A prayer of David.
17:1 Lord, consider my just cause! 2
Pay attention to my cry for help!
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer! 3
17:2 Make a just decision on my behalf! 4
Decide what is right! 5
17:3 You have scrutinized my inner motives; 6
you have examined me during the night. 7
You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.
I am determined I will say nothing sinful. 8
17:4 As for the actions of people 9 –
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men. 10
17:5 I carefully obey your commands; 11
I do not deviate from them. 12
17:6 I call to you for you will answer me, O God.
Listen to me! 13
Hear what I say! 14
17:7 Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds, 15
you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies. 16
17:8 Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye! 17
Hide me in the shadow of your wings! 18
17:9 Protect me from 19 the wicked men who attack 20 me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill. 21
17:10 They are calloused; 22
they speak arrogantly. 23
17:11 They attack me, now they surround me; 24
they intend to throw me to the ground. 25
17:12 He 26 is like a lion 27 that wants to tear its prey to bits, 28
like a young lion crouching 29 in hidden places.
17:13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him! 30 Knock him down! 31
Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man! 32
17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, 33
from the murderers of this world! 34
They enjoy prosperity; 35
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. 36
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring. 37
17:15 As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face; 38
when I awake you will reveal yourself to me. 39
For the music director; by the Lord’s servant David, who sang 41 to the Lord the words of this song when 42 the Lord rescued him from the power 43 of all his enemies, including Saul. 44
18:1 He said: 45
“I love 46 you, Lord, my source of strength! 47
18:2 The Lord is my high ridge, 48 my stronghold, 49 my deliverer.
My God is my rocky summit where 50 I take shelter, 51
my shield, the horn that saves me, 52 and my refuge. 53
18:3 I called 54 to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, 55
and I was delivered from my enemies.
18:4 The waves 56 of death engulfed me,
the currents 57 of chaos 58 overwhelmed me. 59
18:5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me, 60
the snares of death trapped me. 61
18:6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried out to my God. 62
From his heavenly temple 63 he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help. 64
18:7 The earth heaved and shook; 65
the roots of the mountains 66 trembled; 67
they heaved because he was angry.
18:8 Smoke ascended from 68 his nose; 69
fire devoured as it came from his mouth; 70
he hurled down fiery coals. 71
18:9 He made the sky sink 72 as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
18:10 He mounted 73 a winged angel 74 and flew;
he glided 75 on the wings of the wind. 76
18:11 He shrouded himself in darkness, 77
in thick rain clouds. 78
18:12 From the brightness in front of him came
hail and fiery coals. 79
18:13 The Lord thundered 80 in 81 the sky;
the sovereign One 82 shouted. 83
18:14 He shot his 84 arrows and scattered them, 85
many lightning bolts 86 and routed them. 87
18:15 The depths 88 of the sea 89 were exposed;
the inner regions 90 of the world were uncovered
by 91 your battle cry, 92 Lord,
by the powerful breath from your nose. 93
18:16 He reached down 94 from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me from the surging water. 95
18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, 96
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
18:18 They confronted 97 me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me. 98
18:19 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me. 99
18:20 The Lord repaid 100 me for my godly deeds; 101
he rewarded 102 my blameless behavior. 103
18:21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; 104
I have not rebelled against my God. 105
18:22 For I am aware of all his regulations, 106
and I do not reject his rules. 107
18:23 I was innocent before him,
and kept myself from sinning. 108
18:24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; 109
he took notice of my blameless behavior. 110
18:25 You prove to be loyal 111 to one who is faithful; 112
you prove to be trustworthy 113 to one who is innocent. 114
18:26 You prove to be reliable 115 to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive 116 to one who is perverse. 117
18:27 For you deliver oppressed 118 people,
but you bring down those who have a proud look. 119
18:28 Indeed, 120 you are my lamp, Lord. 121
My God 122 illuminates the darkness around me. 123
18:29 Indeed, 124 with your help 125 I can charge against 126 an army; 127
by my God’s power 128 I can jump over a wall. 129
18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; 130
the Lord’s promise 131 is reliable; 132
he is a shield to all who take shelter 133 in him.
