Psalms 34

¹Of David himself. O Lord, judge those who harm me; assail those who attack me.

²Take hold of weapons and a shield, and rise up in assistance to me.

³Bring forth the spear, and close in on those who persecute me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

⁴Let them be confounded and in awe, who pursue my soul. Let them be turned back and be confounded, who think up evil against me.

⁵May they become like dust before the face of the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord hem them in.

⁶May their way become dark and slippery, and may the Angel of the Lord pursue them.

⁷For, without cause, they have concealed their snare for me unto destruction. Over nothing, they have rebuked my soul.

⁸Let the snare, of which he is ignorant, come upon him, and let the deception, which he has hidden, take hold of him: and may he fall into that very snare.

⁹But my soul will exult in the Lord and delight over his salvation.

¹⁰All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like you?” He rescues the needy from the hand of the stronger one, the indigent and the poor from those who plunder him.

¹¹Unfair witnesses have risen up, interrogating me about things of which I am ignorant.

¹²They repaid me evil for good, to the deprivation of my soul.

¹³But as for me, when they were harassing me, I was clothed with haircloth. I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer will become my sinews.

¹⁴Like a neighbor, and like our brother, so did I please; like one mourning and contrite, so was I humbled.

¹⁵And they have been joyful against me, and they joined together. Scourges have been gathered over me, and I was ignorant of it.

¹⁶They have been scattered, yet they were unremorseful. They have tested me. They scoffed at me with scorn. They gnashed their teeth over me.

¹⁷Lord, when will you look down upon me? Restore my soul from before their malice, my only one from before the lions.

¹⁸I will confess to you in a great Church. I will praise you among a weighty people.

¹⁹May those who are my unjust adversaries not be glad over me: those who have hated me without cause, and who nod agreement with their eyes.

²⁰For indeed, they spoke peacefully to me; and speaking with passion to the earth, they intended deceit.

²¹And they opened their mouth wide over me. They said, “Well, well, our eyes have seen.”

²²You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent. Lord, do not depart from me.

²³Rise up and be attentive to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.

²⁴Judge me according to your justice, O Lord, my God, and do not let them be glad over me.

²⁵Do not let them say in their hearts, “Well, well, to our soul.” Neither let them say, “We have devoured him.”

²⁶Let them blush and be in awe together, those who congratulate at my misfortunes. Let them be clothed with confusion and awe, who speak great things against me.

²⁷Let them exult and rejoice, who wish my justice, and let them ever say, “The Lord be magnified,” who will the peace of his servant.

²⁸And so my tongue will express your justice: your praise all day long.

Psalms 34

¹I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

²My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

³O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

⁴I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

⁵They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

⁶This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

⁸O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

⁹O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

¹⁰The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

¹¹Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

¹²What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

¹³Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

¹⁴Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

¹⁶The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

¹⁷The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

¹⁸The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

¹⁹Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

²⁰He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

²¹Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

²²The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.