Study Desk

For the choir director: according to "The Lilies."^[a] A testimony of Asaph.^(a) A psalm.

Listen, Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock;^(b) You who sit enthroned on the cherubim,^(c) rise up^(d)

before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.^[b](e) Rally Your power and come to save us.^(f)

Restore us, God; look on us with favor, and we will be saved.^(g)

Lord God of Hosts, how long will You be angry with Your people's prayers?^(h)

You fed them the bread of tears and gave them a full measure^[c] of tears to drink.⁽ⁱ⁾

You make us quarrel with our neighbors; our enemies make fun of us.^(j)

Restore us, God of Hosts; look on us with favor, and we will be saved.^(k)

You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it.^(l)

You cleared a place for it; it took root and filled the land.^(m)

The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars^[d] with its branches.⁽ⁿ⁾

It sent out sprouts toward the Sea^[e] and shoots toward the River.^[f](o)

Why have You broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its fruit?^(p)

The boar from the forest tears it and creatures of the field feed on it.^(q)

Return, God of Hosts.^(r) Look down from heaven and see; take care of this vine,

the root^[g] Your right hand has planted, the shoot^[h] that You made strong for Yourself.^(s)

It was cut down and burned up;^[i] they^[j] perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.^(t)

Let Your hand be with the man at Your right hand, with the son of man You have made strong for Yourself.^(u)

Then we will not turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your name.^(v)

Restore us, Yahweh, the God of Hosts;^(w) look on us with favor, and we will be saved.^(x)

For the choir director: on the Gittith. Of Asaph.^(a)

Sing for joy to God our strength; shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.^(b)

Lift up a song—play the tambourine, the melodious lyre, and the harp.^(c)

Blow the horn on the day of our feasts^[a][b] during the new moon^(d) and during the full moon.

For this is a statute for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob.^(e)

He set it up as an ordinance for Joseph when He went throughout^[c] the land of Egypt.^(f) I heard an unfamiliar language:

"I relieved his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from carrying the basket.^(g)

You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from the thundercloud.^(h) I tested you at the waters of Meribah.⁽ⁱ⁾ Selah

Listen, My people, and I will admonish you. Israel, if you would only listen to Me!^(j)

There must not be a strange god among you; you must not bow down to a foreign god.^(k)

I am Yahweh your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.^(l) Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.^(m)

"But My people did not listen to Me; Israel did not obey Me.⁽ⁿ⁾

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own plans.^(o)

If only My people would listen to Me and Israel would follow My ways,^(p)

I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes."^(q)

Those who hate the Lord would pretend submission to Him;^(r) their doom would last forever.^(s)

But He would feed Israel^[d] with the best wheat. "I would satisfy you with honey from the rock."^(t)

A psalm of Asaph.^(a)

God has taken His place in the divine assembly; He judges among the gods:^[a](b)

"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?^(c) Selah

Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.^(d)

Rescue the poor and needy; save them from the power of the wicked."^(e)

They do not know or understand; they wander in darkness.^(f) All the foundations of the earth are shaken.^(g)

I said, "You are gods;^(h) you are all sons of the Most High.⁽ⁱ⁾

However, you will die like men and fall like any other ruler."^(j)

Rise up, God, judge the earth, for all the nations belong to You.^(k)

A song. A psalm of Asaph.^(a)

God, do not keep silent. Do not be deaf, God; do not be idle.^(b)

See how Your enemies make an uproar; those who hate You have acted arrogantly.^[a](c)

They devise clever schemes against Your people; they conspire against Your treasured ones.^(d)

They say, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation so that Israel's name will no longer be remembered."^(e)

For they have conspired with one mind; they form an alliance^[b] against You^(f)—

the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,^(g) Moab and the Hagrites,^(h)

Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,⁽ⁱ⁾ Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre.^(j)

Even Assyria has joined them; they lend support^[c] to the sons of Lot.^[d](k) Selah

Deal with them as You did with Midian,^(l) as You did with Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.^(m)

They were destroyed at En-dor; they became manure for the ground.⁽ⁿ⁾

Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,^(o) and all their tribal leaders like Zebah and Zalmunna,^(p)

who said, "Let us seize God's pastures for ourselves."^(q)

Make them like tumbleweed, my God, like straw before the wind.^(r)

As fire burns a forest, as a flame blazes through mountains,^(s)

so pursue them with Your tempest and terrify them with Your storm.^(t)

Cover their faces with shame so that they will seek Your name Yahweh.^(u)

Let them be put to shame and terrified forever; let them perish in disgrace.^(v)

May they know that You alone— whose name is Yahweh— are the Most High over all the earth.^(w)

For the choir director: on the Gittith.^(a) A psalm of the sons of Korah.

How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord of Hosts.^(b)

I long and yearn for the courts of the Lord ; my heart and flesh cry out for^[a] the living God.^(c)

Even a sparrow finds a home, and a swallow, a nest for herself where she places her young— near Your altars, Lord of Hosts, my King and my God.^(d)

How happy are those who reside in Your house, who praise You continually.^(e) Selah

Happy are the people whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.^(f)

As they pass through the Valley of Baca,^[b] they make it a source of springwater; even the autumn rain will cover it with blessings.^[c](g)

They go from strength to strength; each appears before God in Zion.^(h)

Lord God of Hosts, hear my prayer; listen, God of Jacob.⁽ⁱ⁾ Selah

Consider our shield,^[d] God;^(j) look on the face of Your anointed one.^(k)

Better a day in Your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather be at the door of the house of my God than to live in the tents of wicked people.^(l)

For the Lord God is a sun and shield.^(m) The Lord gives grace and glory; He does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity.⁽ⁿ⁾

Happy is the person who trusts in You, Lord of Hosts!^(o)

For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

Lord , You showed favor to Your land;^(a) You restored Jacob's prosperity.^[a](b)

You took away Your people's guilt; You covered all their sin.^(c) Selah

You withdrew all Your fury; You turned from Your burning anger.^(d)

Return to us, God of our salvation, and abandon Your displeasure with us.^(e)

Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger for all generations?^(f)

Will You not revive us again so that Your people may rejoice in You?^(g)

Show us Your faithful love, Lord , and give us Your salvation.^(h)

I will listen to what God will say; surely the Lord will declare peace to His people, His godly ones, and not let them go back to foolish ways.⁽ⁱ⁾

His salvation is very near those who fear Him, so that glory may dwell in our land.^(j)

Faithful love and truth will join together; righteousness and peace will embrace.^(k)

Truth will spring up from the earth, and righteousness will look down from heaven.^(l)

Also, the Lord will provide what is good, and our land will yield its crops.^(m)

Righteousness will go before Him to prepare the way for His steps.⁽ⁿ⁾