Psalm 17

God As Judge

1. O God, as judge of everything and all,

hear my plea of innocence, this cry, this prayer;

it does not come to you from lips that lie.

2. You be the judge

and let what vindication there is to be,

Come from your presence,

O you whose eyes discern the right and wrong.

3. You visit me at night in search of truth,

you assess the heart, so test me for impurities.

4. My mouth speaks no offence as others do,

for I follow only what falls from your own lips.

5. I walk in truth and beauty on your smooth path,

I walk before you and all your ways are mine,

O God.

6. I call to you and hear the answer of your voice,

for your ear is ever near my lips to hear my words.

7. You show to me the wonder of your love,

and grasp me in your strong hands to hide me safe.

8. O guard me ever there in you,

and keep me as the apple of your eye,

protect me in the shadow of your outstretched wings,

9. Safe from the assaults of evil foes

surrounding me.

10. You know how they have closed their hearts to mercy, Lord,

their words so full of pride and arrogance.

11. They come close and pressing in on every side,

watching carefully to capture me.

12. Like lions, greedy for the prey,

they lie low and hidden in the grass.

13. Rise up, O God, and from your hiding place,

confront them all and bring them down,

Release me from this evil

by your swift, sharp sword of truth.

14. Let your strong hand deliver me

from those whose only goal in life

is to seize and own this world of yours;

15. Who fill their bellies and gorge their souls,

with goods of earth,

or pass it to their children.

16. But I, when I awaken,

shall see your face my God.

I shall gaze upon your image and be satisfied.

Psalm 16

1. Protect me, Lord, for I have taken residence,
as refugee in you.

2. I said, “You are my Lord and Master,
and my God;
what gifts of life I have all came from you.”

3. I take delight in all who trust in you,
who have settled in your land,
and made your good their every gain,
their livelihood.

4. But those who sport with other gods,
the ones they own,
will only multiply their troubles here.

5. I will not offer self or sacrifice to these,
nor take their empty names upon my lips.

6. Lord you are for me all that I truly need,
and all that’s good.
I raise the cup of life you give and drink,
and live in full what you have cast for me as lot.

7. Inside the boundaries of my life
there is a land so broad, so good,
I never earned it all, nor was it ever “mine,”
but sent as gift, inherited from you.

8. And there you teach me all I need to know.
So I thank you for these instructions of the heart.

9. I keep your face before me as I walk;
with your strong presence at my side I never fall.

10. My inner life is filled with you, my heart is glad,
my soul is ever satisfied,
my body rests along the way in peace.

11. And when it comes, you will not abandon me in death,
nor allow your beloved ones to vanish
and be no more.

12. You lead and guide along a path called Life,
and there your presence is the source of joy,
For from your hands there flows
a never-ending stream of bliss.

Psalm 15

Friends of God

1. O God, who of us may approach

the summit of your mountain strong?

Who may come, invited to your presence there?

2. Only those who live their lives devoid of blame,

who do what’s right,

and from whose hearts truth is the only word;

3. Whose mouths are free from hateful words

and hands from wrong,

who treat their neighbors as their own, their kind;

4. Who do not give a place of honor to the evil one,

but only to the friends of God.

5. Whose promise is as good as any word they ever give,

even in the face of loss or gain.

6. They give and give, and ever give again,

without hope of getting in return,

and never take a bribe or speak against the innocent.

7. All these shall come at last to you,

all these, secure and overcomers, all!

All these are ever yours;

they’re proven true as your own friends.

Psalm 14

The Seeker and the Atheist

1. Foolishly the heart that says, “There is no God,”

acts out these words in deeds of crime and violence,

forsaking any good.

2. God sees it all from heaven’s height,

and looks to find the good in them,

God hopes to find some seeker there.

3. But these have given up the search,

to follow hard upon their evil ways,

and none of them are doing good at all, not one.

4. Where has their knowledge, their awareness gone,

these folk who eat the people up like bread

without a thought or prayer?

5. Behold, their time of fear shall come,

for God has taken sides, not theirs,

To care for all the lowly ones

who seek the right and serve the good,

6. The very ones they’ve mocked for seeking hope

and refuge in their God.

7. O deliver us,

restore our many losses here on earth we pray.

Come from your dwelling place,

Your holy mountain, your eternal city strong, Jerusalem,

and make your people glad and filled,

yes filled with joy.

Psalm 13

How Long?

1. How long will I feel this deep, deep sense of loss,

O God,

that I’m a forgotten one, abandoned and alone?

2. How long must I suffer this deep grief of soul,

this path of pain that fills my days

and all my nights?

How long will my enemies take advantage of my woe?

How long?

