A psalm of David.
143:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my plea for help!
Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me!
143:2 Do not sit in judgment on 2 your servant,
for no one alive is innocent before you. 3
143:3 Certainly 4 my enemies 5 chase me.
They smash me into the ground. 6
They force me to live 7 in dark regions, 8
like those who have been dead for ages.
143:4 My strength leaves me; 9
I am absolutely shocked. 10
143:5 I recall the old days; 11
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on your accomplishments. 12
143:6 I spread my hands out to you in prayer; 13
my soul thirsts for you in a parched 14 land. 15
143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!
My strength is fading. 16
Do not reject me, 17
or I will join 18 those descending into the grave. 19
143:8 May I hear about your loyal love in the morning, 20
for I trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, 21
because I long for you. 22
143:9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord!
I run to you for protection. 23
143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you, 24
for you are my God.
May your kind presence 25
lead me 26 into a level land. 27
143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, 28 revive me! 29
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble! 30
143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, 31 destroy my enemies!
Annihilate 32 all who threaten my life, 33
for I am your servant.
By David.
144:1 The Lord, my protector, 35 deserves praise 36 –
the one who trains my hands for battle, 37
and my fingers for war,
144:2 who loves me 38 and is my stronghold,
my refuge 39 and my deliverer,
my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,
who makes nations submit to me. 40
144:3 O Lord, of what importance is the human race, 41 that you should notice them?
Of what importance is mankind, 42 that you should be concerned about them? 43
144:4 People 44 are like a vapor,
their days like a shadow that disappears. 45
144:5 O Lord, make the sky sink 46 and come down! 47
Touch the mountains and make them smolder! 48
144:6 Hurl lightning bolts and scatter them!
Shoot your arrows and rout them! 49
144:7 Reach down 50 from above!
Grab me and rescue me from the surging water, 51
from the power of foreigners, 52
144:8 who speak lies,
and make false promises. 53
144:9 O God, I will sing a new song to you!
Accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, I will sing praises to you,
144:10 the one who delivers 54 kings,
and rescued David his servant from a deadly 55 sword.
144:11 Grab me and rescue me from the power of foreigners, 56
who speak lies,
and make false promises. 57
144:12 Then 58 our sons will be like plants,
that quickly grow to full size. 59
Our daughters will be like corner pillars, 60
carved like those in a palace. 61
144:13 Our storehouses 62 will be full,
providing all kinds of food. 63
Our sheep will multiply by the thousands
and fill 64 our pastures. 65
144:14 Our cattle will be weighted down with produce. 66
No one will break through our walls,
no one will be taken captive,
and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares. 67
144:15 How blessed are the people who experience these things! 68
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
A psalm of praise, by David.
145:1 I will extol you, my God, O king!
I will praise your name continually! 70
145:2 Every day I will praise you!
I will praise your name continually! 71
145:3 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise!
No one can fathom his greatness! 72
145:4 One generation will praise your deeds to another,
and tell about your mighty acts! 73
145:5 I will focus on your honor and majestic splendor,
and your amazing deeds! 74
145:6 They will proclaim 75 the power of your awesome acts!
I will declare your great deeds!
145:7 They will talk about the fame of your great kindness, 76
and sing about your justice. 77
145:8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate;
he is patient 78 and demonstrates great loyal love. 79
145:9 The Lord is good to all,
and has compassion on all he has made. 80
145:10 All he has made will give thanks to the Lord.
Your loyal followers will praise you.
145:11 They will proclaim the splendor of your kingdom;
they will tell about your power,
145:12 so that mankind 81 might acknowledge your mighty acts,
and the majestic splendor of your kingdom.
145:13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, 82
and your dominion endures through all generations.
145:14 83 The Lord supports all who fall,
and lifts up all who are bent over. 84
145:15 Everything looks to you in anticipation, 85
and you provide them with food on a regular basis. 86
145:16 You open your hand,
and fill every living thing with the food they desire. 87
145:17 The Lord is just in all his actions, 88
and exhibits love in all he does. 89
145:18 The Lord is near all who cry out to him,
all who cry out to him sincerely. 90
145:19 He satisfies the desire 91 of his loyal followers; 92
he hears their cry for help and delivers them.
145:20 The Lord protects those who love him,
but he destroys all the wicked.
145:21 My mouth will praise the Lord. 93
Let all who live 94 praise his holy name forever!