,

Their sons will continue the line—

always a son to sit on your throne.

Yes—I,God, chose Zion,

the place I wanted for my shrine;

This will always be my home;

this is what I want, and I’m here for good.

I’ll shower blessings on the pilgrims who come here,

and give supper to those who arrive hungry;

I’ll dress my priests in salvation clothes;

the holy people will sing their hearts out!

Oh, I’ll make the place radiant for David!

I’ll fill it with light for my anointed!

I’ll dress his enemies in dirty rags,

but I’ll make his crown sparkle with splendor.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/132-48c2ebe1bf550b8671bc912d9c7e3c12.mp3?version_id=97—

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Psalm

Psalm 133

A Pilgrim Song of David

1-3 How wonderful, how beautiful,

when brothers and sisters get along!

It’s like costly anointing oil

flowing down head and beard,

Flowing down Aaron’s beard,

flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.

It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon

flowing down the slopes of Zion.

Yes, that’s whereGodcommands the blessing,

ordains eternal life.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/133-e2ffd2fd9cd6b574b9f5171583e0b9a5.mp3?version_id=97—

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Psalm

Psalm 134

A Pilgrim Song

1-3 Come, blessGod,

all you servants ofGod!

You priests ofGod,posted to the nightwatch

inGod’s shrine,

Lift your praising hands to the Holy Place,

and blessGod.

In turn, mayGodof Zion bless you—

Godwho made heaven and earth!

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/134-7aa2ff279ba028144d82248ee2ad1def.mp3?version_id=97—

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Psalm

Psalm 135

1-4 Hallelujah!

Praise the name ofGod,

praise the works ofGod.

All you priests on duty inGod’s temple,

serving in the sacred halls of our God,

Shout “Hallelujah!” becauseGod’s so good,

sing anthems to his beautiful name.

And why? BecauseGodchose Jacob,

embraced Israel as a prize possession.

5-12 I, too, give witness to the greatness ofGod,

our Lord, high above all other gods.

He does just as he pleases—

however, wherever, whenever.

He makes the weather—clouds and thunder,

lightning and rain, wind pouring out of the north.

He struck down the Egyptian firstborn,

both human and animal firstborn.

He made Egypt sit up and take notice,

confronted Pharaoh and his servants with miracles.

Yes, he struck down great nations,

he slew mighty kings—

Sihon king of the Amorites, also Og of Bashan—

every last one of the Canaanite kings!

Then he turned their land over to Israel,

a gift of good land to his people.

13-18 God, your name is eternal,

God, you’ll never be out-of-date.

Godstands up for his people,

Godholds the hands of his people.

The gods of the godless nations are mere trinkets,

made for quick sale in the markets:

Chiseled mouths that can’t talk,

painted eyes that can’t see,

Carved ears that can’t hear—

dead wood! cold metal!

Those who make and trust them

become like them.

19-21 Family of Israel, blessGod!

Family of Aaron, blessGod!

Family of Levi, blessGod!

You who fearGod, blessGod!

Oh, blessed beGodof Zion,

First Citizen of Jerusalem!

Hallelujah!

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/135-acaa78cd293e23f3315fca7e033e9871.mp3?version_id=97—

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Psalm

Psalm 136

1-3 ThankGod! He deserves your thanks.

His love never quits.

Thank the God of all gods,

His love never quits.

Thank the Lord of all lords.

His love never quits.

4-22 Thank the miracle-working God,

His love never quits.

The God whose skill formed the cosmos,

His love never quits.

The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations,

His love never quits.

The God who filled the skies with light,

His love never quits.

The sun to watch over the day,

His love never quits.

Moon and stars as guardians of the night,

His love never quits.

The God who struck down the Egyptian firstborn,

His love never quits.

And rescued Israel from Egypt’s oppression,

His love never quits.

Took Israel in hand with his powerful hand,

His love never quits.

Split the Red Sea right in half,

His love never quits.

Led Israel right through the middle,

His love never quits.

Dumped Pharaoh and his army in the sea,

His love never quits.

The God who marched his people through the desert,

His love never quits.

Smashed huge kingdoms right and left,

His love never quits.

Struck down the famous kings,

His love never quits.

Struck Sihon the Amorite king,

His love never quits.

Struck Og the Bashanite king,

His love never quits.

Then distributed their land as booty,

His love never quits.

Handed the land over to Israel.

His love never quits.

23-26 God remembered us when we were down,

His love never quits.

Rescued us from the trampling boot,

His love never quits.

Takes care of everyone in time of need.

His love never quits.

Thank God, who did it all!

