Psalm 30
You saved my life
I was as good as dead
A psalm of David. This is a song to use in dedicating the Temple to the LORD. [1]
1I’m singing your praises, LORD.You picked me up when I was down.
You didn’t give my enemies reason to celebrate.
2LORD, you are my God.
I prayed for you to help me,
And you answered by healing me.
3LORD, you lifted me out of the grave. [2]
I was on my way to the pit,
But you picked me up and spared my life.
4Sing praise songs to the LORD,
All you people devoted to him.
Thank him for who he is
And for all that his holy name represents.
5His righteous anger doesn’t last.
But his kindness fills a lifetime.
We may cry all night long,
But come the new day’s dawn,
We’re singing a new Hallelujah.
6When life was comfortable and all was well,
I said, “Nothing’s going to rattle me.”
7And when I had your blessing, LORD,
I stood strong as a mountain.
But when you disappeared,
I didn’t know what to do.
8I called you, LORD.
I prayed for your help.
9I told you, “What good is it to let me die?
Will the dust of my crumbling bones sing your praises?
Will a dead man’s dust tell the world how dependable you are?
10LORD, please listen to me.
Be kind to me.
Please LORD, help me.”
Dancing again
11I was crying in grief,But you got me dancing again.
I wore sadness like rags.
And you dressed me in joy.
12So I’m singing your praises
And I won’t shut up.
You are my LORD and my God.
Footnotes
The subtitle wasn’t part of the original psalm. And the possible byline “of David,” isn’t necessarily a byline. The vague phrase could mean the song was written by David, about David, or was inspired by David. Almost half of the psalms are attributed to David in this way, 73 of 150. Ancient Jewish history tells of David playing a lyre and writing songs. For one, he wrote a song of mourning at the battlefield death of King Saul and his sons: “How have the mighty fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19-27 New American Standard Bible). An ancient Jewish scroll from about the time of Jesus, discovered among the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, reports that David wrote 3,600 songs.
Literally, Sheol, a word Old Testament writers used to describe the place of the dead. It is a kind of underworld where the dead are cut off from the living—and from God—and there is no coming back.
Discussion Questions
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