The Book of Psalms Quotes

“When Israel came out of Egypt, 1 the house of Jacob from a barbarous-tongued folk, Judah became His sanctuary, 2 Israel His dominion. 3 The sea saw and fled, Jordan turned back. 4 The mountains danced like rams, hills like lambs of the flock. 5 What is wrong with you, sea, that you flee, Jordan, that you turn back, 6 mountains, that you dance like rams, hills like lambs of the flock? 7 Before the Master, whirl, O earth, before the God of Jacob, Who turns the rock to a pond of water, 8 flint to a spring of water.”
― Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary

“Though my father and mother forsook me,
the Lord would gather me in.
-Psalm 27:10”
― Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary

“One thing do I ask of the Lord,
it is this that I seek--
that I dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life
-Psalm 27:4”
― Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary

“For death holds no mention of You.
In Sheol who can acclaim You?
-Psalm 6:6”
― Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary

“Later Jewish tradition made this the first in a sequence of psalms chanted as a prelude to the Friday-evening prayer for welcoming the Sabbath, evidently because the Sabbath was seen as a celebration of creation.”
― Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary

“72 1 For Solomon. God, grant Your judgments to the king and Your righteousness to the king’s son. 2 May he judge Your people righteously and Your lowly ones in justice. 3 May the mountains bear peace to the people, and the hills righteousness. 4 May he bring justice to the lowly of the people, may he rescue the sons of the needy and crush the oppressor. May they fear you as long as the sun 5 and as long as the moon, generations untold. May he come down like rain on new-mown grass, 6 like showers that moisten the earth. May the just man flourish in his days—7 and abundant peace till the moon is no more. And may he hold sway from sea to sea, 8 from the River to the ends of the earth. Before him may the desert-folk kneel, 9 and his enemies lick the dust. May kings of Tarshish and the islands 10 bring tribute, may kings of Sheba and Siba offer vassal-gifts. And may all kings bow to him, 11 all nations serve him. For he saves the needy man pleading, 12 and the lowly who has none to help him. 13 He pities the poor and the needy, and the lives of the needy he rescues, 14 from scheming and outrage redeems them, and their blood is dear in his sight. 15 Long may he live, and the gold of Sheba be given him. May he be prayed for always, all day long be blessed. 16 May there be abundance of grain in the land, on the mountaintops. May his fruit rustle like Lebanon, and may they sprout from the town like grass of the land. May his name be forever. 17 As long as the sun may his name bear seed. And may all nations be blessed through him, call him happy. Blessed is the LORD God, Israel’s God, performing wonders alone. 18 And blessed is His glory forever, and may His glory fill all the earth. 19 Amen and amen. The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended. 20”
― Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary

“For the lead player, a psalm; for David, a song. 1 To You silence is praise, God, in Zion, 2 and to You a vow will be paid. O, Listener to prayer, 3 unto You all flesh shall come. My deeds of mischief are too much for me. 4 Our crimes but You atone.”
― Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary