For the music director; by David. Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.

The Lord looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God.

They cry out, but there is no one to help them; they cry out to the Lord, but he does not answer them.

There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard.

Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; those who obey them receive a rich reward.

"What profit is there in taking my life, in my descending into the Pit? Can the dust of the grave praise you? Can it declare your loyalty?

How blessed is the one whose wrongdoing the Lord does not punish, in whose spirit there is no deceit.

For this reason every one of your faithful followers should pray to you while there is a window of opportunity. Certainly when the surging water rises, it will not reach them.

O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? Rescue me from their destructive attacks; guard my life from the young lions!

You, by your power, defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land; you crushed the people living there and enabled our ancestors to occupy it.

For the music director; according to the machalath style; a well-written song by David. Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.

God looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God.

Then observers will say, "Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! Yes indeed, there is a God who judges in the earth!"

A psalm of David, written when he was in the Judean wilderness. O God, you are my God! I long for you! My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. Let us rejoice in him there!

Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, at the mountain where God has decided to live? Indeed the Lord will live there permanently!

You ascend on high, you have taken many captives. You receive tribute from men, including even sinful rebels. Indeed the Lord God lives there!

There is little Benjamin, their ruler, and the princes of Judah in their robes, along with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

I sink into the deep mire where there is no solid ground; I am in deep water, and the current overpowers me.

They say, "God has abandoned him. Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!"

May there be an abundance of grain in the earth; on the tops of the mountains may it sway! May its fruit trees flourish like the forests of Lebanon! May its crops be as abundant as the grass of the earth!

We do not see any signs of God's presence; there are no longer any prophets and we have no one to tell us how long this will last.

There he shattered the arrows, the shield, the sword, and the rest of the weapons of war. (Selah)

They have made their blood flow like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them.

There must be no other god among you. You must not worship a foreign god.

Even the birds find a home there, and the swallow builds a nest, where she can protect her young near your altars, O Lord who rules over all, my king and my God.

I mention Rahab and Babylon to my followers. Here are Philistia and Tyre, along with Ethiopia. It is said of them, "This one was born there."

The Lord writes in the census book of the nations, "This one was born there." (Selah)

The ships travel there, and over here swims the whale you made to play in it.

He sent hail along with the rain; there was lightning in their land.

He allowed the hungry to settle there, and they established a city in which to live.

The tribes go up there, the tribes of the Lord, where it is required that Israel give thanks to the name of the Lord.

Indeed, the leaders sit there on thrones and make legal decisions, on the thrones of the house of David.

May there be peace inside your defenses, and prosperity inside your fortresses!

For the sake of my brothers and my neighbors I will say, "May there be peace in you!"

There I will make David strong; I have determined that my chosen king's dynasty will continue.

for there our captors ask us to compose songs; those who mock us demand that we be happy, saying: "Sing for us a song about Zion!"

If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be.

even there your hand would guide me, your right hand would grab hold of me.

See if there is any idolatrous tendency in me, and lead me in the reliable ancient path!

Our cattle will be weighted down with produce. No one will break through our walls, no one will be taken captive, and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares.

Our Lord is great and has awesome power; there is no limit to his wisdom.