Psalms

Israel’s prayer book and song book: 150 prayers and songs of praise, lament, trust, thanks and confession. They give words for every season of the soul and are still prayed by Jews and Christians today.

Author

Mainly David, with Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses and others

Written

Over about 1,000 years, from Moses to after the exile

Chapters

1. 1Psalm 1Two ways to live: the blessed person delights in God’s law and is like a fruitful tree, while the wicked are like chaff.
2. 2Psalm 2The nations plot against the Lord and his anointed king, but God has installed his king and calls them to submit to his Son.
3. 3Psalm 3David, fleeing from his son Absalom, trusts God as his shield: “I lie down and sleep, and wake again, because the Lord sustains me.”
4. 4Psalm 4An evening prayer. When others seek false things, God gives joy and peace: “In peace I will lie down and sleep.”
5. 5Psalm 5A morning prayer for protection and guidance from the wicked.
6. 6Psalm 6A cry for mercy in deep distress and weariness: “I am worn out from my groaning.” God hears and accepts the prayer.
7. 7Psalm 7David, falsely accused, asks God to judge justly and take up his cause.
8. 8Psalm 8“How majestic is your name in all the earth!” God has crowned small human beings with glory and put them in charge of creation.
9. 9Psalm 9Praise for God’s justice. He is a refuge for the oppressed and does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
10. 10Psalm 10Why does God seem far away when the wicked prey on the helpless? The psalm ends in trust that God sees and defends the fatherless.
11. 11Psalm 11When advised to flee, David trusts the Lord: “In the Lord I take refuge.” God is on his throne and sees all.
12. 12Psalm 12A prayer in a world of lies and flattery. God’s words, unlike human words, are pure.
13. 13Psalm 13“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” A lament that turns to trust in God’s unfailing love.
14. 14Psalm 14“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Everyone has turned aside, but God is with the righteous.
15. 15Psalm 15Who may live in God’s presence? The one who walks with integrity, speaks truth and keeps promises.
16. 16Psalm 16“You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” God will not abandon his holy one to the grave, and in his presence is fullness of joy.
17. 17Psalm 17A prayer of the innocent for protection: “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.”
18. 18Psalm 18David’s song of thanks for rescue from Saul: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.”
19. 19Psalm 19The heavens declare God’s glory, and his law is perfect, refreshing the soul. “May the words of my mouth be pleasing to you.”
20. 20Psalm 20A prayer for the king before battle: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord.”
21. 21Psalm 21Thanks for the king’s victory, given by God.
22. 22Psalm 22“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” A lament of intense suffering that Jesus quoted on the cross, ending in praise that all nations will turn to the Lord.
23. 23Psalm 23“The Lord is my shepherd.” God provides, leads, restores, walks with us through the darkest valley, and welcomes us to his table.
24. 24Psalm 24The earth is the Lord’s. Who may stand in his holy place? Lift up your heads, gates, for the King of glory comes in.
25. 25Psalm 25A prayer for guidance and forgiveness: “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.”
26. 26Psalm 26David asks God to examine him and declares his love for God’s house.
27. 27Psalm 27“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?” David longs to dwell in God’s house, and ends, “Wait for the Lord.”
28. 28Psalm 28A cry for help that becomes thanks: “The Lord is my strength and my shield.”
29. 29Psalm 29The voice of the Lord thunders over the waters and shakes the wilderness. He gives strength and peace to his people.
30. 30Psalm 30Thanks for healing: “Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”
31. 31Psalm 31“Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Trust in God in the middle of danger and slander. Jesus prayed these words on the cross.
32. 32Psalm 32The joy of being forgiven: “Blessed is the one whose sin is covered.” When David kept silent, he wasted away; when he confessed, God forgave.
33. 33Psalm 33Sing a new song to the Lord, who made the heavens by his word and watches over those who hope in his love.
34. 34Psalm 34“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and rescues the righteous from all their troubles.
35. 35Psalm 35David asks God to fight against those who repay his good with evil.
36. 36Psalm 36The wickedness of the sinful heart, contrasted with God’s love that reaches to the heavens: “With you is the fountain of life.”
37. 37Psalm 37“Do not fret because of evildoers. Delight yourself in the Lord, commit your way to him, and be still before him.” The meek will inherit the land.
38. 38Psalm 38A sufferer confesses sin and feels crushed, abandoned by friends, and waits for God.
39. 39Psalm 39“Show me, Lord, my life’s end.” Life is a breath, so my hope is in you.
40. 40Psalm 40“I waited patiently for the Lord, and he heard my cry.” God lifted me out of the pit and put a new song in my mouth.
41. 41Psalm 41Blessed is the one who considers the weak. Even a close friend has turned against me, but God upholds me.
42. 42Psalm 42“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you.” Why are you downcast, my soul? Hope in God.
43. 43Psalm 43The prayer continues: “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me.”
44. 44Psalm 44Israel remembers God’s past victories, but now feels rejected and asks, “Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?”