3. You, it seems, have turned your face away;

turn back, I pray, and answer me.

Fill up my eyes with light again,

before I fall asleep in death.

4. How long will all my foes prevail, rejoicing in my fate?

Let not my many failings be

their last and final word.

5. I’ve thrown everything I am and have

upon your mercy, Lord,

I’ve put my trust in you and in your loving care,

6. So at the last may my prayer be praise

for a mercy ever sure.

Psalm 12

1. Help us, Lord!

Where in this world has all the goodness gone?

2. Where are those who speak for truth, not lies?

It’s all flattery, smooth speech,

and double-heartedness.

3. O that you would cut loose these lying lips,

and gag the braggart’s mouth.

4. O that you would stop all those who think or say,

“I’ll take advantage with my tongue!

Who owns these lips but me?”

5. God says, it is for the poor and needy ones I come,

their cries of grief I hear.

I’ll rise for them and make a place of peace,

a place secure.

6. Your words, O God, are pure as silver refined from ore,

as good as gold, tried seven times in refiner’s fire.

7. Watch over us, protect us all,

in this sad world we pray,

8. Where evil rises up on every side,

and prowls the hidden alleys of the heart;

Where worthlessness is highly prized

and made the king of all.

Psalm 11

Fly, Fly Away Like a Bird

1. Fly, fly away like a bird into the mountains, you said.

But I had already fled for refuge into God.

2. Look at evil, how it takes its bow in hand

and sets an arrow to the string.

It aims to kill the good of heart!

3. See, the foundations of the world are crumbling now,
broken into bits.

So what are the righteous ones to do?

4. Lift up your eyes to the Lord of heaven.

Fix them on the One enthroned forever there.

5. Behold the gaze of God rests on all humankind.

God takes our measure at a glance.

6. Test all of us, O God, the wicked and the good.

You hate our love of violence.

7. Rain fire and burning coals upon all wickedness.

Sweep clean with your hot burning breath.

8. Take delight in justice done, for God is just.

You shall see the face of God and live.

Psalm 10

The Cry for Justice

1. Lord, when there is such deep need

and I am in distress,

why do you remove yourself and stand so far away

2. While evil roams this world, hunting down the poor?

Catch the prideful, wicked ones

in all their evil ways.

3. Just listen to their boasts and schemes,

their terrible desires.

For they deride your name in scorn,

4. They care nothing for you at all.

They even say, “There is no God,”

you’ve vanished out-of-sight.

5. Yet still they prosper in their ways,

contemptuous of all that’s good.

6. They boast of vast securities,

protecting them from you.

7. Deceit and cursing fills their mouths,

crooked their every word.

8. They hide among the innocent,

seeking for their prey.

9. They seize upon the helpless ones,

and drag them to their lair.

10. They hold them in captivity,

waiting for the feed.

11. You see, O God, these innocent,

how weak ones cannot stand.

12. You also hear the wicked say,

“God has forgotten them.”

13. Rise up, O God, do not forget,

in this our hour of need.

14. Let not these wicked ones

deride or trample on the good,

Or say, “God does not care at all,

we’ll never have to pay,”

15. You’ve seen it all by now, O God,

our troubles to you are clear.

16. You know these tired, these tortured ones,

they cling to you in fear.

17. So break the power of evil,

lay bare what hides to harm,

18. And we shall live forever

where evil is no more.

19. O helper of the helpless ones,

hear this our great lament,

Lean close to touch the needy and the poor,

and make them strong again.

20. Then all across this world of ours,

the orphaned and oppressed

Will see at last true justice done,

that terror reigns no more.

Psalm 9

Great, Good News

1. Everything within me wants to cry out “thanks,” and “praise!”

Everything wants to tell the great good news of what you’ve done.

2. So full of song am I, O God, so full of joy,

the mention of your holy name sets my soul to singing.

3. My enemies are gone,

you’ve driven them stumbling and far away,

and as they fled in fear they vanished out of sight.

4. For you upheld my right, my cause,

you’ve rendered justice from your throne.

5. You’ve brought the many nations low,

and wiped the slate of evil clean.

You’ve destroyed the very heart of wickedness,

with its list of many names.

6. Gone these dreadful enemies of ours,

Gone their habitation, their memories fading fast.

7. But you remain forever

as a good and righteous judge.

8. Your rulings are based in justice,

you judgments, balanced, fair.

9. You are for us a place secure,

to whom we turn in faith, and unafraid.

10. We’ve come to love your sacred name,

and trust your loving care.

11. So now I offer praise to you,

I proclaim what you have done.

12. The true avenger of the blood of innocents

did not forget the lost and little ones.

