New King James Version (NKJV)

Song of Victory over Zion’s Enemies

Song of Ascents.

1 “Many a time they haveafflicted me frommy youth,”

# Let Israel now say—

2 “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth;

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed on my back;

They made their furrows long.”

4 TheLordisrighteous;

He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.

5 Let all those who hate Zion

Be put to shame and turned back.

6 Let them be as thegrassonthe housetops,

Which withers before it grows up,

7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand,

Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms.

8 Neither let those who pass by them say,

# “The blessing of theLordbeupon you;

We bless you in the name of theLord!”

Waiting for the Redemption of the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

1 Outof the depths I have cried to You, OLord;

2 Lord, hear my voice!

Let Your ears be attentive

To the voice of my supplications.

3 If You,Lord, should mark iniquities,

# O Lord, who couldstand?

4 Butthereisforgiveness with You,

# ThatYou may be feared.

5 I wait for theLord, my soul waits,

# Andin His word I do hope.

6 My soulwaitsfor the Lord

More than those who watch for the morning—

Yes, more thanthose who watch for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in theLord;

# Forwith theLordthereismercy,

And with Himisabundant redemption.

8 AndHe shall redeem Israel

From all his iniquities.

Simple Trust in the Lord

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 Lord, my heart is not haughty,

Nor my eyes lofty.

# Neither do I concern myself with great matters,

Nor with things too profound for me.

2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,

# Like a weaned child with his mother;

Like a weaned childismy soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in theLord

From this time forth and forever.

The Eternal Dwelling of God in Zion

A Song of Ascents.

1 Lord, remember David

Andall his afflictions;

2 How he swore to theLord,

# Andvowed tothe Mighty One of Jacob:

3 “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,

Or go up to the comfort of my bed;

4 I willnot give sleep to my eyes

Orslumber to my eyelids,

5 Until Ifind a place for theLord,

A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 Behold, we heard of itin Ephrathah;

# We found itin the fields of the woods.

7 Let us go into His tabernacle;

# Let us worship at His footstool.

8 Arise, OLord, to Your resting place,

# You andthe ark of Your strength.

9 Let Your priestsbe clothed with righteousness,

And let Your saints shout for joy.

10 For Your servant David’s sake,

Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed.

11 TheLordhas swornintruth to David;

He will not turn from it:

# “I will set upon your thronethe fruit of your body.

12 If your sons will keep My covenant

And My testimony which I shall teach them,

Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.”

13 For theLordhas chosen Zion;

He has desireditfor His dwelling place:

14 “ThisisMy resting place forever;

Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

15 I will abundantly bless her provision;

I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation,

# And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

17 There I will make the horn of David grow;

# I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.

18 His enemies I willclothe with shame,

But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”

Blessed Unity of the People of God

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 Behold, how good and how pleasantitis

# Forbrethren to dwell together in unity!

2 Itislike the precious oil upon the head,

Running down on the beard,

The beard of Aaron,

Running down on the edge of his garments.

3 Itislike the dew ofHermon,

Descending upon the mountains of Zion;

# Forthere theLordcommanded the blessing—

Life forevermore.

Praising the Lord in His House at Night

A Song of Ascents.

1 Behold, bless theLord,

Allyouservants of theLord,

Who by night stand in the house of theLord!

2 Lift up your handsinthe sanctuary,

And bless theLord.

3 TheLordwho made heaven and earth

Bless you from Zion!

Praise to God in Creation and Redemption

1 Praise theLord!

Praise the name of theLord;

# PraiseHim,O you servants of theLord!

2 You who stand in the house of theLord,

# Inthe courts of the house of our God,

3 Praise theLord, fortheLordisgood;

# Sing praises to His name,foritispleasant.

4 FortheLordhas chosen Jacob for Himself,

Israel for His special treasure.

5 For I know thattheLordisgreat,

And our Lordisabove all gods.

6 Whatever theLordpleases He does,

In heaven and in earth,

In the seas and in all deep places.

7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;

# He makes lightning for the rain;

# He brings the wind out of Histreasuries.

8 He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,

Both of man and beast.