45. 45Psalm 45A royal wedding song praising the king, whose throne is forever. Hebrews applies it to Jesus.
46. 46Psalm 46“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Be still, and know that he is God.
47. 47Psalm 47Clap your hands, all peoples! God is King over all the earth.
48. 48Psalm 48Praise for Zion, the city of God, which he protects.
49. 49Psalm 49Wealth cannot buy life or save anyone from death, but God will redeem my soul from the grave.
50. 50Psalm 50God does not need sacrifices. He wants thanksgiving, faithfulness, and people who call on him in trouble.
51. 51Psalm 51David’s prayer after his sin with Bathsheba: “Have mercy on me, O God. Create in me a clean heart.”
52. 52Psalm 52A proud liar will be brought down, but “I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God.”
53. 53Psalm 53A version of Psalm 14: fools deny God, and the psalmist longs for salvation.
54. 54Psalm 54When the Ziphites betray him, David trusts God as his helper.
55. 55Psalm 55Betrayed by a close friend, David wishes he could fly away like a dove. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.”
56. 56Psalm 56“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” God keeps count of my tears.
57. 57Psalm 57Hiding in a cave from Saul, David takes refuge in the shadow of God’s wings and wakes the dawn with praise.
58. 58Psalm 58A cry for justice against corrupt rulers.
59. 59Psalm 59Hunted by Saul’s men, David calls God his fortress and sings of his strength each morning.
60. 60Psalm 60After a defeat, Israel asks God to restore them: “With God we will gain the victory.”
61. 61Psalm 61“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” A prayer from the ends of the earth.
62. 62Psalm 62“My soul finds rest in God alone.” Trust him at all times and pour out your heart to him.
63. 63Psalm 63In the wilderness David thirsts for God: “Your love is better than life.”
64. 64Psalm 64A prayer for protection from those who plot with sharp words.
65. 65Psalm 65Praise to God who answers prayer, forgives, and crowns the year with a rich harvest.
66. 66Psalm 66All the earth, shout for joy to God! Come and see what he has done in bringing his people through trials.
67. 67Psalm 67“May God be gracious to us and bless us,” so that his ways are known among all nations.
68. 68Psalm 68God marches in victory and is “a father to the fatherless”, the one who daily bears our burdens.
69. 69Psalm 69“Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.” Mocked and in despair, the psalmist still praises.
70. 70Psalm 70A short, urgent prayer: “Hurry, O God, to deliver me.”
71. 71Psalm 71An older person asks God not to abandon them in old age, and to let them declare his power to the next generation.
72. 72Psalm 72A prayer for the king to rule with justice and care for the poor, and for his reign to reach the ends of the earth.
73. 73Psalm 73Asaph envies the prosperous wicked until he enters God’s sanctuary and sees their end: “Whom have I in heaven but you?”
74. 74Psalm 74A lament after enemies destroy the sanctuary: remember your people, O God.
75. 75Psalm 75God will judge with fairness at the time he chooses.
76. 76Psalm 76God is feared and glorious, and he breaks the power of the enemy.
77. 77Psalm 77In distress the psalmist wonders if God has forgotten, then remembers his mighty deeds at the Red Sea.
78. 78Psalm 78Tell the next generation the story of God’s deeds and Israel’s repeated unfaithfulness, from Egypt to David the shepherd king.
79. 79Psalm 79A lament after the destruction of Jerusalem: help us, O God, for the glory of your name.
80. 80Psalm 80“Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us.” Israel is pictured as a vine God brought out of Egypt.
81. 81Psalm 81A festival call to worship and God’s grief that his people would not listen.
82. 82Psalm 82God rises in the council and judges unjust rulers who fail to defend the weak.
83. 83Psalm 83A plea for God to act as nations conspire against Israel.
84. 84Psalm 84“How lovely is your dwelling place!” Better is one day in God’s courts than a thousand elsewhere.
85. 85Psalm 85A prayer for restoration: love and faithfulness meet, righteousness and peace kiss.
86. 86Psalm 86“Teach me your way, Lord, and give me an undivided heart.”
87. 87Psalm 87Zion, the city of God, is the birthplace of people from every nation.
88. 88Psalm 88The darkest psalm: a lifelong sufferer cries out and ends with “darkness is my closest friend.” Even despair is brought to God.
89. 89Psalm 89God’s covenant with David seems broken. The psalm praises God’s faithfulness while asking how long.
90. 90Psalm 90A prayer of Moses: God is eternal and our lives are brief. “Teach us to number our days.”
91. 91Psalm 91Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High rests in his shadow. God will cover you with his feathers and command angels to guard you.
92. 92Psalm 92It is good to praise the Lord. The righteous flourish like a palm tree, bearing fruit even in old age.
93. 93Psalm 93The Lord reigns, robed in majesty, mightier than the thunder of the sea.
94. 94Psalm 94God will judge the wicked and comfort the anxious: “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”
95. 95Psalm 95“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord.” Let us bow down to our Maker, and not harden our hearts.
96. 96Psalm 96Sing to the Lord a new song, all the earth. He comes to judge the world with righteousness.
97. 97Psalm 97The Lord reigns. Clouds and darkness surround him, and light shines on the righteous.
98. 98Psalm 98Sing a new song, for the Lord has done marvellous things. Let the sea and rivers and mountains sing.
99. 99Psalm 99The Lord reigns and is holy. He answered Moses, Aaron and Samuel.
