How are we to sing the song of the LORD on foreign soil?

O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewards you as you have served us.

Though the Lord is high, he sees those who are low; and he has knowledge from far off of those who are lifted up.

You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), behold, You are there.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

For my reins are thine, thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

My bones are not hid from thee, though I be made secretly, and fashioned beneath in the earth.

Mine unformed substance Thine eyes saw, And on Thy book all of them are written, The days they were formed -- And not one among them.

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Who exchange Thee for wickedness, Lifted up to vanity are Thine enemies.

Are not your haters hated by me, O Lord? are not those who are lifted up against you a cause of grief to me?

I hate them with perfect hatred: They are become mine enemies.

Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

Their tongues are sharp like the tongue of a snake; the poison of snakes is under their lips. (Selah.)

O Lord, take me out of the hands of sinners; keep me safe from the violent man: for they are designing my downfall.

I said to the Lord, “You are my God;
Listen to the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked, His wicked device bring not forth, They are high. Selah.

“Those who surround me raise their heads;
May the mischief of their own lips come upon them.

I am certain that the Lord will take care of the cause of the poor, and of the rights of those who are troubled.

Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise deeds of wickedness with men that are workers of iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.

When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

They who are lawless, shall fall into the nooses thereof, while, I, at the same time, pass on.

When my spirit is overcome, your eyes are on my goings; nets have been secretly placed in the way in which I go.

I cried out to You, O Lord;
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.

Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.

LORD, hear my prayer; pay attention to my request, because you are faithful; answer me in your righteousness.

For those who oppose me are pursuing my life, crushing me to the ground, making me sit in darkness like those who died long ago.

Teach me to do Your will [so that I may please You],
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

For the sake of your name, LORD, preserve my life. Because you are righteous, bring me out of trouble.

LORD, what are human beings, that you should care about them, or mortal man, that you should think about him?

Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

Whose mouths speak deceit [without restraint],
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Who gives salvation to kings,
Who sets David His servant free from the evil sword.

Set me free and rescue me from the hand of [hostile] foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks deceit [without restraint],
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Because our sons are as plants, Becoming great in their youth, Our daughters as hewn stones, Polished -- the likeness of a palace,

When our garners are full, affording all manner of store, And our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;

When our oxen are well laden; When there is no breaking in, and no going forth, And no outcry in our streets:

How blessed and favored are the people in such circumstance;
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored] are the people whose God is the Lord!

The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Jehovah upholdeth all that fall, And raiseth up all those that are bowed down.

Everyone's eyes are on you, as you give them their food in due time.

Who gives their rights to those who are crushed down; and gives food to those who are in need of it: the Lord makes the prisoners free;

The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

The Lord takes care of those who are in a strange land; he gives help to the widow and to the child who has no father; but he sends destruction on the way of sinners.

He has not done so with any other nation; they are not aware of his regulations. Praise the Lord!

Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, And ye waters that are above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted and supreme;
His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven.

He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them strength, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence],
Praise for all His godly ones;
For the people of Israel, a people near to Him.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

The high praises of God [are] in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand

These proverbs are for gaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;

For a graceful wreath are they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.

Let us engulf them, like hades, alive, While in health, like them who are going down to the pit;

We will find and take all kinds of precious possessions,
We will fill our houses with spoil;

For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.

But [when these people set a trap for others] they lie in wait for their own blood;
They set an ambush for their own lives [and rush to their destruction].

So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:

You have ignored all my counsel, and my reproof you are not willing [to accept].

And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.

Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge;

If you are looking for her as for silver, and searching for her as for stored-up wealth;

He stores away sound wisdom for the righteous [those who are in right standing with Him];
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity [those of honorable character and moral courage],

He keeps watch on the ways which are right, and takes care of those who have the fear of him.

Then you will understand righteousness and justice [in every circumstance]
And integrity and every good path.

To keep you from the way of evil and the evil man,
From the man who speaks perverse things;

Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness,

Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in frowardness of the wicked,

Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

for her house sinks to death, and to the dead are her paths.

So that you will walk on the road of those who are good, and the paths of those who are righteous you shall keep.

For the upright do inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it,

And the wicked from the earth are cut off, And treacherous dealers plucked out of it!

And filled are thy barns with plenty, And with new wine thy presses break forth.

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD, neither faint when thou are rebuked of him.

For to those who are dear to him the Lord says sharp words, and makes the son in whom he has delight undergo pain.

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Length of days is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life for those who seize her; those who take hold of her are considered happy.

By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

For the devious are repulsive to the Lord;
But His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

With those who scorn, he is scornful, but to those who are humble, he gives favor.

Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!

For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life are multiplied to thee.

Do not enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of those who are evil.

For they will not sleep if they have not done wrong, and they are robbed of their sleep if they do not cause stumbling.

But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness, and they do not know what they are stumbling over.

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways are established.

Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey
and her words are smoother than oil,

Her feet are going down to death, Sheol do her steps take hold of.

Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.