Psalms 34
34
God’s Goodness
A song by King David composed after his escape from the king when he pretended to be insane
1Lord! I’m bursting with joy over what you’ve done for me!
My lips are full of perpetual praise.
2I’m boasting of you and all your works,
so let all who are discouraged take heart.
3Join me, everyone! Let’s praise the Lord together.
Let’s make him famous!
Let’s make his name glorious to all.
4Listen to my testimony: I cried to God in my distress
and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears!
5Gaze upon him, join your life with his, and joy will come.
Your faces will glisten with glory.
You’ll never wear that shame-face again.
6When I had nothing, desperate and defeated,
I cried out to the Lord and he heard me,
bringing his miracle-deliverance when I needed it most. # 34:6 David wrote this psalm at perhaps the lowest point in his life. He was alone. He had to part from Jonathan, his dearest friend. He was being chased by Saul and his paid assassins. He had run to hide in the cave of Adullam (meaning “their prey”). Yet the beautiful sounds of praise were heard echoing in his cavern. This is a lesson for all of us: we praise our way out of our difficulties into his light.
7The angel of Yahweh stooped down to listen as I prayed,
encircling me, empowering me, and showing me how to escape.
He will do this for everyone who fears God.
8Drink deeply # 34:8 Many translations read “Taste and see.” The Hebrew root word for “see” is taken from a word that means “to drink deeply.” of the pleasures of this God.
Experience for yourself the joyous mercies he gives
to all who turn to hide themselves in him.
9Worship in awe and wonder, all you who’ve been made holy!
For all who fear him will feast with plenty.
10Even the strong and the wealthy # 34:10 Following the ancient versions (Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate), this phrase is translated “rich ones.” Modern translations read “young lions.” grow weak and hungry,
but those who passionately pursue the Lord
will never lack any good thing.
11Come, children of God, and listen to me.
I’ll share the lesson I’ve learned of fearing the Lord:
12-13Do you want to live a long, good life,
enjoying the beauty that fills each day?
Then never speak a lie or allow wicked words
to come from your mouth.
14Keep turning your back on every sin,
and make “peace” your life motto.
Practice being at peace with everyone. # 34:14 Twice in this verse David used the Hebrew word shalom. This word means much more than “peace.” It means wholeness, wellness, well-being, safe, happy, friendly, favor, completeness, to make peace, peace offering, secure, to prosper, to be victorious, to be content, tranquil, quiet, and restful. So shalom is used to describe those of us who have been provided all that is needed to be whole and complete and break off all authority that would attempt to bind us to chaos.
15The Lord sees all we do;
he watches over his friends day and night.
His godly ones receive the answers they seek
whenever they cry out to him.
16But the Lord has made up his mind to oppose evildoers
and to wipe out even the memory of them
from the face of the earth. # 34:16 See 1 Peter 3:10–12.
17Yet when holy lovers of God cry out
to him with all their hearts,
the Lord will hear them and come to rescue them
from all their troubles.
18The Lord is close to all whose hearts are crushed by pain,
and he is always ready to restore the repentant one.
19Even when bad things happen to the good and godly ones,
the Lord will save them and not let them be defeated
by what they face.
20God will be your bodyguard to protect you
when trouble is near.
Not one bone will be broken.
21Evil will cause the death of the wicked,
for they hate and persecute the devoted lovers of God.
Make no mistake about it:
God will hold them guilty and punish them;
they will pay the penalty!
22But the Lord has paid for the freedom of his servants,
and he will freely pardon those who love him.
He will declare them free and innocent
when they turn to hide themselves in him.
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Psalms 34: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationPsalm 34
34
1 Of David himself. O Lord, judge those who harm me; assail those who attack me.
2 Take hold of weapons and a shield, and rise up in assistance to me.
3 Bring forth the spear, and close in on those who persecute me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."
4 Let them be confounded and in awe, who pursue my soul. Let them be turned back and be confounded, who think up evil against me.
5 May they become like dust before the face of the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord hem them in.
6 May their way become dark and slippery, and may the Angel of the Lord pursue them.
7 For, without cause, they have concealed their snare for me unto destruction. Over nothing, they have rebuked my soul.
8 Let the snare, of which he is ignorant, come upon him, and let the deception, which he has hidden, take hold of him: and may he fall into that very snare.
9 But my soul will exult in the Lord and delight over his salvation.
10 All my bones will say, "Lord, who is like you?" He rescues the needy from the hand of the stronger one, the indigent and the poor from those who plunder him.
11 Unfair witnesses have risen up, interrogating me about things of which I am ignorant.
12 They repaid me evil for good, to the deprivation of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were harassing me, I was clothed with haircloth. I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer will become my sinews.
14 Like a neighbor, and like our brother, so did I please; like one mourning and contrite, so was I humbled.
15 And they have been joyful against me, and they joined together. Scourges have been gathered over me, and I was ignorant of it.
16 They have been scattered, yet they were unremorseful. They have tested me. They scoffed at me with scorn. They gnashed their teeth over me.
17 Lord, when will you look down upon me? Restore my soul from before their malice, my only one from before the lions.
18 I will confess to you in a great Church. I will praise you among a weighty people.
19 May those who are my unjust adversaries not be glad over me: those who have hated me without cause, and who nod agreement with their eyes.
20 For indeed, they spoke peacefully to me; and speaking with passion to the earth, they intended deceit.
21 And they opened their mouth wide over me. They said, "Well, well, our eyes have seen."
22 You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent. Lord, do not depart from me.
23 Rise up and be attentive to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me according to your justice, O Lord, my God, and do not let them be glad over me.
25 Do not let them say in their hearts, "Well, well, to our soul." Neither let them say, "We have devoured him."
26 Let them blush and be in awe together, those who congratulate at my misfortunes. Let them be clothed with confusion and awe, who speak great things against me.
27 Let them exult and rejoice, who wish my justice, and let them ever say, "The Lord be magnified," who will the peace of his servant.
28 And so my tongue will express your justice: your praise all day long.
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