Category: Psalm

A David Psalm

1-3 I’ve already run for dear life

straight to the arms ofGod.

So why would I run away now

when you say,

“Run to the mountains; the evil

bows are bent, the wicked arrows

Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness

at every heart open to God.

The bottom’s dropped out of the country;

good people don’t have a chance”?

4-6 ButGodhasn’t moved to the mountains;

his holy address hasn’t changed.

He’s in charge, as always, his eyes

taking everything in, his eyelids

Unblinking, examining Adam’s unruly brood

inside and out, not missing a thing.

He tests the good and the bad alike;

if anyone cheats, God’s outraged.

Fail the test and you’re out,

out in a hail of firestones,

Drinking from a canteen

filled with hot desert wind.

7 God’s business is putting things right;

he loves getting the lines straight,

Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall,

we can look him straight in the eye.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/11-4d72b7240280f287507f5db84b6ee1a8.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1-2 Quick,God, I need your helping hand!

The last decent person just went down,

All the friends I depended on gone.

Everyone talks in lie language;

Lies slide off their oily lips.

They doubletalk with forked tongues.

3-4 Slice their lips off their faces! Pull

The braggart tongues from their mouths!

I’m tired of hearing, “We can talk anyone into anything!

Our lips manage the world.”

5 Into the hovels of the poor,

Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:

“I’ve had enough; I’m on my way

To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched.”

6-8 God’s words are pure words,

Pure silver words refined seven times

In the fires of his word-kiln,

Pure on earth as well as in heaven.

God, keep us safe from their lies,

From the wicked who stalk us with lies,

From the wicked who collect honors

For their wonderful lies.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/12-88631696a3801792fc7fbe8ae9658152.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1-2 Long enough,God—

you’ve ignored me long enough.

I’ve looked at the back of your head

long enough. Long enough

I’ve carried this ton of trouble,

lived with a stomach full of pain.

Long enough my arrogant enemies

have looked down their noses at me.

3-4 Take a good look at me,God, my God;

I want to look life in the eye,

So no enemy can get the best of me

or laugh when I fall on my face.

5-6 I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms—

I’m celebrating your rescue.

I’m singing at the top of my lungs,

I’m so full of answered prayers.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/13-f9c6d6925204f5107d9eafd9c6024d3a.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1 Bilious and bloated, they gas,

“God is gone.”

Their words are poison gas,

fouling the air; they poison

Rivers and skies;

thistles are their cash crop.

2 Godsticks his head out of heaven.

He looks around.

He’s looking for someone not stupid—

one man, even, God-expectant,

just one God-ready woman.

3 He comes up empty. A string

of zeros. Useless, unshepherded

Sheep, taking turns pretending

to be Shepherd.

The ninety and nine

follow their fellow.

4 Don’t they know anything,

all these impostors?

Don’t they know

they can’t get away with this—

Treating people like a fast-food meal

over which they’re too busy to pray?

5-6 Night is coming for them, and nightmares,

for God takes the side of victims.

Do you think you can mess

with the dreams of the poor?

You can’t, for God

makes their dreams come true.

7 Is there anyone around to save Israel?

Yes. God is around;Godturns life around.

Turned-around Jacob skips rope,

turned-around Israel sings laughter.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/14-a64fa8d17698f6e59bbaf1190c897ab9.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1 God, who gets invited

to dinner at your place?

How do we get on your guest list?

2 “Walk straight,

act right,

tell the truth.

3-4 “Don’t hurt your friend,

don’t blame your neighbor;

despise the despicable.

5 “Keep your word even when it costs you,

make an honest living,

never take a bribe.

“You’ll never get

blacklisted

if you live like this.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/15-1ce7f3e3e4e381123dbef9c719731eea.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Song

1-2 Keep me safe, O God,

I’ve run for dear life to you.

I say toGod, “Be my Lord!”

Without you, nothing makes sense.

3 And these God-chosen lives all around—

what splendid friends they make!

4 Don’t just go shopping for a god.

Gods are not for sale.

I swear I’ll never treat god-names

like brand-names.