13. So save me from my enemies,

close the yawning gates of death.

14. Then I too shall enter your city,

proclaiming your praise with joy on my lips.

15. For my foes have fallen deep into the pit,

they’ve entangled their feet in their own nets.

16. And you have revealed yourself, unhidden,

the schemers are caught in the plots of their hands.

17. The heedless have sunk low in oblivion.

The wicked go down to the dead.

18. But the needy and poor, they’re remembered forever,

their hopes and their dreams do not fade.

19. So rise up, O God, again judge the nations,

let all that’s eternal prevail.

20. Put fear at last in the hearts of the peoples,

make us know that our life is but days.

Psalm 6

I’m Weak, Be Merciful

1. Lord, I feel your anger aimed against me,

do not reject or punish me, I pray.

2. I’m weak, O Lord, be merciful.

Heal this racking pain I feel to my very bones.

3. I’m shaken to my core, depressed and all alone.

How long can I go on in judgment and despair?

4. Turn back to me, O God,

in kindness set me free,

5. For who remembers you when they are gone?

What tongue can praise you from the grave?

6. I’m tired of my groaning and this aching pain.

I’m weary of lying in this tear-soaked bed.

7. My eyes grow dim with weeping, grief, and agony,

all my troubles have worn me thin.

8. Go away, all you who seek to do me harm.

God feels my pain and hears the storming of my grief.

9. Yes, it is God who gathers up my tears.

My prayers are never ever turned away.

10. But the day will come

when my foes shall stand astounded, Lord;

they shall turn and see what you have done.

then it is they who shall be confused.

Psalm 7

Longing for Justice

1. Help me, Lord my God, for I flee for safety into you,

I am looking for a hiding place from all who hunt me down.

2. I fear the lion-like adversaries of my world,

those who tear and rend the soul.

I fear them when no place is sure,

when there is no one near to save.

3. O God, my plea to you is this,

if I have caused this evil or this pain,

if you find blood upon my hands,

4. If I have been the source of harm,

if I have plundered foe or friend,

5. Then let them come and take me, Lord,

let them bring me to the ground.

6. But God, I beg of you to rise

and in your fury stand against my foes.

Awaken to my cause, O God, and be the judge of all.

7. And as you ascend the judge’s seat,

Let all be gathered there,

8. Judge us, judge me, judge everything

and all that’s in your care.

9. Weigh me on the scale of innocence,

according to your law,

and as you establish justice, bring evil to an end.

10. For this I know, you are the source of justice done,

the fairest judge of all,

You know what’s in the human heart,

to the very secrets of the soul.

11. You are also the great protecting one,

you shield the good, defending all that’s true.

12. Your justice moves the many nations

often against their will.

13. But if the peoples of the earth will never turn or change,

then you must sharpen sword and bend your bow.

14. You must make yourself a weapon of our death,

an arrow tipped with fire.

15. Your target, those who deal in sin,

who live out crime and lies.

16. For the life they lead digs for them a pit,

their traps become their graves.

17. And evil is always, in the end, a cheat,

it recoils upon its “friends.”

It descends from nowhere like a crown of fire

and rests upon their heads.

18. O God, I give you thanks for justice done,

I raise your name in praise,

My tongue gives tribute to the name of one,

exalted over all.

Psalm 5

The Question

1. O God, do you truly listen when I speak to you?

Do you hear the sounds of my distress?

2. Listen to this cry, O sovereign of my life.

It is to you alone I direct my prayer.

3. In the morning, at first-light,

I rise to make my plea to you.

Turn towards me, I pray, as I turn towards you.

4. For this I know,

you do not delight in evil or its schemes,

in you nothing but the good can find a home.

5. You despise the schemers and the cheats, O God.

The proud, inflated ones do not stand a prayer.

6. The liars and destroyers of the truth you hate,

you must end their constant thirst for blood.

7. But you send an invitation of unfailing love,

you invite us to your home,

8. And there at last we’ll surely come to you,

and bow in honor before the God of All.

9. So lead us, God,

our many enemies are strong to bar the way.

Clear out the path before our feet that leads to you.

10. Do not listen to their lies, their heart’s desire.

They mean only to destroy the sacred and the good.

11. Their mouths are hollow like an open grave,

they use their tongues in flattery that only leads to doom.

12. Bring these before your courts, O God, let justice judge.

Sentence all who side against the good.

13. But let all who put their trust in you, rejoice,

for you take us in and give us shelter in your love.

Your name becomes our shielding presence,

our sure defense,

14. In you we find our place secure,

and know your grace as home.

