Psalms

The Psalms are Israel's prayer book and songbook, one hundred fifty poems gathered across centuries into five books that echo the five books of Moses. Here the whole range of human experience is turned Godward: exuberant praise, raw lament, royal coronation, penitent confession, quiet trust, even cries for justice that startle modern ears. David's name stands over almost half of them, but shepherds, exiles, and temple singers all contribute. The collection moves broadly from lament toward praise, ending in a cascade of hallelujahs. For millennia, believers have found their own voice by borrowing these words.