100. 100Psalm 100“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.” We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
101. 101Psalm 101A king’s promise to live with integrity and to have no part in evil.
102. 102Psalm 102A prayer of someone afflicted and fading, who trusts that God is eternal and will rebuild Zion.
103. 103Psalm 103“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” He forgives, heals, redeems, and removes our sins as far as the east is from the west.
104. 104Psalm 104A hymn celebrating God as Creator and sustainer of every creature: “How many are your works, Lord!”
105. 105Psalm 105Israel’s history from Abraham to the exodus: God remembered his covenant forever.
106. 106Psalm 106Israel’s history of rebellion in the wilderness and the land, and God’s mercy each time they cried out.
107. 107Psalm 107Give thanks to the Lord: he rescued wanderers, prisoners, the sick and sailors in a storm.
108. 108Psalm 108A song of praise and trust, combining parts of Psalms 57 and 60.
109. 109Psalm 109A harsh prayer against a false accuser. The New Testament applies part of it to Judas.
110. 110Psalm 110“The Lord says to my Lord: sit at my right hand.” A king who is also a priest forever. It is the psalm most quoted in the New Testament, applied to Jesus.
111. 111Psalm 111Praise for God’s works and faithfulness. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
112. 112Psalm 112Blessed is the one who fears the Lord: generous, steady, not afraid of bad news.
113. 113Psalm 113Praise the Lord, who is high above all, yet stoops down to lift the poor from the dust.
114. 114Psalm 114When Israel came out of Egypt, the sea fled and the mountains skipped like rams.
115. 115Psalm 115“Not to us, Lord, but to your name be the glory.” Idols are lifeless; trust the Lord.
116. 116Psalm 116“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice.” He saved me from death, so I will walk before him.
117. 117Psalm 117The shortest psalm: all nations, praise the Lord, for his love is great.
118. 118Psalm 118“His love endures forever.” The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the day the Lord has made.
119. 119Psalm 119The longest psalm: 176 verses in 22 sections, one for each Hebrew letter, delighting in God’s word. “Your word is a lamp to my feet.”
120. 120Psalm 120The first Song of Ascents, sung on the way to Jerusalem: a cry for help from someone surrounded by lies and hostility.
121. 121Psalm 121“I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord.” He watches over you always.
122. 122Psalm 122“I rejoiced with those who said, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
123. 123Psalm 123Our eyes look to the Lord for mercy, like a servant watches their master’s hand.
124. 124Psalm 124If the Lord had not been on our side, we would have been swallowed up. Our help is in his name.
125. 125Psalm 125Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken.
126. 126Psalm 126When God restored his people, they were like dreamers, filled with laughter. Those who sow in tears will reap with joy.
127. 127Psalm 127“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.” Children are a gift from God.
128. 128Psalm 128Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord: their work, family and table are blessed.
129. 129Psalm 129Israel has been persecuted since its youth, but the Lord is righteous.
130. 130Psalm 130“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord.” With God there is forgiveness, so I wait for him more than watchmen wait for the morning.
131. 131Psalm 131A humble heart: “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother.”
132. 132Psalm 132God’s promise to David and his choice of Zion as his dwelling.
133. 133Psalm 133“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”
134. 134Psalm 134A blessing for those who serve in the house of the Lord by night.
135. 135Psalm 135Praise the Lord, who is great above all gods and chose Israel as his treasure.
136. 136Psalm 136A litany of God’s works in creation and in Israel’s history, each line answered by “His love endures forever.”
137. 137Psalm 137By the rivers of Babylon the exiles weep and cannot sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land. A raw cry for justice.
138. 138Psalm 138Thanks with a whole heart: the Lord is high, yet looks on the lowly and will fulfil his purpose for me.
139. 139Psalm 139God knows me completely and is everywhere I go. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. “Search me, O God, and know my heart.”
140. 140Psalm 140A prayer for protection from violent and slanderous people.
141. 141Psalm 141A prayer to be kept from evil words and deeds: “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord.”
142. 142Psalm 142David prays from a cave: “I pour out my complaint before him.” You are my refuge.
143. 143Psalm 143“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.” A prayer in darkness and danger.
144. 144Psalm 144“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war.” A prayer for God’s blessing on the nation.
145. 145Psalm 145A psalm of praise from generation to generation: “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.”
146. 146Psalm 146Do not trust in princes. Blessed is the one whose hope is in the Lord, who upholds the oppressed and feeds the hungry.
147. 147Psalm 147Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted and counts the stars.
148. 148Psalm 148Let all creation praise the Lord: angels, sun, moon, sea creatures, mountains, kings, young and old.
149. 149Psalm 149Sing a new song. The Lord delights in his people and crowns the humble with victory.
150. 150Psalm 150The final psalm: praise God with trumpet, harp, dancing and cymbals. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”