5-6 My choice is you,God, first and only.

And now I find I’myourchoice!

You set me up with a house and yard.

And then you made me your heir!

7-8 The wise counselGodgives when I’m awake

is confirmed by my sleeping heart.

Day and night I’ll stick withGod;

I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

9-10 I’m happy from the inside out,

and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.

You canceled my ticket to hell—

that’s not my destination!

11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,

all radiant from the shining of your face.

Ever since you took my hand,

I’m on the right way.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/16-e2eda27a9601807b4813d89ebdb86a3c.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Prayer

1-2 Listen while I build my case,God,

the most honest prayer you’ll ever hear.

Show the world I’m innocent—

in your heart you know I am.

3 Go ahead, examine me from inside out,

surprise me in the middle of the night—

You’ll find I’m just what I say I am.

My words don’t run loose.

4-5 I’m not trying to get my way

in the world’s way.

I’m trying to getyourway,

your Word’s way.

I’m staying on your trail;

I’m putting one foot

In front of the other.

I’m not giving up.

6-7 I call to you, God, because I’m sure of an answer.

So—answer! bend your ear! listen sharp!

Paint grace-graffiti on the fences;

take in your frightened children who

Are running from the neighborhood bullies

straight to you.

8-9 Keep your eye on me;

hide me under your cool wing feathers

From the wicked who are out to get me,

from mortal enemies closing in.

10-14 Their hearts are hard as nails,

their mouths blast hot air.

They are after me, nipping my heels,

determined to bring me down,

Lions ready to rip me apart,

young lions poised to pounce.

Up,God: beard them! break them!

By your sword, free me from their clutches;

Barehanded,God, break these mortals,

these flat-earth people who can’t think beyond today.

I’d like to see their bellies

swollen with famine food,

The weeds they’ve sown

harvested and baked into famine bread,

With second helpings for their children

and crusts for their babies to chew on.

15 And me? I plan on looking

you full in the face. When I get up,

I’ll see your full stature

and live heaven on earth.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/17-93c13d9551c975ef80cb27cacce3fb1e.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Song, Which He Sang to God After Being Saved from All His Enemies and from Saul

1-2 I love you,God—

you make me strong.

Godis bedrock under my feet,

the castle in which I live,

my rescuing knight.

My God—the high crag

where I run for dear life,

hiding behind the boulders,

safe in the granite hideout.

3 I sing toGod, the Praise-Lofty,

and find myself safe and saved.

4-5 The hangman’s noose was tight at my throat;

devil waters rushed over me.

Hell’s ropes cinched me tight;

death traps barred every exit.

6 A hostile world! I call toGod,

I cry to God to help me.

From his palace he hears my call;

my cry brings me right into his presence—

a private audience!

7-15 Earth wobbles and lurches;

huge mountains shake like leaves,

Quake like aspen leaves

because of his rage.

His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke;

his mouth spits fire.

Tongues of fire dart in and out;

he lowers the sky.

He steps down;

under his feet an abyss opens up.

He’s riding a winged creature,

swift on wind-wings.

Now he’s wrapped himself

in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.

But his cloud-brightness bursts through,

spraying hailstones and fireballs.

ThenGodthundered out of heaven;

the High God gave a great shout,

spraying hailstones and fireballs.

God shoots his arrows—pandemonium!

He hurls his lightnings—a rout!

The secret sources of ocean are exposed,

the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered

The moment you roar in protest,

let loose your hurricane anger.

16-19 But me he caught—reached all the way

from sky to sea; he pulled me out

Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,

the void in which I was drowning.

They hit me when I was down,

butGodstuck by me.

He stood me up on a wide-open field;

I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

20-24 Godmade my life complete

when I placed all the pieces before him.

When I got my act together,

he gave me a fresh start.

Now I’m alert toGod’s ways;

I don’t take God for granted.

Every day I review the ways he works;

I try not to miss a trick.

I feel put back together,

and I’m watching my step.

Godrewrote the text of my life

when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

25-27 The good people taste your goodness,

The whole people taste your health,

The true people taste your truth,

The bad ones can’t figure you out.

