The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  23oLet their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;

  And make their loins shake continually.

  24pPour out Your indignation upon them,

  And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.

  25qLet their dwelling place be desolate;

  Let no one live in their tents.

  26For they persecute the ones rYou have struck,

  And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.

  27sAdd iniquity to their iniquity,

  tAnd let them not come into Your righteousness.

  28Let them ube blotted out of the book of the living,

  vAnd not be written with the righteous.

  29But I am poor and sorrowful;

  Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.

  30wI will praise the name of God with a song,

  And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

  31xThis also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull,

  Which has horns and hooves.

  32yThe humble shall see this and be glad;

  And you who seek God, zyour hearts shall live.

  33For the LORD hears the poor,

  And does not despise aHis prisoners.

  34bLet heaven and earth praise Him,

  The seas cand everything that moves in them.

  35dFor God will save Zion

  And build the cities of Judah,

  That they may dwell there and possess it.

  36Also, ethe 8descendants of His servants shall inherit it,

  And those who love His name shall dwell in it.

  Psalm 70

  Prayer for Relief from Adversaries

  (Ps. 40:13–17)

  To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. aTo bring to remembrance.

  1MAKE haste, bO God, to deliver me!

  Make haste to help me, O LORD!

  2cLet them be ashamed and confounded

  Who seek my life;

  Let them be 1turned back and confused

  Who desire my hurt.

  3dLet them be turned back because of their shame,

  Who say, 2“Aha, aha!”

  4Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

  And let those who love Your salvation say continually,

  “Let God be magnified!”

  5eBut I am poor and needy;

  fMake haste to me, O God!

  You are my help and my deliverer;

  O LORD, do not delay.

  Psalm 71

  God the Rock of Salvation

  1In aYou, O LORD, I put my trust;

  Let me never be put to shame.

  2bDeliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;

  cIncline Your ear to me, and save me.

  3dBe my 1strong refuge,

  To which I may resort continually;

  You have given the ecommandment to save me,

  For You are my rock and my fortress.

  4fDeliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,

  Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

  5For You are gmy hope, O Lord GOD;

  You are my trust from my youth.

  6hBy You I have been 2upheld from birth;

  You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.

  My praise shall be continually of You.

  7iI have become as a wonder to many,

  But You are my strong refuge.

  8Let jmy mouth be filled with Your praise

  And with Your glory all the day.

  9Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

  Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

  10For my enemies speak against me;

  And those who lie in wait for my life ktake counsel together,

  11Saying, “God has forsaken him;

  Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”

  12lO God, do not be far from me;

  O my God, mmake haste to help me!

  13Let them be 3confounded and consumed

  Who are adversaries of my life;

  Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor

  Who seek my hurt.

  14But I will hope continually,

  And will praise You yet more and more.

  15My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness

  And Your salvation all the day,

  For I do not know their limits.

  16I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;

  I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

  17O God, You have taught me from my nyouth;

  And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

  18Now also owhen I am old and grayheaded,

  O God, do not forsake me,

  Until I declare Your strength to this generation,

  Your power to everyone who is to come.

  19Also pYour righteousness, O God, is 4very high,

  You who have done great things;

  qO God, who is like You?

  20rYou, who have shown me great and severe troubles,

  sShall revive me again,

  And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

  21You shall increase my greatness,

  And comfort me on every side.

  22Also twith the lute I will praise You—

  And Your faithfulness, O my God!

  To You I will sing with the harp,

  O uHoly One of Israel.

  23My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,

  And vmy soul, which You have redeemed.

  24My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;

  For they are confounded,

  For they are brought to shame

  Who seek my hurt.

  Psalm 72

  Glory and Universality of the Messiah’s Reign

  A Psalm aof Solomon.

  1Give the king Your judgments, O God,

  And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.

  2bHe will judge Your people with righteousness,

  And Your poor with justice.

  3cThe mountains will bring peace to the people,

  And the little hills, by righteousness.

