Psalm 16:1-22:16
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 16
Confidence in the Lord
A Miktam of David.(A)
1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.(B)
2 I[a] said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good besides you.”[b](C)
3 As for the holy people who are in the land,(D)
they are the noble ones.
All my delight is in them.
4 The sorrows of those who take another god
for themselves will multiply;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
and I will not speak their names with my lips.(E)
5 Lord, you are my portion[c]
and my cup of blessing;
you hold my future.(F)
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.(G)
7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me(H)—
even at night when my thoughts trouble me.[d](I)
8 I always let the Lord guide me.[e]
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.(J)
9 Therefore my heart is glad
and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely.(K)
10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol;(L)
you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.(M)
11 You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;(N)
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.(O)
Psalm 17
A Prayer for Protection
A prayer of David.
1 Lord, hear a just cause;(P)
pay attention to my cry;
listen to my prayer—
from lips free of deceit.(Q)
2 Let my vindication come from you,
for you see what is right.(R)
3 You have tested my heart;(S)
you have examined me at night.
You have tried me and found nothing evil;(T)
I have determined that my mouth will not sin.[f]
4 Concerning what people do:
by the words from your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.(U)
5 My steps are on your paths;
my feet have not slipped.(V)
6 I call on you, God,
because you will answer me;(W)
listen closely to me; hear what I say.
7 Display the wonders of your faithful love,(X)
Savior of all who seek refuge(Y)
from those who rebel against your right hand.[g]
8 Protect me as the pupil of your eye;(Z)
hide me in the shadow of your wings(AA)
9 from[h] the wicked who treat me violently,[i]
my deadly enemies who surround me.(AB)
10 They are uncaring;[j](AC)
their mouths speak arrogantly.(AD)
11 They advance against me;[k] now they surround me.(AE)
They are determined[l]
to throw me to the ground.(AF)
12 They are[m] like a lion eager to tear,
like a young lion lurking in ambush.(AG)
13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him; bring him down.(AH)
With your sword, save me from the wicked.(AI)
14 With your hand, Lord, save me from men,
from men of the world
whose portion is in this life:
You fill their bellies with what you have in store;
their sons are satisfied,
and they leave their surplus to their children.(AJ)
15 But I will see your face in righteousness;(AK)
when I awake, I will be satisfied with your presence.[n](AL)
Psalm 18
Praise for Deliverance
For the choir director. Of the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the power of Saul.(AM) He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock,
my fortress, and my deliverer,(AN)
my God, my rock where I seek refuge,
my shield(AO) and the horn of my salvation,(AP)
my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(AQ)
and I was saved from my enemies.(AR)
4 The ropes of death were wrapped around me;
the torrents of destruction terrified me.(AS)
5 The ropes of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.(AT)
6 I called to the Lord in my distress,
and I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,(AU)
and my cry to him reached his ears.(AV)
7 Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the mountains trembled;(AW)
they shook because he burned with anger.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils,
and consuming fire came from his mouth;
coals were set ablaze by it.[o](AX)
9 He bent the heavens and came down,(AY)
total darkness beneath his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.(AZ)
11 He made darkness his hiding place,
dark storm clouds his canopy around him.(BA)
12 From the radiance of his presence,(BB)
his clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
13 The Lord thundered from[p] heaven;
the Most High made his voice heard.[q](BC)
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them;
he hurled[r] lightning bolts and routed them.(BD)
15 The depths of the sea became visible,
the foundations of the world were exposed,
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.(BE)
16 He reached down from on high
and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of deep water.(BF)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me.(BG)
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.(BH)
19 He brought me out to a spacious place;(BI)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.(BJ)
20 The Lord rewarded me
according to my righteousness;(BK)
he repaid me
according to the cleanness of my hands.(BL)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not turned from my God to wickedness.(BM)
22 Indeed, I let all his ordinances guide me[s]
and have not disregarded his statutes.(BN)
23 I was blameless toward him(BO)
and kept myself from my iniquity.
