Psalms  ◦   Chapter 9

1I stand before the universe to proclaim with all my heart my adoration for you, O Lord;
I will tell of your marvelous ways — your perfect design of love.

2In you only do I have life, health and joy;
before the universe my life is a song revealing your character of love, O Creator God.

3My enemies run from love and truth;
selfishness and lies disintegrate in your presence.

4You always do what is right,
governing the universe in harmony with your design of love.

5You overthrow the selfish nations and destroy wickedness;
you permanently eradicate selfishness and lies — all deviations from your design.

6Our enemies cease to exist:
cut off from you, their cohesion, organization and life disintegrate;
the names of their gangs, syndicates and institutions will be forgotten.

7Understand this: The Creator reigns forever;
from his throne he governs the universe, sustaining the laws upon which life is built.

8He rules the universe in harmony with his character and design of love;
he will govern with honor and integrity — in harmony with his principles of love.

9The Lord is a sanctuary of healing and safety for the battered and abused,
a fortress of freedom when trapped by life’s problems.

10Those who have personal experience with your character of love will trust you,
for you, O Lord, never abandon those who seek friendship with you.

11Let your life be a song of love to the Lord who governs in Perfection;
tell the entire world the truth about him and his methods of love.

12When he carefully procures the remedy, he thinks of the sin-sick1;
he does not ignore their cry for help.

13O Lord, intervene in my behalf!
See the pain and suffering that selfishness causes me.
Heal me — save me from my terminal condition —

14that my life might reveal that your methods work;
before the entire world
I will celebrate your healing power.

15The selfish dig themselves into pits of despair;
their minds are trapped in their own web of deceit.

16The Lord has revealed that he governs in love and always does what is right;
the selfish reap what they sow — doomed by their own choices.

17The selfish disintegrate into the soil of the earth —
all those who reject God and his healing remedy.

18But those who acknowledge their need of healing will not be abandoned;
the long-expected restoration of the humble will not fail.

19Act now, O Lord, don’t let selfishness win;
establish your government of truth and love upon the earth.

20Humble their hearts, O Lord;
let the selfish world realize they are just mortal beings.
1The KJV renders this: "When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them" The Hebrew for "maketh inquisition" is דַּרְיׄושׁ [daw·rash], which means to carefully investigate or seek. The Hebrew for "blood" is דָּם [dawm] and has been debated by scholars as to whether this refers to the "life," which is in the blood, or the "shed blood," resulting in death. Both interpretations are permissible. Taking the perspective that the blood refers to the life — and in this case, the life of Jesus, which is the remedy to our sin condition — I have rendered the phrase as God carefully seeking the remedy while thinking about the sin-sick, those he loves and whom he seeks to save.