  4dHe will bring justice to the poor of the people;

  He will save the children of the needy,

  And will 1break in pieces the oppressor.

  52They shall fear You

  eAs long as the sun and moon endure,

  Throughout all generations.

  6fHe shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,

  Like showers that water the earth.

  7In His days the righteous shall flourish,

  gAnd abundance of peace,

  Until the moon is no more.

  8hHe shall have dominion also from sea to sea,

  And from the River to the ends of the earth.

  9iThose who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,

  jAnd His enemies will lick the dust.

  10kThe kings of Tarshish and of the isles

  Will bring presents;

  The kings of Sheba and Seba

  Will offer gifts.

  11lYes, all kings shall fall down before Him;

  All nations shall serve Him.

  12For He mwill deliver the needy when he cries,

  The poor also, and him who has no helper.

  13He will spare the poor and needy,

  And will save the souls of the needy.

  14He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;

  And nprecious shall be their blood in His sight.

  15And He shall live;

  And the gold of oSheba will be given to Him;

  Prayer also will be made for Him continually,

  And daily He shall be praised.

  16There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,

  On the top of the mountains;

  Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;

  pAnd those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

  17qHi
s name shall endure forever;

  His name shall continue as long as the sun.

  And rmen shall be blessed in Him;

  sAll nations shall call Him blessed.

  18tBlessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,

  uWho only does wondrous things!

  19And vblessed be His glorious name forever!

  wAnd let the whole earth be filled with His glory.

  Amen and Amen.

  20The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

  BOOK THREE

  Psalms 73—89

  Psalm 73

  The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God

  A Psalm of aAsaph.

  1Truly God is good to Israel,

  To such as are pure in heart.

  2But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;

  My steps had nearly bslipped.

  3cFor I was envious of the boastful,

  When I saw the prosperity of the dwicked.

  4For there are no 1pangs in their death,

  But their strength is firm.

  5eThey are not in trouble as other men,

  Nor are they plagued like other men.

  6Therefore pride serves as their necklace;

  Violence covers them flike a garment.

  7gTheir 2eyes bulge with abundance;

  They have more than heart could wish.

  8hThey scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;

  They ispeak 3loftily.

  9They set their mouth jagainst the heavens,

  And their tongue walks through the earth.

  10Therefore his people return here,

  kAnd waters of a full cup are drained by them.

  11And they say, l“How does God know?

  And is there knowledge in the Most High?”

  12Behold, these are the ungodly,

  Who are always at ease;

  They increase in riches.

  13Surely I have 4cleansed my heart in mvain,

  And washed my hands in innocence.

  14For all day long I have been plagued,

  And chastened every morning.

  15If I had said, “I will speak thus,”

  Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.

  16When I thought how to understand this,

  It was 5too painful for me—

  17Until I went into the sanctuary of God;

  Then I understood their nend.

  18Surely oYou set them in slippery places;

  You cast them down to destruction.

  19Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!

  They are utterly consumed with terrors.

  20As a dream when one awakes,

  So, Lord, when You awake,

  You shall despise their image.

  21Thus my heart was grieved,

  And I was 6vexed in my mind.

  22pI was so foolish and ignorant;

  I was like a beast before You.

  23Nevertheless I am continually with You;

  You hold me by my right hand.

  24qYou will guide me with Your counsel,

  And afterward receive me to glory.

  25rWhom have I in heaven but You?

  And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

  26sMy flesh and my heart fail;

  But God is the 7strength of my heart and my tportion forever.

  27For indeed, uthose who are far from You shall perish;

  You have destroyed all those who 8desert You for harlotry.

  28But it is good for me to vdraw near to God;

  I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,

  That I may wdeclare all Your works.

  Psalm 74

  A Plea for Relief from Oppressors

  A 1Contemplation of Asaph.

  1O GOD, why have You cast us off forever?

  Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?

  2Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,

  The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—

  This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.

  3Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations.

