4Q85 Psalms^c

Language: Hebrew

Date: 30-68 A.D.

Location: Qumran Cave 4

Contents: Psalms 16:6-10; 17:1; 18:1-13, 15-17, 31-35, 38-40 (Hebrew 18:1-14, 16-18, 32-36, 39-41); 27:12-14; 35:27-28; 37:18-19; 42:4 (Hebrew 42:5); 44:5, 7-8 (Hebrew 44:6, 8-9); 45:7-10 (Hebrew 45:8-11); 48:14 (Hebrew 48:15); 49:1-16 (Hebrew 49:1-17); 50:13-23; 51:1-3 (Hebrew 51:1-5); 52:3-9 (Hebrew 52:5-11); 53:1

 

Psalms 16

6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.

Yes, I have a good inheritance.

7 I will bless Yahweh, who has given me counsel.

Yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.

8 I have set Yahweh always before me.

Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices.

My body shall also dwell in safety.

10 For you will not leave my soul in Sheol

neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.

[..]

Psalms 17

A Prayer by David.

1 Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea;

Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.

[..]

Psalms 18

For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song and in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said,

1 I love you, Yahweh, my strength.

2 Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

3 I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised;

and I am saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death surrounded me.

The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

5 The cords of Sheol were around me.

The snares of death came on me.

6 In my distress I called on Yahweh,

and cried to my God.

He heard my voice out of his temple.

My cry before him came into his ears.

7 Then the earth shook and trembled.

The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken,

because he was angry.

8 Smoke went out of his nostrils.

Consuming fire came out of his mouth.

Coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down.

Thick darkness was under his feet.

10 He rode on a cherub, and flew.

Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him,

darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed,

hailstones and coals of fire.

13 Yahweh also thundered in the sky.

The Most High uttered his voice:

hailstones and coals of fire.

[..]

15 Then the channels of waters appeared.

The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh,

at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

16 He sent from on high.

He took me.

He drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,

from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

[..]

31 For who is God, except Yahweh?

Who is a rock, besides our God,

32 the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?

33 He makes my feet like deer’s feet,

and sets me on my high places.

34 He teaches my hands to war,

so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.

35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation.

Your right hand sustains me.

Your gentleness has made me great.

[..]

38 I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise.

They shall fall under my feet.

39 For you have armed me with strength to the battle.

You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,

that I might cut off those who hate me.

 

Psalms 27

12 Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,

for false witnesses have risen up against me,

such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living.

14 Wait for Yahweh.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage.

Yes, wait for Yahweh.

 

Psalms 28

By David.

1 To you, Yahweh, I call.

My rock, don’t be deaf to me;

lest, if you are silent to me,

I would become like those who go down into the pit.

2 Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you,

when I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

3 Don’t draw me away with the wicked,

with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors,

but mischief is in their hearts.

4 Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings.

Give them according to the operation of their hands.

Bring back on them what they deserve.

5 Because they don’t respect the works of Yahweh,

nor the operation of his hands,

he will break them down and not build them up.

[..]

Psalms 35

27 Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause.

Yes, let them say continually, “Yahweh be magnified,

who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”

28 My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.

 

Psalms 37

18 Yahweh knows the days of the perfect.

Their inheritance shall be forever.

19 They shall not be disappointed in the time of evil.

In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

[..]

Psalms 42

4 These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me,

how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house,

with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.

[..]

Psalms 44

5 Through you, will we push down our adversaries.

Through your name, will we tread them under who rise up against us.

[..]

7 But you have saved us from our adversaries,

and have shamed those who hate us.

8 In God we have made our boast all day long,

we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah

[..]

Psalms 45

7 You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.

8 All your garments smell like myrrh, aloes, and cassia.

Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad.

9 Kings’ daughters are among your honorable women.

At your right hand the queen stands in gold of Ophir.

10 Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear.

Forget your own people, and also your father’s house.

[..]

Psalms 48

14 For this God is our God forever and ever.

He will be our guide even to death.

 

Psalms 49

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah.

1 Hear this, all you peoples.

Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,

2 both low and high,

rich and poor together.

3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom.

My heart shall utter understanding.

4 I will incline my ear to a proverb.

I will open my riddle on the harp.

5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,

when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

6 Those who trust in their wealth,

and boast in the multitude of their riches—

7 none of them can by any means redeem his brother,

nor give God a ransom for him.

8 For the redemption of their life is costly,

no payment is ever enough,

9 that he should live on forever,

that he should not see corruption.

10 For he sees that wise men die;

likewise the fool and the senseless perish,

and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever,

and their dwelling places to all generations.

They name their lands after themselves.

12 But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure understand.

He is like the animals that perish.

 

13 This is the destiny of those who are foolish,

and of those who approve their sayings.

Selah.

14 They are appointed as a flock for Sheol.

Death shall be their shepherd.

The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning.

Their beauty shall decay in Sheol,

far from their mansion.

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,

for he will receive me.

Selah.

16 Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich,

when the glory of his house is increased;

[..]

Psalms 50

13 Will I eat the meat of bulls,

or drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Pay your vows to the Most High.

15 Call on me in the day of trouble.

I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

 

16 But to the wicked God says,

“What right do you have to declare my statutes,

that you have taken my covenant on your lips,

17 since you hate instruction,

and throw my words behind you?

18 When you saw a thief, you consented with him,

and have participated with adulterers.

 

19 “You give your mouth to evil.

Your tongue frames deceit.

20 You sit and speak against your brother.

You slander your own mother’s son.

21 You have done these things, and I kept silent.

You thought that I was just like you.

I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes.

 

22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,

lest I tear you into pieces, and there be no one to deliver.

23 Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me,

and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.”

 

Psalms 51

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness.

According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity.

Cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions.

My sin is constantly before me.

 [..]

Psalms 52

3 You love evil more than good,

lying rather than speaking the truth.

Selah.

4 You love all devouring words,

you deceitful tongue.

5 God will likewise destroy you forever.

He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent,

and root you out of the land of the living.

Selah.

6 The righteous also will see it, and fear,

and laugh at him, saying,

7 “Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength,

but trusted in the abundance of his riches,

and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house.

I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever.

9 And I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it.

I will hope in your name, for it is good,

in the presence of your saints saint.

 

Psalms 53

For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Mahalath.” A contemplation by David.