Let this be the reward of my attackers from the Lord,
And of those who speak evil against my life.

For He will stand at the right hand of the needy,
To save him from those who judge his soul.

Your people will offer themselves willingly [to participate in Your battle] in the day of Your power;
In the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn,
Your young men are to You as the dew.

Great are the works of the Lord,
Studied by all those who delight in them.

He has given food to those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence];
He will remember His covenant forever.

The [reverent] fear of the Lord is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom;
A good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the Lord;
His praise endures forever.

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who fears the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with obedience],
Who delights greatly in His commandments.

Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous (upright—in right standing with God).

It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He conducts his affairs with justice.

Who is like the Lord our God,
Who is enthroned on high,

Who humbles Himself to regard
The heavens and the earth?

Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of water.

Those who make them will become like them,
Everyone who trusts in them.

You who [reverently] fear the Lord, trust in Lord;
He is their help and their shield.

He will bless those who fear and worship the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder],
Both the small and the great.

May you be blessed of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor do any who go down into silence;

Oh let those who [reverently] fear the Lord, say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”

The Lord is on my side, He is among those who help me;
Therefore I will look [in triumph] on those who hate me.

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord [you who come into His sanctuary under His guardianship].

The Lord is God, and He has given us light [illuminating us with His grace and freedom and joy].
Bind the festival sacrifices with cords to the horns of the altar.

How blessed and favored by God are those whose way is blameless [those with personal integrity, the upright, the guileless],
Who walk in the law [and who are guided by the precepts and revealed will] of the Lord.

Blessed and favored by God are those who keep His testimonies,
And who [consistently] seek Him and long for Him with all their heart.

You rebuke the presumptuous and arrogant, the cursed ones,
Who wander from Your commandments.

Establish Your word and confirm Your promise to Your servant,
As that which produces [awe-inspired] reverence for You.

So I will have an answer for the one who taunts me,
For I trust [completely] in Your word [and its reliability].

Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked,
Who reject Your law.

I am a companion of all who [reverently] fear You,
And of those who keep and honor Your precepts.

May those who [reverently] fear You see me and be glad,
Because I wait for Your word.

May those who fear You [with submissive wonder] turn to me,
Even those who have known Your testimonies.

How many are the days of Your servant [which he must endure]?
When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?

The arrogant (godless) have dug pits for me,
Men who do not conform to Your law.

You have turned Your back on all those who wander from Your statutes,
For their deceitfulness is useless.

Ayin.
I have done justice and righteousness;
Do not leave me to those who oppress me.

Turn to me and be gracious to me and show me favor,
As is Your way to those who love Your name.

Those who follow after wickedness approach;
They are far from Your law.

I rejoice at Your word,
As one who finds great treasure.

Those who love Your law have great peace;
Nothing makes them stumble.

Too long my soul has had its dwelling
With those who hate peace.

My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber [briefly] nor sleep [soundly].

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you [holy city].

Unto you I lift up my eyes,
O You who are enthroned in the heavens!

Our soul is greatly filled
With the scoffing of those who are at ease,
And with the contempt of the proud [who disregard God’s law].

“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,”
Let Israel now say,

“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side
When men rose up against us,

Blessed be the Lord,
Who has not given us as prey to be torn by their teeth.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

Those who trust in and rely on the Lord [with confident expectation]
Are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but remains forever.

Do good, O Lord, to those who are good
And to those who are upright in their hearts.

When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion (Jerusalem),
We were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal].

They who sow in tears shall reap with joyful singing.

He who goes back and forth weeping, carrying his bag of seed [for planting],
Will indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.

Blessed [happy and sheltered by God’s favor] is everyone who fears the Lord [and worships Him with obedience],
Who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments.

Behold, for so shall the man be blessed and divinely favored
Who fears the Lord [and worships Him with obedience].

May all who hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned backward [in defeat].

Nor do those who pass by say,
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;
We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

If You, Lord, should keep an account of our sins and treat us accordingly,
O Lord, who could stand [before you in judgment and claim innocence]?

Behold, bless and praise the Lord, all servants of the Lord (priests, Levites),
Who stand and serve by night in the house of the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion,
He who made heaven and earth.

You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,

Who causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth;
Who makes lightning for the rain,
Who brings the wind from His storehouses;

Who struck the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and animal;

Who sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.

Who struck many nations
And killed mighty kings,

For the Lord will judge His people
And He will have compassion on His servants [revealing His mercy].

Those who make idols are like them [absolutely worthless—spiritually blind, deaf, and powerless];
So is everyone who trusts in and relies on them.

O house of Levi, bless the Lord;
You who fear the Lord [and worship Him with obedience], bless the Lord [with grateful praise]!

Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
Who dwells [with us] at Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

To Him who made the heavens with skill,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

To Him who stretched out the earth upon the waters,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

To Him who made the great lights,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

To Him who struck the firstborn of Egypt,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

To Him who divided the Red Sea into parts,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

To Him who struck down great kings,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

Who [faithfully] remembered us in our lowly condition,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

Who gives food to all flesh,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

For there they who took us captive demanded of us a song with words,
And our tormentors [who made a mockery of us demanded] amusement, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

O daughter of Babylon, you devastator,
How blessed will be the one
Who repays you [with destruction] as you have repaid us.

How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones
Against the rock.

For they speak against You wickedly,
Your enemies take Your name in vain.

Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
Protect me from violent men
Who intend to trip up my steps.

“Those who surround me raise their heads;
May the mischief of their own lips come upon them.

Do not incline my heart to [consent to or tolerate] any evil thing,
Or to practice deeds of wickedness
With men who plan and do evil;
And let me not eat of their delicacies (be tempted by their gain).

Look to the right [the point of attack] and see;
For there is no one who has regard for me [to act in my favor].
Escape has failed me and I have nowhere to run;
No one cares about my life.

For the enemy has persecuted me,
He has crushed my life down to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have been long dead.

Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down into the pit (grave).

In your lovingkindness, silence and destroy my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my life,
For I am Your servant.

Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my great strength,
Who trains my hands for war
And my fingers for battle;

My [steadfast] lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my rescuer,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.

Who gives salvation to kings,
Who sets David His servant free from the evil sword.

How blessed and favored are the people in such circumstance;
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored] are the people whose God is the Lord!

The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who fall
And raises up all those who are bowed down.

The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him in truth (without guile).

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience];
He also will hear their cry and will save them.