  The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.

  4aYour enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place;

  bThey set up their banners for signs.

  5They seem like men who lift up

  Axes among the thick trees.

  6And now they break down its carved work, all at once,

  With axes and hammers.

  7They have set fire to Your sanctuary;

  They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.

  8cThey said in their hearts,

  “Let us 2destroy them altogether.”

  They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.

  9We do not see our signs;

  dThere is no longer any prophet;

  Nor is there any among us who knows how long.

  10O God, how long will the adversary 3reproach?

  Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?

  11eWhy do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?

  Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them.

  12For fGod is my King from of old,

  Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

  13gYou divided the sea by Your strength;

  You broke the heads of the 4sea serpents in the waters.

  14You broke the heads of 5Leviathan in pieces,

  And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

  15hYou broke open the fountain and the flood;

  iYou dried up mighty rivers.

  16The day is Yours, the night also is jYours;

  kYou have prepared the light and the sun.

  17You have lset all the borders of the earth;

  mYou have made summer and winter.

  18Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD,

  And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.

  19Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast!

  Do not forget the life of Your poor forever.

  20nHave respect to the covenant;

  For the 6dark places of the earth are full of the 7haunts of 8cruelty.

  21Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed!

  Let the poor and needy praise Your name.

  22Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;

  Remember how the foolish man 9reproaches You daily.

  23Do not forget the voice of Your enemies;

  The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.

  Psalm 75

  Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment

  To the Chief Musician. Set to a“Do1 Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

  1We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!

  For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.

  2“When I choose the 2proper time,

  I will judge uprightly.

  3The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;

  I set up its pillars firmly. Selah

  4“I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’

  And to the wicked, b‘Do not 3lift up the horn.

  5Do not lift up your horn on high;

  Do not speak with 4a stiff neck.’ ”

  6For exaltation comes neither from the east

  Nor from the west nor from the south.

  7But cGod is the Judge:

  dHe puts down one,

  And exalts another.

  8For ein the hand of the LORD there is a cup,

  And the wine is red;

  It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;

  Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth

  Drain and drink down.

  9But I will declare forever,

  I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

  10“Allf the 5horns of the wicked I will also cut off,<
br />
  But gthe horns of the righteous shall be hexalted.”

  Psalm 76

  The Majesty of God in Judgment

  To the Chief Musician. On 1stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

  1In aJudah God is known;

  His name is great in Israel.

  2In 2Salem also is His tabernacle,

  And His dwelling place in Zion.

  3There He broke the arrows of the bow,

  The shield and sword of battle. Selah

  4You are more glorious and excellent

  bThan the mountains of prey.

  5cThe stouthearted were plundered;

  dThey 3have sunk into their sleep;

  And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands.

  6eAt Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,

  Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.

  7You, Yourself, are to be feared;

  And fwho may stand in Your presence

  When once You are angry?

  8gYou caused judgment to be heard from heaven;

  hThe earth feared and was still,

  9When God iarose to judgment,

  To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah

  10jSurely the wrath of man shall praise You;

  With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.

  11kMake vows to the LORD your God, and pay them;

  lLet all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared.

  12He shall cut off the spirit of princes;

  mHe is awesome to the kings of the earth.

  Psalm 77

  The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works

  To the Chief Musician. aTo Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

  1I CRIED out to God with my voice—

  To God with my voice;

  And He gave ear to me.

  2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;

  My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;

  My soul refused to be comforted.

  3I remembered God, and was troubled;

  I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah

  4You hold my eyelids open;

  I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

  5I have considered the days of old,

  The years of ancient times.

  6I call to remembrance my song in the night;

  I meditate within my heart,

  And my spirit 1makes diligent search.

  7Will the Lord cast off forever?

  And will He be favorable no more?

  8Has His mercy ceased forever?

  Has His bpromise failed 2forevermore?

  9Has God forgotten to be gracious?

  Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah

  10And I said, “This is my 3anguish;