✶Gnosis
← Contents
Theme
0487 / 1189

Listen

Dhammapada · narration sample

A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.

The Bible · 487 of 1189

Psalms 9

1.I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

2.I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

3.When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

4.For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.

5.Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

6.O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

7.But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.

8.And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

9.The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

10.And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

11.Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

12.When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

13.Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:

14.That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.

15.The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.

16.The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

17.The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

18.For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

19.Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.

20.Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

Asked of Guide

Why does the psalm shift from praise to calls for judgment against the wicked?

The psalm opens with wholehearted praise—“I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart”—and then traces how God vindicates the righteous and punishes enemies, so worship and justice are two sides of the same testimony. Verses like 4–8 and 16–19 present judgment as the means by which God “maintained my right” and makes himself known, tying praise to the public display of divine righteousness.

This movement reflects the psalmist’s lived faith: celebration of God’s acts leads to appeals for continuing deliverance and vindication, as in verses 12–14 where remembrance and mercy motivate renewed thanks. The structure resembles themes in Psalm 7 and Habakkuk, where trust in God’s character produces both song and demand for his just rule.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.