Psalms: Rest, Thirst, and the End of David's Prayers (Psalms 61–72)
Scripture: Berean Standard Bible
Psalm 61
For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. Of David.
Hear my cry, O God;attend to my prayer.From the ends of the earth I call out to youwhenever my heart is faint.Lead me to the rockthat is higher than I.For you have been my refuge,a tower of strength against the enemy.Let me dwell in your tent foreverand take refuge in the shelter of your wings.SelahFor you have heard my vows, O God;you have given me the inheritancereserved for those who fear your name.
Increase the days of the king’s life;may his years span many generations.May he sit enthroned in God’s presence forever;appoint your loving devotionand your faithfulness to guard him.Then I will ever sing praise to your nameand fulfill my vows day by day.
Psalm 62
For the choirmaster. According to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
In God alone my soul finds rest;my salvation comes from him.He alone is my rock and my salvation.He is my fortress;I will never be shaken.
How long will you threaten a man?Will all of you throw him downlike a leaning wallor a tottering fence?They fully intend to cast him down from his lofty perch;they delight in lies;with their mouths they bless,but inwardly they curse.SelahRest in God alone, O my soul,for my hope comes from him.He alone is my rock and my salvation;he is my fortress; I will not be shaken.My salvation and my honor rest on God, my strong rock;my refuge is in God.Trust in him at all times, O people;pour out your hearts before him.God is our refuge.SelahLowborn men are but a vapor,the exalted but a lie.Weighed on the scale, they go up;together they are but a vapor.Place no trust in extortion,or false hope in stolen goods.If your riches increase,do not set your heart upon them.
God has spoken once;I have heard this twice:that power belongs to God,and loving devotion to you, O Lord.For you will repay each manaccording to his deeds.
Psalm 63
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.
O God, you are my God.Earnestly I seek you;my soul thirsts for you.My body yearns for youin a dry and weary land without water.
So I have seen you in the sanctuaryand beheld your power and glory.Because your loving devotion is better than life,my lips will glorify you.So I will bless you as long as I live;in your name I will lift my hands.
My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods;with joyful lips my mouth will praise you.When I remember you on my bed,I think of you through the watches of the night.For you are my help;I will sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.My soul clings to you;your right hand upholds me.
But those who seek my life to destroy itwill go into the depths of the earth.They will fall to the power of the sword;they will become a portion for foxes.But the king will rejoice in God;all who swear by him will exult,for the mouths of liars will be shut.
Psalm 64
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
Hear, O God, my voice of complaint;preserve my life from dread of the enemy.Hide me from the scheming of the wicked,from the mob of workers of iniquity,who sharpen their tongues like swordsand aim their bitter words like arrows,ambushing the innocent in seclusion,shooting suddenly, without fear.
They hold fast to their evil purpose;they speak of hiding their snares.“Who will see them?” they say.They devise injustice and say,“We have perfected a secret plan.”For the inner man and the heart are mysterious.
But God will shoot them with arrows;suddenly they will be wounded.They will be made to stumble,their own tongues turned against them.All who see will shake their heads.Then all mankind will fearand proclaim the work of God;so they will ponder what he has done.
Let the righteous rejoice in the LORDand take refuge in him;let all the upright in heart exult.
Psalm 65
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song.
Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;to you our vows will be fulfilled.O you who listen to prayer,all people will come to you.When iniquities prevail against me,you atone for our transgressions.Blessed is the one you chooseand bring near to dwell in your courts!We are filled with the goodness of your house,the holiness of your temple.
With awesome deeds of righteousness you answer us,O God of our salvation,the hope of all the ends of the earthand of the farthest seas.You formed the mountains by your power,having girded yourself with might.You stilled the roaring of the seas,the pounding of their waves,and the tumult of the nations.Those who live far away fear your wonders;you make the dawn and sunset shout for joy.
You attend to the earth and water it;with abundance you enrich it.The streams of God are full of water,for you prepare our grainby providing for the earth.You soak its furrows and level its ridges;you soften it with showers and bless its growth.You crown the year with your bounty,and your paths overflow with plenty.The pastures of the wilderness overflow;the hills are robed with joy.The pastures are clothed with flocks,and the valleys are decked with grain.They shout in triumph;indeed, they sing.
Psalm 66
For the choirmaster. A song. A Psalm.
Make a joyful noise to God,all the earth!Sing the glory of his name;make his praise glorious.Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!So great is your powerthat your enemies cower before you.All the earth bows down to you;they sing praise to you;they sing praise to your name.”SelahCome and see the works of God;how awesome are his deeds toward mankind.He turned the sea into dry land;they passed through the waters on foot;there we rejoiced in him.He rules forever by his power;his eyes watch the nations.Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves.SelahBless our God, O peoples;let the sound of his praise be heard.He preserves our livesand keeps our feet from slipping.
