Psalm 69

1 For the permanent music collection, (with instrumental accompaniment) written by David.

Set me free, O God, for I have been violently abused. 2 It’s like I’ve been plunged deep into a flood of overwhelming urine, with no place in the slippery mire even to put my feet. 3 My throat feels scorched and my eyes are worn out from crying, even as I’m still hoping and trusting in God, who is my Divine Judge. 4 Those who intensely hate me for no good reason (but are my enemies because they believe lies about me) are increasingly numerous – far more than the hairs on my head – and are determined to silence and destroy me. I even ‘returned’ things I didn’t ‘rob’ from others in the first place. 5 God, You are experiencing all of this with me, yet You don’t disown me even while I am being accused and treated as guilty.

6 Don’t let those who bind themselves tight to You in covenant relationship and truly strive to understand who You really are get disgraced, Great and Mighty Creator God, because of what has happened to me. 7 To reveal what You’re really like I’ve endured heaps of contempt and scorn. 8 – 9 My kinsfolk estranged me from them, my mother’s family considered me as illegitimate, and those who despise You heaped ridicule and scorn on me because my passionate loyalty to You fully controlled me.10 – 11 When I wept and fasted, I was scorned and despised. When I wore sackcloth, that too was misinterpreted. 12 Those who sat around gossiping complained about me and I was even taunted by the drunkards.

13 But as for me, Creator God, I sing to You, appropriately about my own personal experience. My Supreme Judge, because of how much You love me, sing joyfully to me of Your victorious faithfulness. 14 – 15 Pull me out of the mess I’m in (which is like sticky mire) and don’t let me get so stuck in the ‘slime’ that it engulfs me. Snatch me away from those who hate me (like pulling me out as from that overwhelming flood of urine) and don’t let me be swept away. 16 – 17 Surround me with Your singing, O God, because You eagerly desire to favor me and treat me excellently. Don’t hide, but rather turn Your face to look at me and express Your tender, loving affection in song as soon as possible, for I am in distress and being treated with deep hostility. 18 Come protectively near me and set me free because of those who hate me. 19 You intimately know all the scorn and contempt aimed at me. You felt the shame when I was stripped naked. You were pained by every disgraceful insult hurled at me. You personally experienced every act of abuse those oppressive, jealous rivals heaped on me.

20 Shameful scorn and contempt violently tore at my heart, sickening me. I hoped for at least one comforter, (someone who would unite with me) but no one had compassion or even tried to console me – not one! 21 – 22 Instead they offered me bitter poison as food and sour vinegar to quench my thirst. Let their table (the table of shewbread was the covenant symbol of Your nourishing care) become so ‘thin’ (empty) that they fall away (destroyed by refusing care) from You. 23 Let such darkness surround them (the candlestick represented their covenant relation with You to enlighten them) that they can no longer experience real joy at seeing Your face, resulting in their strength continuing to totter and deteriorate. 24 – 26 Pour out your love power on them with full intensity. But they will become so horrified, appalled and stunned that they will recede and back so far away that not one will remain in their family because They harassed and persecuted the One You smote, and caused mental grief by their gossip against the One You wounded (for their sakes). 27 – 28 Permit this guilt to be added to their present great guilt, which is already preventing them from personally knowing You. (Yes), even let their names be dropped from the registry of those who are honest with You.

29 – 31 Let me – humble yet grieving – be victoriously delivered and highly exalted by You, God. I will delightfully celebrate with song who You really are and what You are really like, thus powerfully revealing Your true character. That will give You more JOY than the most costly animal sacrifice given by leaders. 32 – 33 Those who meekly prefer to bear injuries rather than retaliate (to the one who hurt them) will experience JOY by seeing Your face, God. Those of you who persistently search to know the True and Mighty God will be restored, preserved and will mature. The Lord deeply cares for those of you who, realizing you can’t ‘make it’ without His help, have bound yourself to Him (in a binding, life covenant).

34 – 36 Let the whole universe join with everything and everyone on earth in singing to, boasting about and celebrating the True God. (Why?) He sets free those who choose to belong to Him. He rebuilds, restores and protects those families who choose His will for them and gives them a secure, quiet place to live. Those who delight in Him, identify with Him and have developed an intimate relationship with Him will live.

Psalm 68

1 Written by David for the permanent song collection. Go forth, Almighty Father; and as You do, those who hate You will scatter and get dashed to pieces even as they hastily try to hide from Your face. 2 As wind scatters smoke, they disappear; and as wax melts away when it gets hot, those who hate You perish as they see who You really are.

