The Goodness of God

34 A Psalm of David; when he changed his

demeanour before Abimelech, who drove

him away, and he departed.

2 I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 3 My soul shall glory in the LORD;

4

The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

5 I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

6 They looked unto Him, and were radiant;
And their faces shall never be abashed.
7 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
8 The angel of the LORD encampeth round
about them that fear Him,

And delivereth them.

9 O consider and see that the LORD is good; Happy is the man that taketh refuge in Him. 10 O fear the LORD, ye His holy ones;

For there is no want to them that fear Him. 11 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; But they that seek the LORD want not any good thing.

12 Come, ye children, hearken unto me;

I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 13 Who is the man that desireth life,

And loveth days, that he may see good therein?

14 Keep thy tongue from evil,

And thy lips from speaking guile.

15 Depart from evil, and do good;

Seek peace, and pursue it.

16 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous,

And His ears are open unto their cry.

17 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil,

To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

18 They cried, and the LORD heard,

And delivered them out of all their troubles. 19 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart,

And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit. 20 Many are the ills of the righteous,

But the LORD delivereth him out of them all. 21 He keepeth all his bones;

Not one of them is broken.

22 Evil shall kill the wicked;

And they that hate the righteous shall be held guilty.

23 The LORD redeemeth the soul of His servants; And none of them that take refuge in Him shall be desolate.

Frailty of Life

39 For the Leader, for Jeduthun.

A Psalm of David.

2 I said: 'I will take heed to my ways,
That I sin not with my tongue;

I will keep a curb upon my mouth,
While the wicked is before me.'

3 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, had no comfort;

And my pain was held in check.
4 My heart waxed hot within me;
While I was musing, the fire kindled;
Then spoke I with my tongue:

5 LORD, make me to know mine end,
And the measure of my days, what it is;
Let me know how short-lived I am.

6 Behold, Thou hast made my days as handbreadths;

And mine age is as nothing before Thee;

Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity.

Selah

7 Surely man walketh as a mere semblance; Surely for vanity they are in turmoil;

He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

8 And now, Lord, what wait I for?

My hope, it is in Thee.

9 Deliver me from all my transgressions; Make me not the reproach of the base. 10 I am dumb, I open not my mouth; Because Thou hast done it.

11 Remove Thy stroke from off me;

I am consumed by the blow of Thy hand. 12 With rebukes dost Thou chasten man for iniquity,

And like a moth Thou makest his beauty to

consume away;

Surely every man is vanity.

Selah

13 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto

my cry;

Keep not silence at my tears;

For I am a stranger with Thee.

A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

14 Look away from me, that I may take comfort,

Before I go hence, and be no more.'

Longing for God

For the Leader; Maschil of the sons of

42 Korah.

2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after Thee, O God.

3 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:

'When shall I come and appear before God?' 4 My tears have been my food day and night, While they say unto me all the day: 'Where is thy God?'

5 These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me,

How I passed on with the throng, and led them to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.

6 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why moanest thou within me?

Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise

Him

For the salvation of His countenance.

7 O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore do I remember Thee from the land of Jordan,

And the Hermons, from the hill Mizar. 8 Deep calleth unto deep at the voice of Thy

cataracts;

All Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over

me.

9 By day the LORD will command His lovingkindness,

And in the night His song shall be with me,
Even a prayer unto the God of my life.

10 I will say unto God my Rock: 'Why hast thou forgotten me?

Why go I mourning under the oppression of the enemy?'

11 As with a crushing in my bones, mine adversaries taunt me;

While they say unto me all the day: 'Where is thy God?'

12 Why art thou cast down, O my soul?

And why moanest thou within me?

Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him,
The salvation of my countenance, and my
God.

43

Be Thou my judge, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;

O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust

man.

2 For Thou art the God of my strength; why hast Thou cast me off?

Why go I mourning under the oppression of the enemy?

3 O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me;

Let them bring me unto Thy holy mountain, and to Thy dwelling-places;

4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God, my exceeding joy;