Psalms  ◦   Chapter 34

1I will praise the Lord at all times;
I will always thank him and give him the credit.

2My heart explodes with appreciation of the Lord;
let the humble hear the good news and join the celebration!

3Join me and share the goodness of God;
together let’s radiate his character of love.

4I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he set me free from all my fears.

5Those who adore him shine brightly;
their faces are never clouded by shame.

6The helpless sinners cry for help, and the Lord answers them;
he heals them from all their sin-sickness.

7The angel of the Lord stands guard around those who remain loyal to him,
and he restores them.

8Experience for yourselves that the Lord is good;
Happy and healthy are those who trust in him.

9Honor the Lord, you his spiritually-healthy people,
for those who abide by his methods have everything they need.

10Even lions sometimes are hungry and grow weak,
but those who follow the Lord lack nothing that is good for them.

11Come, you eager to learn, and listen to me;
I will teach you the ways of the Lord.

12Who wants an abundant and full life?
Who wants a long, healthy and happy life — an eternal life?

13Then refuse to gossip or speak evil,
or tell any lie or falsehood.

14Purposefully reject evil and selfishness and instead choose to do good,
always seek to heal and bring peace.

15For the Lord watches over those who live rightly — in accordance with his design of love —
and he hears all they have to say;

16the Lord works to eradicate evil and selfishness — to heal those infected by it —
but those who refuse his remedy will be cut off from the earth and never thought of again.

17Those set right with God call to him and he answers them;
he heals them from all their sin-sickness.

18The Lord stays close to the grief-stricken and heartbroken
and heals those who humbly allow him to.

19Those whose hearts are right with God may have many problems in life,
but the Lord saves despite life’s troubles;

20he watches over his faithful — keeping them strong like bones —
they will not be broken.

21Evil — the willful deviation from God’s design — kills the wicked;
those who hate the godly will suffer its consequences.

22The Lord heals those who follow his treatment plan;
no one who trusts in him will ever be lost.