For you, O God, have tested us;you have refined us like silver.You led us into the net;you laid burdens on our backs.You let men ride over our heads;we went through fire and water,but you brought us into abundance.
I will enter your house with burnt offerings;I will fulfill my vows to you—the vows that my lips promisedand my mouth spoke in my distress.I will offer you fatlings as burnt offerings,with the fragrant smoke of rams;I will offer bulls and goats.SelahCome and listen, all you who fear God,and I will declare what he has done for me.I cried out to him with my mouthand praised him with my tongue.If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,the Lord would not have listened.But God has surely heard;he has attended to the sound of my prayer.
Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayeror withheld from me his loving devotion!
Psalm 67
For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song.
May God be gracious to us and bless us,and cause his face to shine upon us,Selahthat your ways may be known on earth,your salvation among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you.Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,for you judge the peoples justlyand lead the nations of the earth.SelahLet the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has yielded its harvest;God, our God, blesses us.God blesses us,that all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
Psalm 68
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song.
God arises. His enemies are scattered,and those who hate him flee his presence.As smoke is blown away,you will drive them out;as wax melts before the fire,the wicked will perish in the presence of God.But the righteous will be gladand rejoice before God;they will celebrate with joy.
Sing to God!Sing praises to his name.Exalt him who rides on the clouds —his name is the LORD—and rejoice before him.A father of the fatherless,and a defender of the widows,is God in his holy habitation.God settles the lonely in families;he leads the prisoners out to prosperity,but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.
O God, when you went out before your people,when you marched through the wasteland,Selahthe earth shook and the heavens poured down rainbefore God, the One on Sinai,before God, the God of Israel.You sent abundant rain, O God;you refreshed your weary inheritance.Your flock settled therein;O God, from your bounty you provided for the poor.
The Lord gives the command;a great company of women proclaim it:“Kings and their armies flee in haste;she who waits at home divides the plunder.Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,the wings of the dove are covered with silver,and her feathers with shimmering gold.”When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land,it was like the snow falling on Zalmon.
A mountain of God is Mount Bashan;a mountain of many peaks is Mount Bashan.Why do you gaze in envy, O mountains of many peaks?This is the mountain God chose for his dwelling,where the LORD will surely dwell forever.
The chariots of God are tens of thousands—thousands of thousands are they;the Lord is in his sanctuaryas he was at Sinai.You have ascended on high;you have led captives away.You have received gifts from men,even from the rebellious,that the LORD God may dwell there.Blessed be the Lord,who daily bears our burden,the God of our salvation.Selahour God is a God of deliverance;the Lord GOD is our rescuer from death.Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies,the hairy crowns of those who persist in guilty ways.The Lord said, “I will retrieve them from Bashan,I will bring them up from the depths of the sea,that your foot may be dippedin the blood of your foes—the tongues of your dogs in the same.”
They have seen your procession, O God—the march of my God and King into the sanctuary.The singers lead the way,the musicians follow after,among the maidens playing tambourines.Bless God in the great congregation;bless the LORD from the fountain of Israel.There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them,the princes of Judah in their company,the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.
Summon your power, O God;show your strength, O God,which you have exerted on our behalf.Because of your temple at Jerusalemkings will bring you gifts.Rebuke the beast in the reeds,the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations,until it submits, bringing bars of silver.Scatter the nations who delight in war.Envoys will arrive from Egypt;Cush will stretch out her hands to God.
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;sing praises to the Lord—Selahto him who rides upon the highest heavens of old;behold, his mighty voice resounds.Ascribe the power to God,whose majesty is over Israel,whose strength is in the skies.O God, you are awesome in your sanctuary;the God of Israel himselfgives strength and power to his people.
Blessed be God!
Psalm 69
For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.
Save me, O God,for the waters are up to my neck.I have sunk into the miry depths,where there is no footing;I have drifted into deep waters,where the flood engulfs me.I am weary from my crying;my throat is parched.My eyes fail,looking for my God.Those who hate me without causeoutnumber the hairs of my head;many are those who would destroy me—my enemies for no reason.Though I did not steal,I must repay.
You know my folly, O God,and my guilt is not hidden from you.May those who hope in you not be ashamed through me,O Lord GOD of Hosts;may those who seek you not be dishonored through me,O God of Israel.For I have endured scorn for your sake,and shame has covered my face.I have become a stranger to my brothersand a foreigner to my mother’s sons,because zeal for your house has consumed me,and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.I wept and fasted,but it brought me reproach.I made sackcloth my clothing,and I was sport to them.Those who sit at the gate mock me,and I am the song of drunkards.
But my prayer to you, O LORD,is for a time of favor.In your abundant loving devotion, O God,answer me with your sure salvation.Rescue me from the mireand do not let me sink;deliver me from my foesand out of the deep waters.Do not let the floods engulf meor the depths swallow me up;let not the Pit close its mouth over me.Answer me, O LORD,for your loving devotion is good;turn to me in keeping with your great compassion.Hide not your face from your servant,for I am in distress.Answer me quickly!Draw near to my soul and redeem me;ransom me because of my foes.