3 But let those who honestly choose Your will for them triumphantly leap with joy as at a most pleasurable, joyful banquet, as they view Your face. 4 Worshipfully celebrate - with songs, music and even dancing – the Creator God who ‘carried’ you through difficult times. Even use His most sacred name, JEHOVAH, with rejoicing as He smiles at you.

5 God is a loving father to the lonely and fatherless; He defends the forsaken and widowed even though He ‘lives’ in heaven. 6 God puts these dear ones into families; and also frees those bound with debt. But those who stubbornly resist His love slide down into dry depression and hopeless despair.

7 - 8 God, You revealed Yourself to Your family when You walked gently and slowly with them through dreary and solitary places. (music pause) The earth terrifyingly quaked and the billowing, turbulent clouds ‘flowed down’ to cover Your face as You descended on Mt. Sinai where You talked to them and revealed to them that You were indeed their Saviour and Leader. 9 Later, You sent bountiful rain to reconfirm Your authority when Your family got discouraged. 10 Your family lived where You established them, God, and You shared even more of Your joyful goodness with those who needed more of it. 11 - 12 The Lord taught the song and many people learned it for a multitude of women joyfully shared with God’s family the good news that the opposition leadership had been cast out and fled. 13 You who have rested in God’s love are protected by Him – like being ‘under’ His covering ‘wings’.

14 When the Almighty scattered opposition it was ‘cool’ - as snow on a shady hill. 15 But is scattering opposition how God is best worshiped? Or is God best worshiped in luxury and prosperity? 16 Why be envious of those kinds of ‘high’ experiences? God does have a ‘place’ where He really desires to ‘dwell’.

17 – 18 Twenty thousand thousands of angelic messengers escorted the Excellent One at Sinai. God, You were highly exalted because You had ‘taken captive’ the captives for Yourself and had brought gifts for all of them – even for the stubborn ones – so You might live with them. 19 Reverently celebrate the Mighty Deliverer every day for carrying us victoriously to healthy freedom. (music pause)

20 Our Mighty One, our Supreme God, saves. Our loving Lord delivers even from disease and death. 21 But this same strong God irritatingly agitates those who hate Him, and those who persist in doing wrong get a defensive attitude against Him.

22 – 24 God said, I will restore your fruitfulness, even from deeply ‘stormy’, turbulent situations, so you will march right on in life, irregardless of those who hate you or put you down, because you have learned and experienced God’s love ways in His sanctuary. 25 Those who celebrate with singing go first, followed by those playing instruments, accompanied by young women keeping rhythm with timbrels. 26 – 28 Let everyone: young and old, children, youth, leaders, adults, (no one left out), adore God – Your Mighty Hero who gives you strength – from the very first part of worship time together. Continue, O Strong, Mighty Hero, what You have already covenanted to do for us. 29 And because Your temple (where You live) is a place of peace, leaders will bring gifts of homage to You there.

30 Keep correcting the lively young people in Your family as well as the leaders and developing leaders until they humbly submit both themselves and their means; but scatter those who only delight to fight. 31 Great people shall be set free from captivity and even those from cursed circumstances will run to worship You, God. 32 – 33 Let everyone celebrate with songs, accompanied with instruments, the Mighty God (music pause) Who was here from the beginning and Who speaks with full power.

34 Describe God’s real character – including His majesty and excellence – in dealing with His family, as well as with everyone else. 35 O God, You cause us to tremble with joyful awe as You reveal Yourself. You prevail and give us, Your family, Your character and life. Praise God.

Psalm 67

1 A poetic song for both choir and stringed instruments to add to the permanent collection. God treat us as we don't deserve by causing us to experience that You deeply love us to be with You by Your speaking good to us and smiling at us. (pause).

2 Others who don’t yet know You will find out what You are really like by seeing how You treat us and how You are so intimately involved in delivering and saving us.

3 Let my family, friends and associates tell what God has done and what He is really like as they celebrate and honor You, God. 4 Let entire communities and other groups of people excitedly rejoice, even with joyful singing, for You – God – will justly vindicate Yourself as You govern everyone on earth. Pause.

5 Let my family, friends and associates tell what God has done and what He is really like as they celebrate and honor You, God.

6 – 7 Then the earth will yield its increase and God will enable us to prosper. Every part of the world will be inspired – by God’s way of treating us so good – to respect and be in awe of Him.