You take the side of the down-and-out,

But the stuck-up you take down a peg.

28-29 Suddenly,God, you floodlight my life;

I’m blazing with glory, God’s glory!

I smash the bands of marauders,

I vault the highest fences.

30 What a God! His road

stretches straight and smooth.

EveryGod-direction is road-tested.

Everyone who runs toward him

Makes it.

31-42 Is there any god likeGod?

Are we not at bedrock?

Is not this the God who armed me,

then aimed me in the right direction?

Now I run like a deer;

I’m king of the mountain.

He shows me how to fight;

I can bend a bronze bow!

You protect me with salvation-armor;

you hold me up with a firm hand,

caress me with your gentle ways.

You cleared the ground under me

so my footing was firm.

When I chased my enemies I caught them;

I didn’t let go till they were dead men.

I nailed them; they were down for good;

then I walked all over them.

You armed me well for this fight,

you smashed the upstarts.

You made my enemies turn tail,

and I wiped out the haters.

They cried “uncle”

but Uncle didn’t come;

They yelled forGod

and got no for an answer.

I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind.

I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.

43-45 You rescued me from a squabbling people;

you made me a leader of nations.

People I’d never heard of served me;

the moment they got wind of me they listened.

The foreign devils gave up; they came

on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts.

46-48 Live,God! Blessings from my Rock,

my free and freeing God, towering!

This God set things right for me

and shut up the people who talked back.

He rescued me from enemy anger,

he pulled me from the grip of upstarts,

He saved me from the bullies.

49-50 That’s why I’m thanking you,God,

all over the world.

That’s why I’m singing songs

that rhyme your name.

God’s king takes the trophy;

God’s chosen is beloved.

I mean David and all his children—

always.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/18-040e6b214600166165ace7789fcb2054.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1-2 God’s glory is on tour in the skies,

God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.

Madame Day holds classes every morning,

Professor Night lectures each evening.

3-4 Their words aren’t heard,

their voices aren’t recorded,

But their silence fills the earth:

unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

4-5 God makes a huge dome

for the sun—a superdome!

The morning sun’s a new husband

leaping from his honeymoon bed,

The daybreaking sun an athlete

racing to the tape.

6 That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies

from sunrise to sunset,

Melting ice, scorching deserts,

warming hearts to faith.

7-9 The revelation ofGodis whole

and pulls our lives together.

The signposts ofGodare clear

and point out the right road.

The life-maps ofGodare right,

showing the way to joy.

The directions ofGodare plain

and easy on the eyes.

God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,

with a lifetime guarantee.

The decisions ofGodare accurate

down to the nth degree.

10 God’s Word is better than a diamond,

better than a diamond set between emeralds.

You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,

better than red, ripe strawberries.

11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger

and directs us to hidden treasure.

Otherwise how will we find our way?

Or know when we play the fool?

Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!

Keep me from stupid sins,

from thinking I can take over your work;

Then I can start this day sun-washed,

scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.

These are the words in my mouth;

these are what I chew on and pray.

Accept them when I place them

on the morning altar,

O God, my Altar-Rock,

God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/19-c219964dda407b294c2be8934b214b63.mp3?version_id=97—

A David Psalm

1-4 Godanswer you on the day you crash,

The name God-of-Jacob put you out of harm’s reach,

Send reinforcements from Holy Hill,

Dispatch from Zion fresh supplies,

Exclaim over your offerings,

Celebrate your sacrifices,

Give you what your heart desires,

Accomplish your plans.

5 When you win, we plan to raise the roof

and lead the parade with our banners.

May all your wishes come true!

6 That clinches it—help’s coming,

an answer’s on the way,

everything’s going to work out.

7-8 See those people polishing their chariots,

and those others grooming their horses?

But we’re making garlands forGodour God.

The chariots will rust,

those horses pull up lame—

and we’ll be on our feet, standing tall.

9 Make the king a winner,God;

the day we call, give us your answer.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/85/32k/PSA/20-b057ba18d5bfa2cc36d8ffc2f683ed49.mp3?version_id=97—