You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace.All my adversaries are before you.Insults have broken my heart,and I am in despair.I looked for sympathy, but there was none,for comforters, but I found no one.They poisoned my food with galland gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.
May their table become a snare;may it be a retribution and a trap.May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,and their backs be bent forever.Pour out your wrath upon them,and let your burning anger overtake them.May their place be deserted;let there be no one to dwell in their tents.For they persecute the one you struckand recount the pain of those you wounded.Add iniquity to their iniquity;let them not share in your righteousness.May they be blotted out of the Book of Lifeand not listed with the righteous.
But I am in pain and distress;let your salvation protect me, O God.I will praise God’s name in songand exalt him with thanksgiving.And this will please the LORD more than an ox,more than a bull with horns and hooves.The humble will see and rejoice.You who seek God, let your hearts be revived!For the LORD listens to the needyand does not despise his captive people.
Let heaven and earth praise him,the seas and everything that moves in them.For God will save Zionand rebuild the cities of Judah,that they may dwell there and possess it.The descendants of his servants will inherit it,and those who love his name will settle in it.
Psalm 70
For the choirmaster. Of David. To bring remembrance.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me!Hurry, O LORD, to help me!
May those who seek my lifebe ashamed and confounded;may those who wish me harmbe repelled and humiliated.May those who say, “Aha, aha!”retreat because of their shame.
May all who seek yourejoice and be glad in you;may those who love your salvation always say,“Let God be magnified!”But I am poor and needy;hurry to me, O God.You are my help and my deliverer;O LORD, do not delay.
Psalm 71
In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;let me never be put to shame.In your justice, rescue and deliver me;incline your ear and save me.Be my rock of refuge,where I can always go.Give the command to save me,for you are my rock and my fortress.Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,from the grasp of the unjust and ruthless.
For you are my hope, O Lord GOD,my confidence from my youth.I have leaned on you since birth;you pulled me from my mother’s womb.My praise is always for you.I have become a portent to many,but you are my strong refuge.My mouth is filled with your praiseand with your splendor all day long.
Do not discard me in my old age;do not forsake me when my strength fails.For my enemies speak against me,and those who lie in wait for my life conspire,saying, “God has forsaken him;pursue him and seize him,for there is no one to rescue him.”
Be not far from me, O God.Hurry, O my God, to help me.May the accusers of my soulbe ashamed and consumed;may those who seek my harmbe covered with scorn and disgrace.
But I will always hopeand will praise you more and more.My mouth will declare your righteousnessand your salvation all day long,though I cannot know their full measure.I will enter in the strength of the Lord GOD;I will proclaim your righteousness—yours alone.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,and to this day I proclaim your marvelous deeds.Even when I am old and gray,do not forsake me, O God,until I proclaim your power to the next generation,your might to all who are to come.Your righteousness reaches to the heavens, O God,you who have done great things.Who, O God, is like you?
Though you have shown me many troubles and misfortunes,you will revive me once again.Even from the depths of the earthyou will bring me back up.You will increase my honorand comfort me once again.
So I will praise you with the harpfor your faithfulness, O my God;I will sing praise to you with the lyre,O Holy One of Israel.When I sing praise to youmy lips will shout for joy,along with my soul,which you have redeemed.My tongue will indeed proclaimyour righteousness all day long,for those who seek my harmare disgraced and confounded.
Psalm 72
Of Solomon.
Endow the king with your justice, O God,and the son of the king with your righteousness.May he judge your people with righteousnessand your afflicted with justice.
May the mountains bring peace to the people,and the hills bring righteousness.May he vindicate the afflicted among the people;may he save the children of the needyand crush the oppressor.May they fear him as long as the sun shines,as long as the moon remains,through all generations.May he be like rain that falls on freshly cut grass,like spring showers that water the earth.May the righteous flourish in his daysand prosperity abound,until the moon is no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.May the nomads bow before him,and his enemies lick the dust.May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute;may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.May all kings bow down to himand all nations serve him.
For he will deliver the needy who cry outand the afflicted who have no helper.He will take pity on the poor and needyand save the lives of the oppressed.He will redeem them from oppression and violence,for their blood is precious in his sight.
Long may he live!May gold from Sheba be given him.May people ever pray for him;may they bless him all day long.May there be an abundance of grain in the land;may it sway atop the hills.May its fruit trees flourish like the forests of Lebanon,and its people like the grass of the field.May his name endure forever;may his name continue as long as the sun shines.In him may all nations be blessed;may they call him blessed.
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,who alone does marvelous deeds.And blessed be his glorious name forever;may all the earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen.
Thus conclude the prayers of David son of Jesse.