Psalm 66

1 A poem song for the permanent collection. Let everyone express joy to God. 2 Use musical instruments (like pianos or guitars) to accompany songs honoring and glorifying Him. 3 Tell God, “Your intensely wonderful ways cause me to tremble with joy!” How You so abundantly and clearly reveal Your great love will eventually cause even those who hate You to admit You as supreme and even act as though they love You and are loyal to You. 4 Everyone on earth will eventually bow to honor You and sing Your Name. (pause) 5 Come, look at God’s extravagant actions toward His earth family, which are so intensely admirable as to inspire you to tremble with joyful awe. 6 He made part of the Red sea into dry land and later Israel walked through the flooding Jordan river without getting their feet wet, causing them again to leap for joy in God. 7 God is always ‘in charge’ because of His victorious fortitude. He accurately observes all the nations of the earth, so don’t let those who stubbornly resist Him exalt themselves. (pause) 8 – 9 Let all of God’s family joyfully celebrate our True God who sustains and prospers us and prevents us from wandering away from Him. 10 – 11 God, You have refined us (as silver is refined by heat) by carrying us through intense experiences, even putting pressure on us through our relationships with others. 12 People have attacked our identity, causing pain (like fiery hell) and humiliation (like someone ‘pissing’ on us), yet through these experiences you have matured us and satisfied us abundantly. 13 –14 I will come into Your house now and willingly cooperate with You in Your covenant of peace with me even though I originally made my promises of loyalty to You because I was in big trouble. 15 I will bring of the best I have, which I have promised You, and will consecrate it to You. (pause) 16 – 17 You who reverently submit to God, listen to what God has done for me when I focused on and exalted Him. 18 – 19 If I believe lies about God He can’t always get through to me, but He still listens and works to answer my heart cries. 20 God is so good that He has not stopped loving me even though I don’t deserve His love.

Psalm 65

1 A melodious minstrelsy, written by David for the permanent collection.

God, I confidently boast about You where I live for I have committed my life to You and You always keep Your promise. 2 You understand when I talk to You – everyone will eventually be brought to You.

3 – 4 I am guilty of not always choosing Your will for me, yet You forgive my rebellion, speak good to me, cause me to live with You and satisfy me with Your beauty. 5 – 7 How You respond in such awesome, yet harmonious ways joyfully surprises me even though You are the God who gives victory. It also inspires in many other hearts – near and far – hope and confidence that You, Who creates mountains and stills stormy seas, fulfills Your covenant with Your family.

8 Those who live afar off are also astonished at the visible evidences of Your covenant. Every morning and evening gives reasons for joy. 9 You take care of this earth. You water and enrich it by Your power, thus providing food for those who live here. 10 You abundantly satisfy by penetrating deeply, softening, bringing fertility, and prospering the offspring.

11 – 12 Every day of every year is precious to You, and whatever You do prospers, whether in the city or country. 13 Business prospers and the gardens produce good food abundantly, causing us to joyfully triumph in You with singing.

Psalm 64

1. A song poem by David for the permanent collection. Listen to my problem, Lord.

Keep me from being terrorized by those who hate me. 2 – 3 Don’t let me become the focus of unjust courts, who wound, cause pain and even destroy with their sharp, acrid words. 4 – 6 They intensely accuse anybody (with no respect for truth) and urge each other on to add something even worse, for they think no one hears or sees their unjust plots hidden deep in their hearts.

7 – 9 But God will surprise them. What they devised against others will so suddenly happen to them that they will get beat up. Everyone watching will back off in astonishment as they see how God handled the situation. They will respect Him as they tell others what happened.

10 Those who are honest in heart will rejoice in the Lord and continue to trust Him, thus revealing in their own lives what God is really like.

Psalm 63

1 – 2 A poem song written by David while he was in the countryside of Judah. God, You are awesome. Each morning I intensely long to be with You so I can experience Your powerful abundance and my delight in being so close to You. 3 I experience joy when I am with You because Your benevolent love is more precious than anything else. 4 I reverently ask Your blessing on me as I celebrate how wonderful You really are. 5 I am being so filled with Your best blessings that I will let Your joy shine through me to others in words and acts. 6 As I think about you, even at night when I am resting, poems and songs come to my mind. 7 – 8 Since You are my help I rejoice to stay so close to You it is like I am holding Your hand. 9 - 10 Those who are trying to ruin me will fall by other’s doings and will eventually be buried. 11 As a leader I will rejoice in the Mighty God along with everyone else who has accepted a love based covenant relation with You, God. Those who continue to talk what does not come from God will eventually be ‘shut up’.