What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?

Why should the nations say,
“Where, now, is their God?”

The idols [of the nations] are silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands.

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

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

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

In the courts of the Lord’s house (temple)—
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Oh let Israel say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”

Oh let the house of Aaron say,
“His lovingkindness endures forever.”

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.

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.

Make me understand the way of Your precepts,
So that I will meditate (focus my thoughts) on Your wonderful works.

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

My eyes fail [with longing, watching] for [the fulfillment of] Your promise,
Saying, “When will You comfort me?”

Redeem me from the oppression of man;
That I may keep Your precepts.

For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will now say, “May peace be within you.”

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
And as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He is gracious and favorable toward us.

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,

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.

For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land of the righteous,
So that the righteous will not reach out their hands to do wrong.

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.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.

How blessed [happy and fortunate] is the man whose quiver is filled with them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies [in gatherings] at the [city] gate.

May the Lord bless you from Zion [His holy mountain],
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life;

Indeed, may you see your [family perpetuated in your] children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!

“Many times they have persecuted me (Israel) from my youth,”
Let Israel now say,

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

My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
More than the watchmen for the morning.

O Lord, remember on David’s behalf
All his hardship and affliction;

For the sake of Your servant David,
Do not turn away the face of Your anointed.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.

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

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 Israel, bless and praise the Lord [with gratitude];
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord;

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

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

How can we sing the Lord’s song
In a strange and foreign land?

Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom,
The day of [the fall of] Jerusalem,
Who said “Down, down [with her]
To her very foundation.”

If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me,
And the night will be the only light around me,”

For You formed my innermost parts;
You knit me [together] in my mother’s womb.

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were appointed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].

And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

They sharpen their tongues like a serpent’s;
Poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah.

Let the righteous [thoughtfully] strike (correct) me—it is a kindness [done to encourage my spiritual maturity].
It is [the choicest anointing] oil on the head;
Let my head not refuse [to accept and acknowledge and learn from] it;
For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds.

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.

Save my life, O Lord, for Your name’s sake;
In Your righteousness bring my life out of trouble.

Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is [so vast and profound as to be] unsearchable [incomprehensible to man].

To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.

Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them,
Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,

He has not dealt this way with any [other] nation;
They have not known [understood, appreciated, heeded, or cherished] His ordinances.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Praise the Lord from the earth,
Sea monsters and all deeps;

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
Let Zion’s children rejoice in their King.

The wise will hear and increase their learning,
And the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth],

For they are a garland of grace on your head,
And chains and ornaments [of gold] around your neck.

If they say, “Come with us;
Let us lie in wait to shed blood,
Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
Greed takes away the lives of its possessors.

So you will walk in the way of good men [that is, those of personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character],
And keep to the paths of the righteous.

For the upright [those who are in right standing with God] will live in the land
And those [of integrity] who are blameless [in God’s sight] will remain in it;

So find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

Then your barns will be abundantly filled
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences],

Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.

And you say, “How I hated instruction and discipline,
And my heart despised correction and reproof!

For the ways of man are directly before the eyes of the Lord,
And He carefully watches all of his paths [all of his comings and goings].

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].

My son, be guided by your father’s [God-given] commandment (instruction)
And do not reject the teaching of your mother;

So is the one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her will not be found innocent or go unpunished.

Say to [skillful and godly] wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And regard understanding and intelligent insight as your intimate friends;

Passing through the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house

In the twilight, in the evening;
In the black and dark night.

So she caught him and kissed him
And with a brazen and impudent face she said to him:

“So I came out to meet you [that you might share with me the feast of my offering],
Diligently I sought your face and I have found you.

When He set for the sea its boundary
So that the waters would not transgress [the boundaries set by] His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth—

“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says,

The rich man’s wealth is his fortress;
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him to work.

The [reverent] fear of the Lord [worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect] prolongs one’s life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

By the blessing [of the influence] of the upright the city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,
So is a beautiful woman who is without discretion [her lack of character mocks her beauty].

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor and grace,
But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

A man will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words,
And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him [as a harvest].

The [arrogant] fool’s anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense],
But a prudent man ignores an insult.

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,
But a good (encouraging) word makes it glad.

A wise son heeds and accepts [and is the result of] his father’s discipline and instruction,
But a scoffer does not listen to reprimand and does not learn from his errors.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for [the hands of] the righteous.

In the mouth of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God] is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise [when they speak with godly wisdom] will protect them.

In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,
But in a lack of people is a [pretentious] prince’s ruin.

The king’s favor and good will are toward a servant who acts wisely and discreetly,
But his anger and wrath are toward him who acts shamefully.

A [flippant, arrogant] fool rejects his father’s instruction and correction,
But he who [is willing to learn and] regards and keeps in mind a reprimand acquires good sense.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain];
But the hearts of [shortsighted] fools are not so.

There is severe discipline for him who turns from the way [of righteousness];
And he who hates correction will die.

Commit your works to the Lord [submit and trust them to Him],
And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].

When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life],
But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.

A just balance and [honest] scales are the Lord’s;
All the weights of the bag are His concern [established by His eternal principles].