Psalm 1-5 (English Standard Version)

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Psalm 1-5

English Standard Version (ESV)

Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1 Blessed is the man^[a]
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²but his delight is in the law^[b] of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

³He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
⁴The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

The Reign of the Lord's Anointed

2 Why do the nations rage^[c]
    and the peoples plot in vain?
²The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
³“Let us burst their bonds apart
    and cast away their cords from us.”

⁴He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
⁵Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
⁶“As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”

⁷I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.
⁸Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
    and the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹You shall break^[d] them with a rod of iron
    and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

¹⁰Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
¹¹Serve the Lord with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
¹²Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Save Me, O My God

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

3 O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
²many are saying of my soul,
there is no salvation for him in God. Selah^[e]

³But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
⁴I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

⁵I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
⁶I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.

⁷Arise, O Lord!
Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.

⁸Salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people! Selah

Answer Me When I Call

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

4 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

²O men,^[f] how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
³But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

⁴Be angry,^[g] and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
⁵Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.

⁶There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
⁷You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.

⁸In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

5 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
    consider my groaning.
²Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my King and my God,
    for to you do I pray.
³O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you^[h] and watch.

⁴For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
    evil may not dwell with you.
⁵The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
    you hate all evildoers.
⁶You destroy those who speak lies;
    the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

⁷But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
    in the fear of you.
⁸Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    make your way straight before me.

⁹For there is no truth in their mouth;
    their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
    they flatter with their tongue.
¹⁰Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
    for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may exult in you.
¹²For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
    you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Footnotes:

Psalm 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see Preface
Psalm 1:2 Or instruction
Psalm 2:1 Or nations noisily assemble
Psalm 2:9 Revocalization yields (compare Septuagint) You shall rule
Psalm 3:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word Selah, used frequently in the Psalms, is uncertain. It may be a musical or liturgical direction
Psalm 4:2 Or O men of rank
Psalm 4:4 Or Be agitated
Psalm 5:3 Or I direct my prayer to you