18:31 Indeed, 134 who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector 135 besides our God? 136
18:32 The one true God 137 gives 138 me strength; 139
he removes 140 the obstacles in my way. 141
18:33 He gives me the agility of a deer; 142
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 143
18:34 He trains my hands for battle; 144
my arms can bend even the strongest bow. 145
18:35 You give me your protective shield; 146
your right hand supports me; 147
your willingness to help 148 enables me to prevail. 149
18:36 You widen my path; 150
my feet 151 do not slip.
18:37 I chase my enemies and catch 152 them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
18:38 I beat them 153 to death; 154
they fall at my feet. 155
18:39 You give me strength 156 for battle;
you make my foes kneel before me. 157
18:40 You make my enemies retreat; 158
I destroy those who hate me. 159
18:41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them; 160
they cry out to the Lord, 161 but he does not answer them.
18:42 I grind them as fine windblown dust; 162
I beat them underfoot 163 like clay 164 in the streets.
18:43 You rescue me from a hostile army; 165
you make me 166 a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. 167
18:44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. 168
Foreigners are powerless 169 before me;
18:45 foreigners lose their courage; 170
they shake with fear 171 as they leave 172 their strongholds. 173
18:46 The Lord is alive! 174
My protector 175 is praiseworthy! 176
The God who delivers me 177 is exalted as king! 178
18:47 The one true God 179 completely vindicates me; 180
he makes nations submit to me. 181
18:48 He delivers me 182 from my enemies;
you snatch me away 183 from those who attack me; 184
you rescue me from violent men.
18:49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, 185 O Lord!
I will sing praises to you! 186
18:50 He 187 gives his chosen king magnificent victories; 188
he is faithful 189 to his chosen ruler, 190
to David and his descendants 191 forever.” 192
For the music director; a psalm of David.
19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; 194
the sky displays his handiwork. 195
19:2 Day after day it speaks out; 196
night after night it reveals his greatness. 197
19:3 There is no actual speech or word,
nor is its 198 voice literally heard.
19:4 Yet its voice 199 echoes 200 throughout the earth;
its 201 words carry 202 to the distant horizon. 203
In the sky 204 he has pitched a tent for the sun. 205
19:5 Like a bridegroom it emerges 206 from its chamber; 207
like a strong man it enjoys 208 running its course. 209
19:6 It emerges from the distant horizon, 210
and goes from one end of the sky to the other; 211
nothing can escape 212 its heat.
19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life. 213
The rules set down by the Lord 214 are reliable 215
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. 216
19:8 The Lord’s precepts are fair 217
and make one joyful. 218
The Lord’s commands 219 are pure 220
and give insight for life. 221
19:9 The commands to fear the Lord are right 222
and endure forever. 223
The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy
and absolutely just. 224
19:10 They are of greater value 225 than gold,
than even a great amount of pure gold;
they bring greater delight 226 than honey,
than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.
19:11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; 227
those who obey them receive a rich reward. 228
19:12 Who can know all his errors? 229
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of. 230
19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant 231 sins;
do not allow such sins to control me. 232
Then I will be blameless,
and innocent of blatant 233 rebellion.
19:14 May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight, 234
O Lord, my sheltering rock 235 and my redeemer. 236
For the music director; a psalm of David.
20:1 May the Lord answer 238 you 239 when you are in trouble; 240
may the God of Jacob 241 make you secure!
20:2 May he send you help from his temple; 242
from Zion may he give you support!
20:3 May he take notice 243 of your offerings;
may he accept 244 your burnt sacrifice! (Selah)
20:4 May he grant your heart’s desire; 245
may he bring all your plans to pass! 246
20:5 Then we will shout for joy over your 247 victory;
we will rejoice 248 in the name of our God!
May the Lord grant all your requests!
20:6 Now I am sure 249 that the Lord will deliver 250 his chosen king; 251
he will intervene for him 252 from his holy heavenly temple, 253
and display his mighty ability to deliver. 254
20:7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses, 255
but we 256 depend on 257 the Lord our God.
20:8 They will fall down, 258
but we 259 will stand firm. 260
20:9 The Lord will deliver the king; 261
he will answer us 262 when we call to him for help! 263