24 So the Lord repaid me
according to my righteousness,(BP)
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.(BQ)
25 With the faithful
you prove yourself faithful,
with the blameless
you prove yourself blameless,
26 with the pure
you prove yourself pure,
but with the crooked
you prove yourself shrewd.(BR)
27 For you rescue an oppressed people,(BS)
but you humble those with haughty eyes.(BT)
28 Lord, you light my lamp;
my God illuminates my darkness.(BU)
29 With you I can attack a barricade,[t]
and with my God I can leap over a wall.(BV)
30 God—his way is perfect;(BW)
the word of the Lord is pure.(BX)
He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.(BY)
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(BZ)
And who is a rock? Only our God.(CA)
32 God—he clothes me with strength(CB)
and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer(CC)
and sets me securely on the heights.[u](CD)
34 He trains my hands for war;(CE)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.(CF)
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation;
your right hand upholds me,(CG)
and your humility exalts me.
36 You make a spacious place beneath me for my steps,(CH)
and my ankles do not give way.(CI)
37 I pursue my enemies and overtake them;
I do not turn back until they are wiped out.(CJ)
38 I crush them, and they cannot get up;
they fall beneath my feet.(CK)
39 You have clothed me with strength for battle;(CL)
you subdue my adversaries beneath me.(CM)
40 You have made my enemies retreat before me;[v](CN)
I annihilate those who hate me.(CO)
41 They cry for help, but there is no one to save them(CP)—
they cry to the Lord, but he does not answer them.(CQ)
42 I pulverize them like dust before the wind;(CR)
I trample them[w] like mud in the streets.(CS)
43 You have freed me from the feuds among the people;
you have appointed me the head of nations;(CT)
a people I had not known serve me.(CU)
44 Foreigners submit to me cringing;
as soon as they hear they obey me.(CV)
45 Foreigners lose heart
and come trembling from their fortifications.(CW)
46 The Lord lives—blessed be my rock!
The God of my salvation is exalted.(CX)
47 God—he grants me vengeance(CY)
and subdues peoples under me.(CZ)
48 He frees me from my enemies.
You exalt me above my adversaries;
you rescue me from violent men.(DA)
49 Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, Lord;
I will sing praises about your name.(DB)
50 He gives great victories to his king;(DC)
he shows loyalty to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.(DD)
Psalm 19
The Witness of Creation and Scripture
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the expanse(DE) proclaims the work of his hands.(DF)
2 Day after day they pour out speech;
night after night they communicate knowledge.[x]
3 There is no speech; there are no words;
their voice is not heard.
4 Their message[y] has gone out to the whole earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.(DG)
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun.(DH)
5 It is like a bridegroom coming from his home;
it rejoices like an athlete running a course.
6 It rises from one end of the heavens
and circles to their other end;(DI)
nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect,
renewing one’s life;(DJ)
the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy,
making the inexperienced wise.(DK)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
making the heart glad;(DL)
the command of the Lord is radiant,
making the eyes light up.(DM)
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;(DN)
the ordinances of the Lord are reliable
and altogether righteous.(DO)
10 They are more desirable than gold—
than an abundance of pure gold;(DP)
and sweeter than honey
dripping from a honeycomb.(DQ)
11 In addition, your servant is warned by them,
and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.(DR)
12 Who perceives his unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from my hidden faults.(DS)
13 Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins;(DT)
do not let them rule me.(DU)
Then I will be blameless
and cleansed from blatant rebellion.(DV)
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,(DW)
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.(DX)
Psalm 20
Deliverance in Battle
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you in a day of trouble;(DY)
may the name of Jacob’s God protect you.(DZ)
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and sustain you from Zion.(EA)
3 May he remember all your offerings
and accept your burnt offering.(EB)Selah
4 May he give you what your heart desires(EC)
and fulfill your whole purpose.(ED)
5 Let us shout for joy at your victory(EE)
and lift the banner in the name of our God.(EF)
May the Lord fulfill all your requests.(EG)
6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed;(EH)
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty victories from his right hand.(EI)
7 Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses,
but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.(EJ)
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand firm.(EK)
9 Lord, give victory to the king!(EL)
May he[z] answer us on the day that we call.
Psalm 21
The King’s Victory
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 Lord, the king finds joy in your strength.
