1 A psalm of Asaph.

God stands in the assembly of El;

in the midst of the gods he renders judgment.

2 He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions

and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah)

3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless.

Vindicate the oppressed and suffering.

4 Rescue the poor and needy.

Deliver them from the power of the wicked.

5 They neither know nor understand.

They stumble around in the dark,

while all the foundations of the earth crumble.

6 I thought, ‘You are gods;

all of you are sons of the Most High.’

7 Yet you will die like mortals;

you will fall like all the other rulers.”

8 Rise up, O God, and execute judgment on the earth!

For you own all the nations.

83:1 A song, a psalm of Asaph.

O God, do not be silent.

Do not ignore us. Do not be inactive, O God.

2 For look, your enemies are making a commotion;

those who hate you are hostile.

3 They carefully plot against your people,

and make plans to harm the ones you cherish.

4 They say, “Come on, let’s annihilate them so they are no longer a nation.

Then the name of Israel will be remembered no more.”

5 Yes, they devise a unified strategy;

they form an alliance against you.

6 It includes the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,

Moab and the Hagrites,

7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek,

Philistia, and the inhabitants of Tyre.

8 Even Assyria has allied with them,

lending its strength to the descendants of Lot. (Selah)

9 Do to them as you did to Midian—

as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

10 They were destroyed at Endor;

their corpses were like manure on the ground.

11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,

and all their rulers like Zebah and Zalmunna,

12 who said, “Let’s take over the pastures of God.”

13 O my God, make them like dead thistles,

like dead weeds blown away by the wind.

14 Like the fire that burns down the forest,

or the flames that consume the mountainsides,

15 chase them with your gale winds

and terrify them with your windstorm.

16 Cover their faces with shame,

so they might seek you, O Lord.

17 May they be humiliated and continually terrified.

May they die in shame.

18 Then they will know that you alone are the Lord,

the Most High over all the earth.

84:1 For the music director, according to the gittith style; written by the Korahites, a psalm.

How lovely is the place where you live,

O Lord of Heaven’s Armies!

2 I desperately want to be

in the courts of the Lord’s temple.

My heart and my entire being shout for joy

to the living God.

3 Even the birds find a home there,

and the swallow builds a nest

where she can protect her young

near your altars, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

my King and my God.

4 How blessed are those who live in your temple

and praise you continually. (Selah)

5 How blessed are those who find their strength in you

and long to travel the roads that lead to your temple.

6 As they pass through the Baca Valley,

he provides a spring for them.

The rain even covers it with pools of water.

7 They are sustained as they travel along;

each one appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,

hear my prayer.

Listen, O God of Jacob. (Selah)

9 O God, take notice of our shield.

Show concern for your chosen king.

10 Certainly spending just one day in your temple courts is better

than spending a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather stand at the entrance to the temple of my God

than live in the tents of the wicked.

11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector.

The Lord bestows favor and honor;

he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.

12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

how blessed are those who trust in you.

85:1 For the music director, written by the Korahites, a psalm.

O Lord, you showed favor to your land;

you restored the well-being of Jacob.

2 You pardoned the wrongdoing of your people;

you forgave all their sin. (Selah)

3 You withdrew all your fury;

you turned back from your raging anger.

4 Restore us, O God our deliverer.

Do not be displeased with us.

5 Will you stay mad at us forever?

Will you remain angry throughout future generations?

6 Will you not revive us once more?

Then your people will rejoice in you.

7 O Lord, show us your loyal love.

Bestow on us your deliverance.

8 I will listen to what God the Lord says.

For he will make peace with his people, his faithful followers.

Yet they must not return to their foolish ways.

9 Certainly his loyal followers will soon experience his deliverance;

then his splendor will again appear in our land.

10 Loyal love and faithfulness meet;

deliverance and peace greet each other with a kiss.

11 Faithfulness grows from the ground,

and deliverance looks down from the sky.

12 Yes, the Lord will bestow his good blessings,

and our land will yield its crops.

13 Deliverance goes before him,

and prepares a pathway for him.

86:1 A prayer of David.

Listen, O Lord. Answer me.

For I am oppressed and needy.

2 Protect me, for I am loyal.

You are my God; deliver your servant who trusts in you.

3 Have mercy on me, O Lord,

for I cry out to you all day long.

4 Make your servant glad,

for to you, O Lord, I pray.

5 Certainly, O Lord, you are kind and forgiving,

and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.

6 O Lord, hear my prayer.

Pay attention to my plea for mercy.

7 In my time of trouble I cry out to you,

for you will answer me.

8 None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord.

Your exploits are incomparable.

9 All the nations, whom you created,

will come and worship you, O Lord.

They will honor your name.

10 For you are great and do amazing things.

You alone are God.

11 O Lord, teach me how you want me to live.

Then I will obey your commands.

Make me wholeheartedly committed to you.

12 O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks with my whole heart.

I will honor your name continually.

13 For you will extend your great loyal love to me

and will deliver my life from the depths of Sheol.

14 O God, arrogant men attack me;

a gang of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life.

15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.

You are patient and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness.

16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me.

Give your servant your strength.

Deliver this son of your female servant.

17 Show me evidence of your favor.

Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed,

for you, O Lord, will help me and comfort me.

87:1 Written by the Korahites; a psalm, a song.

The Lord’s city is in the holy hills.

2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion

more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

3 People say wonderful things about you,

O city of God. (Selah)

4 I mention Rahab and Babylon to my followers.

Here are Philistia and Tyre, along with Ethiopia.

It is said of them, “This one was born there.”

5 But it is said of Zion’s residents,

“Each one of these was born in her,

and the Most High makes her secure.”

6 The Lord writes in the census book of the nations,

“This one was born there.” (Selah)

7 As for the singers, as well as the pipers—

all of them sing within your walls.