His love never quits!

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/136-f84ac3c8f2ea95c65ba8d26f4e7cbbf1.mp3?version_id=97—

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Psalm

Psalm 137

1-3 Alongside Babylon’s rivers

we sat on the banks; we cried and cried,

remembering the good old days in Zion.

Alongside the quaking aspens

we stacked our unplayed harps;

That’s where our captors demanded songs,

sarcastic and mocking:

“Sing us a happy Zion song!”

4-6 Oh, how could we ever singGod’s song

in this wasteland?

If I ever forget you, Jerusalem,

let my fingers wither and fall off like leaves.

Let my tongue swell and turn black

if I fail to remember you,

If I fail, O dear Jerusalem,

to honor you as my greatest.

7-9 God, remember those Edomites,

and remember the ruin of Jerusalem,

That day they yelled out,

“Wreck it, smash it to bits!”

And you, Babylonians—ravagers!

A reward to whoever gets back at you

for all you’ve done to us;

Yes, a reward to the one who grabs your babies

and smashes their heads on the rocks!

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/137-41e570c801b9df199c45d2193c468c21.mp3?version_id=97—

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Psalm

Psalm 138

A David Psalm

1-3 Thank you! Everything in me says “Thank you!”

Angels listen as I sing my thanks.

I kneel in worship facing your holy temple

and say it again: “Thank you!”

Thank you for your love,

thank you for your faithfulness;

Most holy is your name,

most holy is your Word.

The moment I called out, you stepped in;

you made my life large with strength.

4-6 When they hear what you have to say,God,

all earth’s kings will say “Thank you.”

They’ll sing of what you’ve done:

“How great the glory ofGod!”

And here’s why:God, high above, sees far below;

no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.

7-8 When I walk into the thick of trouble,

keep me alive in the angry turmoil.

With one hand

strike my foes,

With your other hand

save me.

Finish what you started in me,God.

Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/138-1bc2f5df20116a3ef63c990a68c435e6.mp3?version_id=97—

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Psalm

Psalm 139

A David Psalm

1-6 God, investigate my life;

get all the facts firsthand.

I’m an open book to you;

even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.

You know when I leave and when I get back;

I’m never out of your sight.

You know everything I’m going to say

before I start the first sentence.

I look behind me and you’re there,

then up ahead and you’re there, too—

your reassuring presence, coming and going.

This is too much, too wonderful—

I can’t take it all in!

7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?

to be out of your sight?

If I climb to the sky, you’re there!

If I go underground, you’re there!

If I flew on morning’s wings

to the far western horizon,

You’d find me in a minute—

you’re already there waiting!

Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!

At night I’m immersed in the light!”

It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;

night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.

13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

you formed me in my mother’s womb.

I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out,

you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

before I’d even lived one day.

17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!

God, I’ll never comprehend them!

I couldn’t even begin to count them—

any more than I could count the sand of the sea.

Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!

And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!

And you murderers—out of here!—

all the men and women who belittle you, God,

infatuated with cheap god-imitations.

See how I hate those who hate you,God,

see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;

I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.

Your enemies are my enemies!

23-24 Investigate my life, O God,

find out everything about me;

Cross-examine and test me,

get a clear picture of what I’m about;

See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—

then guide me on the road to eternal life.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/139-3aa8659fa11c63f9b5c32d1f3c649adc.mp3?version_id=97—

Categories
Psalm

Psalm 140

A David Psalm

1-5 God, get me out of here, away from this evil;

protect me from these vicious people.

All they do is think up new ways to be bad;

they spend their days plotting war games.

They practice the sharp rhetoric of hate and hurt,

speak venomous words that maim and kill.

God, keep me out of the clutch of these wicked ones,

protect me from these vicious people;

Stuffed with self-importance, they plot ways to trip me up,

determined to bring me down.

These crooks invent traps to catch me

and do their best to incriminate me.

6-8 I prayed, “God, you’re my God!

Listen,God! Mercy!

God, my Lord, Strong Savior,

protect me when the fighting breaks out!

Don’t let the wicked have their way,God,

don’t give them an inch!”

9-11 These troublemakers all around me—

let them drown in their own verbal poison.

Let God pile hellfire on them,

let him bury them alive in crevasses!

These loudmouths—

don’t let them be taken seriously;

These savages—

let the Devil hunt them down!

12-13 I know that you,God, are on the side of victims,

that you care for the rights of the poor.

And I know that the righteous personally thank you,

that good people are secure in your presence.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/140-2a9802c580106dba902b8d4174f23d9d.mp3?version_id=97—