But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge and placed my trust in Him,
That I may tell of all Your works.

But God is the Judge;
He puts down one and lifts up another.

But as for me, I will declare it and rejoice forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

All the horns of the wicked He will cut off,
But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

And I said, “This is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed [and His lovingkindness is withheld].”

Your way [of escape for Your people] was through the sea,
And Your paths through the great waters,
And Your footprints were not traceable.

We will not hide them from their children,
But [we will] tell to the generation to come the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
And [tell of] His great might and power and the wonderful works that He has done.

That they should place their confidence in God
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments,

“Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out
And the streams overflowed;
Can He give bread also?
Or will He provide meat for His people?”

Before they had satisfied their desire,
And while their food was in their mouths,

But He, the source of compassion and lovingkindness, forgave their wickedness and did not destroy them;
Many times He restrained His anger
And did not stir up all His wrath.

For He [graciously] remembered that they were mere [human] flesh,
A wind that goes and does not return.

He leveled a path for His anger [to give it free run];
He did not spare their souls from death,
But turned over their lives to the plague.

But God led His own people forward like sheep
And guided them in the wilderness like [a good shepherd with] a flock.

He led them safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea engulfed their enemies.

They turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
They were twisted like a warped bow [that will not respond to the archer’s aim].

But He chose the tribe of Judah [as Israel’s leader],
Mount Zion, which He loved [to replace Shiloh as His capital].

“But My people would not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not [consent to] obey Me.

“Nevertheless you will die like men
And fall like any one of the princes.”

I will hear [with expectant hope] what God the Lord will say,
For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones—
But let them not turn again to folly.

But You, O Lord, are a God [who protects and is] merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.

But I have cried out to You, O Lord, for help;
And in the morning my prayer will come to You.

But [in apparent contradiction of all this] You [the faithful Lord] have cast off and rejected;
You have been full of wrath against Your anointed.

For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
Or as a watch in the night.

A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But danger will not come near you.

But You, Lord, are on high forever.

But my horn [my emblem of strength and power] You have exalted like that of a wild ox;
I am anointed with fresh oil [for Your service].

But the Lord has become my high tower and defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge.

For all the gods of the peoples are [worthless, lifeless] idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.

But You, O Lord, are enthroned forever [ruling eternally as sovereign];
And [the fame and glory of] Your name [endures] to all generations.

“Even they will perish, but You endure;
Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment.
Like clothing You will change them and they shall be changed.

“But You remain the same,
And Your years will never end.

The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all the oppressed.

But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [reverently] fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,

When there were only a few men in number,
Very few [in fact], and strangers in it;

Our fathers in Egypt did not understand nor appreciate Your miracles;
They did not remember the abundance of Your mercies nor imprint Your lovingkindnesses on their hearts,
But they were rebellious at the sea, at the Red Sea.

But they quickly forgot His works;
They did not [patiently] wait for His counsel and purpose [to be revealed regarding them],

But lusted intensely in the wilderness
And tempted God [with their insistent desires] in the desert.

So He gave them their request,
But sent a wasting disease among them.

But they sulked and complained in their tents;
They did not listen to the voice of the Lord.

But they mingled with the [idolatrous] nations
And learned their ways,

Many times He rescued them;
But they were rebellious in their counsel,
And sank down in their wickedness.

The upright see it and rejoice;
But all unrighteousness shuts its mouth.

In return for my love, they attack me,
But I am in prayer.

Because the man did not remember to show kindness,
But persecuted the suffering and needy man,
And the brokenhearted, to put them to death.

But You, O God, the Lord, show kindness to me, for Your name’s sake;
Because Your lovingkindness (faithfulness, compassion) is good, O rescue me;

Let them curse, but You bless.
When adversaries arise, let them be ashamed,
But let Your servant rejoice.

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
But to Your name give glory
Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth and faithfulness.

But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.

They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
They have eyes, but they cannot see;

They have ears, but they cannot hear;
They have noses, but they cannot smell;

They have hands, but they cannot feel;
They have feet, but they cannot walk;
Nor can they make a sound with their throats.

The heavens are the heavens of the Lord,
But the earth He has given to the children of men.

But as for us, we will bless and affectionately and gratefully praise the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

All nations encompassed me;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.

They encompassed me, yes, they surrounded me [on every side];
In the name of the Lord I will cut them off.

You [my enemy] pushed me violently so that I was falling,
But the Lord helped me.

I will not die, but live,
And declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord.

The Lord has disciplined me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.

Even though princes sit and talk to one another against me,
Your servant meditates on Your statutes.

I will run the way of Your commandments [with purpose],
For You will give me a heart that is willing.

Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep and honor Your word [with loving obedience].

The arrogant have forged a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with all my heart.

Their heart is insensitive like fat [their minds are dull and brutal],
But I delight in Your law.

Let the arrogant be ashamed and humiliated, for they sabotage me with a lie;
But I will meditate on Your precepts.

Kaph.
My soul languishes and grows weak for Your salvation;
I wait for Your word.

They had almost destroyed me on earth,
But as for me, I did not turn away from Your precepts.

The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
But I will consider Your testimonies.

I have seen that all [human] perfection has its limits [no matter how grand and perfect and noble];
Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity].

Samekh.
I hate those who are double-minded,
But I love and treasure Your law.

I am small and despised,
But I do not forget Your precepts.

Shin.
Princes persecute me without cause,
But my heart stands in [reverent] awe of Your words [so I can expect You to help me].

I hate and detest falsehood,
But I love Your law.

I am for peace, but when I speak,
They are for war.

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

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.

But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared and worshiped [with submissive wonder].

“His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon himself shall his crown shine.”

They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;

They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.

But tossed Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
For His lovingkindness endures forever;

Though the Lord is exalted,
He regards the lowly [and invites them into His fellowship];
But the proud and haughty He knows from a distance.

Even before there is a word on my tongue [still unspoken],
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.

Even the darkness is not dark to You and conceals nothing from You,
But the night shines as bright as the day;
Darkness and light are alike to You.

For my eyes are toward You, O God, the Lord;
In You I take refuge; do not pour out my life nor leave me defenseless.

The Lord keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.

The Lord protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow;
But He makes crooked the way of the wicked.

The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence];
But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.

But [when these people set a trap for others] they lie in wait for their own blood;
They set an ambush for their own lives [and rush to their destruction].

“Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer;
They will seek me eagerly but they will not find me,

“But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust
And will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil.”

But the wicked will be cut off from the land
And the treacherous shall be [forcibly] uprooted and removed from it.

My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;

My son, let them not escape from your sight,
But keep sound wisdom and discretion,

For the devious are repulsive to the Lord;
But His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just and righteous.

The wise will inherit honor and glory,
But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.

But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day.

But in the end she is bitter like [the extract of] wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

So your poverty will come like an approaching prowler who walks [slowly, but surely]
And your need [will come] like an armed man [making you helpless].