Good News Translation (GNT)

God’s Glory in Creation

1 How clearly the sky reveals God’s glory!

How plainly it shows what he has done!

2 Each day announces it to the following day;

each night repeats it to the next.

3 No speech or words are used,

no sound is heard;

4 yet their messagegoes out to all the world

and is heard to the ends of the earth.

God made a home in the sky for the sun;

5 it comes out in the morning like a happy bridegroom,

like an athlete eager to run a race.

6 It starts at one end of the sky

and goes across to the other.

Nothing can hide from its heat.

The Law of the Lord

7 The law of the Lord is perfect;

it gives new strength.

The commands of the Lord are trustworthy,

giving wisdom to those who lack it.

8 The laws of the Lord are right,

and those who obey them are happy.

The commands of the Lord are just

and give understanding to the mind.

9 Reverence for the Lord is good;

it will continue forever.

The judgments of the Lord are just;

they are always fair.

10 They are more desirable than the finest gold;

they are sweeter than the purest honey.

11 They give knowledge to me, your servant;

I am rewarded for obeying them.

12 None of us can see our own errors;

deliver me, Lord, from hidden faults!

13 Keep me safe, also, from willful sins;

don’t let them rule over me.

Then I shall be perfect

and free from the evil of sin.

14 May my words and my thoughts be acceptable to you,

O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer!

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A Prayer for Victory

1 May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble!

May the God of Jacob protect you!

2 May he send you help from his Temple

and give you aid from Mount Zion.

3 May he accept all your offerings

and be pleased with all your sacrifices.

4 May he give you what you desire

and make all your plans succeed.

5 Then we will shout for joy over your victory

and celebrate your triumph by praising our God.

May the Lord answer all your requests.

6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his chosen king;

he answers him from his holy heaven

and by his power gives him great victories.

7 Some trust in their war chariots

and others in their horses,

but we trust in the power of the Lord our God.

8 Such people will stumble and fall,

but we will rise and stand firm.

9 Give victory to the king, O Lord;

answerus when we call.

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Praise for Victory

1 The king is glad, O Lord, because you gave him strength;

he rejoices because you made him victorious.

2 You have given him his heart’s desire;

you have answered his request.

3 You came to him with great blessings

and set a crown of gold on his head.

4 He asked for life, and you gave it,

a long and lasting life.

5 His glory is great because of your help;

you have given him fame and majesty.

6 Your blessings are with him forever,

and your presence fills him with joy.

7 The king trusts in the Lord Almighty;

and because of the Lord’s constant love

he will always be secure.

8 The king will capture all his enemies;

he will capture everyone who hates him.

9 He will destroy them like a blazing fire

when he appears.

The Lord will devour them in his anger,

and fire will consume them.

10 None of their descendants will survive;

the king will kill them all.

11 They make their plans, and plot against him,

but they will not succeed.

12 He will shoot his arrows at them

and make them turn and run.

13 We praise you, Lord, for your great strength!

We will sing and praise your power.

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A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise

1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

I have cried desperately for help,

but still it does not come.

2 During the day I call to you, my God,

but you do not answer;

I call at night,

but get no rest.

3 But you are enthroned as the Holy One,

the one whom Israel praises.

4 Our ancestors put their trust in you;

they trusted you, and you saved them.

5 They called to you and escaped from danger;

they trusted you and were not disappointed.

6 But I am no longer a human being; I am a worm,

despised and scorned by everyone!

7 All who see me make fun of me;

they stick out their tongues and shake their heads.

8 “You relied on the Lord,” they say.

“Why doesn’t he save you?

If the Lord likes you,

why doesn’t he help you?”

9 It was you who brought me safely through birth,

and when I was a baby, you kept me safe.

10 I have relied on you since the day I was born,

and you have always been my God.

11 Do not stay away from me!

Trouble is near,

and there is no one to help.

12 Many enemies surround me like bulls;

they are all around me,

like fierce bulls from the land of Bashan.

13 They open their mouths like lions,

roaring and tearing at me.

14 My strength is gone,

gone like water spilled on the ground.

All my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like melted wax.

15 My throatis as dry as dust,

and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

You have left me for dead in the dust.

16 An evil gang is around me;

like a pack of dogs they close in on me;

they tear atmy hands and feet.

17 All my bones can be seen.

My enemies look at me and stare.

18 They gamble for my clothes

and divide them among themselves.

19 O Lord, don’t stay away from me!

Come quickly to my rescue!

20 Save me from the sword;

save my life from these dogs.

21 Rescue me from these lions;

I am helplessbefore these wild bulls.

22 I will tell my people what you have done;

I will praise you in their assembly:

23 “Praise him, you servants of the Lord!

Honor him, you descendants of Jacob!

Worship him, you people of Israel!

24 He does not neglect the poor or ignore their suffering;

he does not turn away from them,

but answers when they call for help.”

25 In the full assembly I will praise you for what you have done;

in the presence of those who worship you

I will offer the sacrifices I promised.

26 The poor will eat as much as they want;

those who come to the Lord will praise him.

May they prosper forever!

27 All nations will remember the Lord.

From every part of the world they will turn to him;

all races will worship him.

28 The Lord is king,

and he rules the nations.

29 All proud people will bow down to him;

all mortals will bow down before him.

30 Future generations will serve him;

they will speak of the Lord to the coming generation.

31 People not yet born will be told:

“The Lord saved his people.”

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/PSA/22-8541b858f60c849a7b5ecbebdb0e0482.mp3?version_id=68—

The Lord Our Shepherd

1 The Lord is my shepherd;

I have everything I need.

2 He lets me rest in fields of green grass

and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.

3 He gives me new strength.

He guides me in the right paths,

as he has promised.

4 Even if I go through the deepest darkness,

I will not be afraid, Lord,

for you are with me.

Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me.

5 You prepare a banquet for me,

where all my enemies can see me;

you welcome me as an honored guest

and fill my cup to the brim.

6 I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life;

and your house will be my home as long as I live.

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The Great King

1 The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord;

the earth and all who live on it are his.

2 He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth

and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.

3 Who has the right to go up the Lord’s hill?

Who may enter his holy Temple?

4 Those who are pure in act and in thought,

who do not worship idols

or make false promises.

5 The Lord will bless them and save them;

God will declare them innocent.

6 Such are the people who come to God,

who come into the presence of the God of Jacob.

7 Fling wide the gates,

open the ancient doors,

and the great king will come in.

8 Who is this great king?

He is the Lord, strong and mighty,

the Lord, victorious in battle.

9 Fling wide the gates,

open the ancient doors,

and the great king will come in.

10 Who is this great king?

The triumphant Lord—he is the great king!

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A Prayer for Guidance and Protection

1 To you, O Lord, I offer my prayer;

2 in you, my God, I trust.

Save me from the shame of defeat;

don’t let my enemies gloat over me!

3 Defeat does not come to those who trust in you,

but to those who are quick to rebel against you.

4 Teach me your ways, O Lord;

make them known to me.

5 Teach me to live according to your truth,

for you are my God, who saves me.

I always trust in you.

6 Remember, O Lord, your kindness and constant love

which you have shown from long ago.

7 Forgive the sins and errors of my youth.

In your constant love and goodness,

remember me, Lord!

8 Because the Lord is righteous and good,

he teaches sinners the path they should follow.

9 He leads the humble in the right way

and teaches them his will.

10 With faithfulness and love he leads

all who keep his covenant and obey his commands.

11 Keep your promise, Lord, and forgive my sins,

for they are many.

12 Those who have reverence for the Lord

will learn from him the path they should follow.

13 They will always be prosperous,

and their children will possess the land.

14 The Lord is the friend of those who obey him

and he affirms his covenant with them.

15 I look to the Lord for help at all times,

and he rescues me from danger.

16 Turn to me, Lord, and be merciful to me,

because I am lonely and weak.

17 Relieve me of my worries

and save me from all my troubles.

18 Consider my distress and suffering

and forgive all my sins.

19 See how many enemies I have;

see how much they hate me.

20 Protect me and save me;

keep me from defeat.

I come to you for safety.

21 May my goodness and honesty preserve me,

because I trust in you.

22 From all their troubles, O God,

save your people Israel!

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The Prayer of a Good Person

1 Declare me innocent, O Lord,

because I do what is right

and trust you completely.

2 Examine me and test me, Lord;

judge my desires and thoughts.

3 Your constant love is my guide;

your faithfulness always leads me.

4 I do not keep company with worthless people;

I have nothing to do with hypocrites.

5 I hate the company of the evil

and avoid the wicked.

6 Lord, I wash my hands to show that I am innocent

and march in worship around your altar.

7 I sing a hymn of thanksgiving

and tell of all your wonderful deeds.

8 I love the house where you live, O Lord,

the place where your glory dwells.

9 Do not destroy me with the sinners;

spare me from the fate of murderers—

10 those who do evil all the time

and are always ready to take bribes.

11 As for me, I do what is right;

be merciful to me and save me!

12 I am safe from all dangers;

in the assembly of his people I praise the Lord.

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A Prayer of Praise

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;

I will fear no one.

The Lord protects me from all danger;

I will never be afraid.

2 When evil people attack me and try to kill me,

they stumble and fall.

3 Even if a whole army surrounds me,

I will not be afraid;

even if enemies attack me,

I will still trust God.

4 I have asked the Lord for one thing;

one thing only do I want:

to live in the Lord’s house all my life,

to marvel there at his goodness,

and to ask for his guidance.

5 In times of trouble he will shelter me;

he will keep me safe in his Temple

and make me secure on a high rock.

6 So I will triumph over my enemies around me.

With shouts of joy I will offer sacrifices in his Temple;

I will sing, I will praise the Lord.

7 Hear me, Lord, when I call to you!

Be merciful and answer me!

8 When you said, “Come worship me,”

I answered, “I will come, Lord.”

9 Don’t hide yourself from me!

Don’t be angry with me;

don’t turn your servant away.

You have been my help;

don’t leave me, don’t abandon me,

O God, my savior.

10 My father and mother may abandon me,

but the Lord will take care of me.

11 Teach me, Lord, what you want me to do,

and lead me along a safe path,

because I have many enemies.

12 Don’t abandon me to my enemies,

who attack me with lies and threats.

13 I know that I will live to see

the Lord’s goodness in this present life.

14 Trust in the Lord.

Have faith, do not despair.

Trust in the Lord.

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A Prayer for Help

1 O Lord, my defender, I call to you.

Listen to my cry!

If you do not answer me,

I will be among those who go down to the world of the dead.

2 Hear me when I cry to you for help,

when I lift my hands toward your holy Temple.

3 Do not condemn me with the wicked,

with those who do evil—

those whose words are friendly,

but who have hatred in their hearts.

4 Punish them for what they have done,

for the evil they have committed.

Punish them for all their deeds;

give them what they deserve!

5 They take no notice of what the Lord has done

or of what he has made;

so he will punish them

and destroy them forever.

6 Give praise to the Lord;

he has heard my cry for help.

7 The Lord protects and defends me;

I trust in him.

He gives me help and makes me glad;

I praise him with joyful songs.

8 The Lord protects his people;

he defends and saves his chosen king.

9 Save your people, Lord,

and bless those who are yours.

Be their shepherd,

and take care of them forever.

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/PSA/28-709dde6f9df37e2883b7617615cd7e97.mp3?version_id=68—