Psalm 8

The Song of Mortal Beings

1. O God, the beauty of your name fills all the earth,

so even from the lips of little ones, the innocent,

the suckling babes, your praise shall rise to overflow the heavens.

2. From there, the center of your household strong,

your enemies are stilled

and our avenger bound in chains and gone.

3.So when I lift my eyes to see you there,

I see the height of heaven itself,

a book of beauty your fingers wrote.

I see through veils of stars and space,

the canopy of sun and moon you set in place.

4. Then who are we to stand before all this and see?

Do you see us, and do you care?

5. Yes, we are mortal beings

set in this world,

below the splendor of transcendent space. 

6. You placed us here, vice-regents of your realm,

and gave the earth into our care.

7. You bid us cherish all this that’s ours,

all beasts and creatures of the wild.

8. The birds of air, the fish of sea, the plants,

and everything that lives and moves

are we to know and love.

9. We sing this song of praise to you;

your name beyond all this we know.

We sing first here so we can learn

to care at all.

Psalm 4

The Answering Voice

1. O defender of my cause, I call to you.

Release me from this vice-grip hold life has on me,

have compassion and answer me, I pray.

2. A voice responds, “O mortal ones,

how long will you defame what’s sacred and all that’s good, 

by loving what is worthless and seeking after lies?”

3. I now know this, that it is surely God who answers me.

It is God who astounds the merciful, the chosen ones, the wise.

4. So stand in awe and wonder before this God of yours,

put far from you every evil, every lie.

Commune with God deep within your hearts,

and then in silence wait and listen well

at night upon your beds.

5. Offer God in sacrifice whatever is required of you,

placing all your confidence in God’s care.

6. For there are many who only long for better times,

whose only prayer to God is to ask and ask for more.

7. But you have placed within my heart deep gratitude.

I know more joy than when wine and oil flow.

And when I lie down at night

I fall asleep in your deep peace,

for you keep me in the safe circle of your care.

Psalm 3

Enemies All Around

1. I lift my eyes and see a hoard arrayed against me.

More in number than I care to count are my many foes.

2. Their unrelenting voices whisper constantly,

“Nothing now can help you, your imaginary God is gone, and you’re alone!”

3. But you, O God, have been for me a shielding presence.

Your beauty has always lifted up my heart and soul.

4. When I cry aloud in fear and pain,

you answer me.

5. I can fall asleep both day or night

and awaken in your care.

6. Fearlessly I rise to meet ten thousand enemies,

for you are here,

and who are these to stand against you, God?

7. And as you rise to stand with me,

strike wickedness its first-blow,

break the teeth of evil from its leering face.

8. For it is you who gains for us the victory.

It is you who blesses us, who blesses all.

Psalm 2

Struggle on the World’s Stage

1 Why this raging, deafening roar of many nations,

this rising voice of the multitudes?

2. Why do the rulers of the earth conspire together,

and in utter folly plot against the Lord?

3. Why do they say to God’s anointed,

“Let us break God’s grip upon us,

let us strip away these sacred chains.”

4. God, you laugh from your throne in heaven,

you laugh in mirth, seeing all.

5. But then you speak to them in fury,

and terrify them in your wrath.

6. You say, “I myself have set a king among you.

I have placed him there on a holy mountain tall.”

7. But who is this anointed one you speak of?

God says, “You are a child of mine, this day I birth you.”

8. Ask of me and I shall give you all.

The many nations shall be your own possession,

9. You shall rule in strength and with an iron scepter.

You shall break rebellion like a shattered jar.

10. So listen well, you rulers of the peoples,

be wise, pay heed to what you hear.

11. Learn service to the God of earth and heaven,

in humility and awe draw close, come near.

12. Instead of fury, anger, fear and wrath,

know blessedness,

learn to trust and live as a refugee in God.

Psalm 1

Life’s Journey

1. Blessed, O blessed, I say

are those who walk upon a path

whose steps are firmly planted on your eternal law,

For in that word they find their joy, their meditation day and night,

and do not wander far to take the counsels of the worldly wise.

2. These “wise-of-word” speak guile,

their scorn of you is made from prideful seats above the masses far below.

3. But the blessed ones grow strong as living trees,

their roots sink deep and hidden
beside the flowing streams which come from you.

And through life’s passing seasons
they do not cease to bear a plenitude of fruit,

nor do they fade from giving shade of leaf that covers all with good.

4. While on the other path there is no shade or water near,

and all life withers quickly in the winds

that blow across the grass.

5. So when the sad results of wickedness give witness to their lives

they fall away and have no place

in your eternal circle of the wise.

6. You guard and guide the path that leads to life

and those who walk in right-relationship to all.

But those who choose the other path?

Their steps lead surely into doom.