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To the Director: By the servant of the Lord, David.

An Oracle from the Lord

36 An oracle that came to me[a] about the transgressions of the wicked:

There is no fear of God before his eyes.
He flatters himself[b] too much[c] to discover his transgression and hate it.
The words from his mouth are vain and deceptive.
    He has abandoned behaving wisely and doing good.
He devises iniquity on his bed
    and is determined to follow a path that is not good.
        He does not resist evil.

Praise to the Lord

Your gracious love, Lord, reaches to the heavens;
    your truth[d] extends to the skies.[e]
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your justice is like the great depths of the sea.[f]
        You deliver both[g] people and animals, Lord.
How precious is your gracious love, God!
    The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They are refreshed from the abundance of your house;
    You cause them to drink from the river of your pleasures.
For with you is a fountain of life,
    and in your light we will see light.

10 Send forth your gracious love to those who know you,
    and your righteousness to those who are upright in heart.
11 Do not let the foot of the proud crush me;
    and do not let the hand of the wicked dissuade me.
12 There, those who do evil have fallen;
    They have been thrown down,
        and they cannot get up.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 36:1 So MT DSS 4QPsa; lit. oracle in the midst of my heart; Syr Origen read of his heart
  2. Psalm 36:2 Lit. himself in his own eyes
  3. Psalm 36:2 The Heb. lacks too much
  4. Psalm 36:5 Or faithfulness
  5. Psalm 36:5 Or clouds
  6. Psalm 36:6 The Heb. lacks of the sea
  7. Psalm 36:6 The Heb. lacks both

Psalm 36[a]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

I have a message from God in my heart
    concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[b](A)
There is no fear(B) of God
    before their eyes.(C)

In their own eyes they flatter themselves
    too much to detect or hate their sin.(D)
The words of their mouths(E) are wicked and deceitful;(F)
    they fail to act wisely(G) or do good.(H)
Even on their beds they plot evil;(I)
    they commit themselves to a sinful course(J)
    and do not reject what is wrong.(K)

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness(L) to the skies.(M)
Your righteousness(N) is like the highest mountains,(O)
    your justice like the great deep.(P)
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(Q)
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(R)
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(S)
They feast on the abundance of your house;(T)
    you give them drink from your river(U) of delights.(V)
For with you is the fountain of life;(W)
    in your light(X) we see light.

10 Continue your love(Y) to those who know you,(Z)
    your righteousness to the upright in heart.(AA)
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
    nor the hand of the wicked(AB) drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
    thrown down, not able to rise!(AC)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 36:1 In Hebrew texts 36:1-12 is numbered 36:2-13.
  2. Psalm 36:1 Or A message from God: The transgression of the wicked / resides in their hearts.

Man’s Wickedness and God’s Perfections

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.

36 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:
(A)There is no fear of God before his eyes.
For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
(B)He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
(C)He devises wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself (D)in a way that is not good;
He does not [a]abhor (E)evil.

Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the [b]great mountains;
(F)Your judgments are a great deep;
O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men (G)put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
(H)They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from (I)the river of Your pleasures.
(J)For with You is the fountain of life;
(K)In Your light we see light.

10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been cast down and are not able to rise.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 36:4 reject, loathe
  2. Psalm 36:6 Lit. mountains of God