How greatly he rejoices in your victory!(EM)
2 You have given him his heart’s desire(EN)
and have not denied the request of his lips.(EO)Selah
3 For you meet him with rich blessings;
you place a crown of pure gold on his head.(EP)
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days forever and ever.(EQ)
5 His glory is great through your victory;
you confer majesty and splendor on him.(ER)
6 You give him blessings forever;(ES)
you cheer him with joy in your presence.(ET)
7 For the king relies on the Lord;
through the faithful love of the Most High
he is not shaken.(EU)
8 Your hand will capture all your enemies;
your right hand will seize those who hate you.(EV)
9 You will make them burn
like a fiery furnace when you appear;
the Lord will engulf them in his wrath,
and fire will devour them.(EW)
10 You will wipe their progeny from the earth
and their offspring from the human race.[aa](EX)
11 Though they intend to harm[ab] you
and devise a wicked plan, they will not prevail.(EY)
12 Instead, you will put them to flight
when you ready your bowstrings to shoot at them.(EZ)
13 Be exalted, Lord, in your strength;
we will sing and praise your might.(FA)
Psalm 22
From Suffering to Praise
For the choir director: according to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?(FB)
Why are you so far from my deliverance(FC)
and from my words of groaning?(FD)
2 My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
by night, yet I have no rest.(FE)
3 But you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.(FF)
4 Our ancestors trusted in you;
they trusted, and you rescued them.(FG)
5 They cried to you and were set free;
they trusted in you and were not disgraced.(FH)
6 But I am a worm and not a man,(FI)
scorned by mankind and despised by people.(FJ)
7 Everyone who sees me mocks me;
they sneer[ac] and shake their heads:(FK)
8 “He relies on[ad] the Lord;
let him save him;
let the Lord[ae] rescue him,
since he takes pleasure in him.”(FL)
9 It was you who brought me out of the womb,
making me secure at my mother’s breast.(FM)
10 I was given over to you at birth;[af]
you have been my God from my mother’s womb.(FN)
11 Don’t be far from me, because distress is near
and there’s no one to help.(FO)
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong ones of Bashan encircle me.(FP)
13 They open their mouths against me—
lions, mauling and roaring.(FQ)
14 I am poured out like water,(FR)
and all my bones are disjointed;(FS)
my heart is like wax,
melting within me.(FT)
15 My strength is dried up like baked clay;(FU)
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.(FV)
You put me into the dust of death.(FW)
16 For dogs have surrounded me;(FX)
a gang of evildoers has closed in on me;
they pierced[ag] my hands and my feet.(FY)
Footnotes
- 16:2 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Jer; other Hb mss read You
- 16:2 Or “Lord, my good; there is none besides you.”
- 16:5 Or allotted portion
- 16:7 Or at night my heart instructs me
- 16:8 Lit I place the Lord in front of me always
- 17:3 Or evil; my mouth will not sin
- 17:7 Or love, you who save with your right hand those seeking refuge from adversaries
- 17:9 Lit from the presence of
- 17:9 Or who plunder me
- 17:10 Lit have closed up their fat
- 17:11 Vg; MT reads Our steps
- 17:11 Lit They set their eyes
- 17:12 Lit He is
- 17:15 Lit form
- 18:8 Or him
- 18:13 Some Hb mss, LXX, Tg, Jer; other Hb mss read in
- 18:13 Some Hb mss read voice, with hail and blazing coals
- 18:14 Or multiplied
- 18:22 Lit Indeed, all his ordinances have been in front of me
- 18:29 Or a ridge, or raiders
- 18:33 Or on my high places
- 18:40 Or You gave me the necks of my enemies
- 18:42 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg; other Hb mss read I poured them out
- 19:2 Or Day to day pours out speech, and night to night communicates knowledge
- 19:4 LXX, Sym, Syr, Vg; MT reads line
- 20:9 Or Lord, save. May the king
- 21:10 Or the descendants of Adam
- 21:11 Lit they stretch out harm against
- 22:7 Lit separate with the lip
- 22:8 Or Rely on
- 22:8 Lit let him
- 22:10 Lit was cast on you from the womb
- 22:16 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss read me; like a lion
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