9 He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,

# Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.

10 He defeated many nations

And slew mighty kings—

11 Sihon king of the Amorites,

Og king of Bashan,

# Andall the kingdoms of Canaan—

12 And gave their landasa heritage,

A heritage to Israel His people.

13 Your name, OLord,enduresforever,

Your fame, OLord, throughout all generations.

14 For theLordwill judge His people,

And He will have compassion on His servants.

15 The idols of the nationsaresilver and gold,

The work of men’s hands.

16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;

Eyes they have, but they do not see;

17 They have ears, but they do not hear;

Nor is thereanybreath in their mouths.

18 Those who make them are like them;

Soiseveryone who trusts in them.

19 Bless theLord, O house of Israel!

Bless theLord, O house of Aaron!

20 Bless theLord, O house of Levi!

You who fear theLord, bless theLord!

21 Blessed be theLordout of Zion,

Who dwells in Jerusalem!

Praise theLord!

Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy

1 Oh,give thanks to theLord, forHeisgood!

# For His mercyenduresforever.

2 Oh, give thanks tothe God of gods!

For His mercyenduresforever.

3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!

For His mercyenduresforever:

4 To Himwho alone does great wonders,

For His mercyenduresforever;

5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,

For His mercyenduresforever;

6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,

For His mercyenduresforever;

7 To Him who made great lights,

For His mercyenduresforever—

8 The sun to rule by day,

For His mercyenduresforever;

9 The moon and stars to rule by night,

For His mercyenduresforever.

10 To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,

For His mercyenduresforever;

11 And brought out Israel from among them,

For His mercyenduresforever;

12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,

For His mercyenduresforever;

13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,

For His mercyenduresforever;

14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,

For His mercyenduresforever;

15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,

For His mercyenduresforever;

16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,

For His mercyenduresforever;

17 To Him who struck down great kings,

For His mercyenduresforever;

18 And slew famous kings,

For His mercyenduresforever—

19 Sihon king of the Amorites,

For His mercyenduresforever;

20 And Og king of Bashan,

For His mercyenduresforever—

21 And gave their land as a heritage,

For His mercyenduresforever;

22 A heritage to Israel His servant,

For His mercyenduresforever.

23 Whoremembered us in our lowly state,

For His mercyenduresforever;

24 Andrescued us from our enemies,

For His mercyenduresforever;

25 Who gives food to all flesh,

For His mercyenduresforever.

26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!

For His mercyenduresforever.

Longing for Zion in a Foreign Land

1 By the rivers of Babylon,

There we sat down, yea, we wept

When we remembered Zion.

2 We hung our harps

Upon the willows in the midst of it.

3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,

# And those whoplundered usrequestedmirth,

Saying,“Sing usoneof the songs of Zion!”

4 How shall we sing theLord’s song

In a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

Let my right hand forgetitsskill!

6 If I do not remember you,

# Let mytongue cling to the roof of my mouth—

If I do not exalt Jerusalem

Above my chief joy.

7 Remember, OLord, againstthe sons of Edom

The day of Jerusalem,

Who said, “Razeit,razeit,

To its very foundation!”

8 O daughter of Babylon,who are to be destroyed,

# Happy the onewho repays you as you have served us!

9 Happy the one who takes anddashes

Your little ones against the rock!

The Lord’s Goodness to the Faithful

A

Psalm

of David.

1 I will praise You with my whole heart;

# Before the gods I will sing praises to You.

2 I will worshiptoward Your holy temple,

And praise Your name

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

# For You havemagnified Your word above all Your name.

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,

Andmade me boldwithstrength in my soul.

4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, OLord,

When they hear the words of Your mouth.

5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of theLord,

For greatisthe glory of theLord.

6 Though theLordison high,

# YetHe regards the lowly;

But the proud He knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;

You will stretch out Your hand

Against the wrath of my enemies,

And Your right hand will save me.

8 TheLordwill perfectthatwhichconcerns me;

Your mercy, OLord,enduresforever;

# Do not forsake the works of Your hands.