For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David. For God alone I patiently wait; ²  he is the one who delivers me. ³ 

For the music director; a psalm of David. Listen to me, ²  O God, as I offer my lament! Protect ³  my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks. ⁴ 

For the music director; a psalm of David, a song. Praise awaits you, ²  O God, in Zion. Vows made to you are fulfilled.

For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm, a song. May God show us his favor ²  and bless us! ³  May he smile on us! ⁴  (Selah)

For the music director; by David, a psalm, a song. God springs into action! ²  His enemies scatter; his adversaries ³  run from him. ⁴ 

For the music director; by David; written to get God’s attention. ²  O God, please be willing to rescue me! ³  O Lord, hurry and help me! ⁴ 

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph. I will cry out to God ²  and call for help! I will cry out to God and he will pay attention ³  to me.

For the music director; written by the Korahites, a psalm. O Lord, you showed favor to your land; you restored the well-being of Jacob. ² 

The Lord is about to deliver me, ¹  and we will celebrate with music ²  for the rest of our lives in the Lord’s temple.” ³ 

Sing to him! Make music to him! Tell about all his miraculous deeds!

From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

Awake, my soul! ¹  Awake, O stringed instrument and harp! I will wake up at dawn! ² 

I cried out to him for help ¹  and praised him with my tongue. ² 

As for the singers, as well as the pipers – all of them sing within your walls. ¹ 

I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club, ¹  their sin by inflicting them with bruises. ² 

On the poplars in her midst we hang our harps,

Praise him with the blast of the horn! Praise him with the lyre and the harp!

And the sound of the harpists, musicians, flute players, and trumpeters will never be heard in you ¹  again. No ²  craftsman ³  who practices any trade will ever be found in you again; the noise of a mill ⁴  will never be heard in you again.

When the men ¹  arrived after David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women from all the cities of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul. They were happy as they played their tambourines and three-stringed instruments. ² 

The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre ¹  that day. There was a spear in Saul’s hand,