The Book of Psalms
150 songs and prayers spanning the full range of human emotion before God.
Psalms is the longest book in the Bible, a collection of 150 songs and prayers written over roughly a thousand years by David, Asaph, the sons of Korah, and others. It moves through every human emotion — praise, grief, doubt, gratitude — while consistently returning to trust in God's character. Begin with Psalms chapter 1.
About Psalms
Psalms is the nineteenth book of the Bible and the longest book in all of scripture, containing 150 individual poems, songs, and prayers that span every emotion and experience of the human soul. Composed over approximately a thousand years by multiple authors including David (73 psalms), Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, Ethan, and anonymous contributors, the Psalms were the hymnbook of ancient Israel and remain the most widely read section of the Bible today. Organized into five books (mirroring the Pentateuch), the collection spans laments, praise hymns, thanksgiving songs, wisdom poems, royal psalms, and Messianic prophecies. Major themes include the character and attributes of God, honest prayer in every circumstance, trust in God's faithfulness during suffering, the beauty of God's creation and law, and the coming of God's anointed King. Key chapters include Psalm 1 (the two ways of life), Psalm 22 (the suffering Messiah), Psalm 23 (the Lord is my shepherd), Psalm 51 (David's prayer of repentance), Psalm 91 (God's protection), Psalm 119 (the longest chapter in the Bible, on God's word), and Psalm 139 (God's omniscience and intimate care). Famous verses include Psalm 23:1 -- The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want -- and Psalm 46:10 -- Be still and know that I am God. Psalms KJV has shaped Christian and Jewish worship for three millennia. Read the Book of Psalms online here in full.