Psalm 16-18

New Living Translation

¹ Keep me safe, O God,
    for I have come to you for refuge.

² I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
    Every good thing I have comes from you.”
³ The godly people in the land
    are my true heroes!
    I take pleasure in them!
⁴ Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
    I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
    or even speak the names of their gods.

⁵ Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
    You guard all that is mine.
⁶ The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
    What a wonderful inheritance!

⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.^[b]
    My body rests in safety.
¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead^[c]
    or allow your holy one^[d] to rot in the grave.
¹¹ You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever.^[e]

¹ O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
    Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
    for it comes from honest lips.
² Declare me innocent,
    for you see those who do right.

³ You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
    You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
    I am determined not to sin in what I say.
⁴ I have followed your commands,
    which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
⁵ My steps have stayed on your path;
    I have not wavered from following you.

⁶ I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
    Bend down and listen as I pray.
⁷ Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
    By your mighty power you rescue
    those who seek refuge from their enemies.
⁸ Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.^[f]
    Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
⁹ Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
    from murderous enemies who surround me.
¹⁰ They are without pity.
    Listen to their boasting!
¹¹ They track me down and surround me,
    watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
¹² They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart—
    like young lions hiding in ambush.

¹³ Arise, O Lord!
    Stand against them, and bring them to their knees!
    Rescue me from the wicked with your sword!
¹⁴ By the power of your hand, O Lord,
    destroy those who look to this world for their reward.
But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.
    May their children have plenty,
    leaving an inheritance for their descendants.
¹⁵ Because I am righteous, I will see you.
    When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.

¹ I love you, Lord;
    you are my strength.
² The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.
³ I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and he saved me from my enemies.

⁴ The ropes of death entangled me;
    floods of destruction swept over me.
⁵ The grave^[g] wrapped its ropes around me;
    death laid a trap in my path.
⁶ But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
    my cry to him reached his ears.

⁷ Then the earth quaked and trembled.
    The foundations of the mountains shook;
    they quaked because of his anger.
⁸ Smoke poured from his nostrils;
    fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
    Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
⁹ He opened the heavens and came down;
    dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
¹⁰ Mounted on a mighty angelic being,^[h] he flew,
    soaring on the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He shrouded himself in darkness,
    veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
¹² Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him
    and rained down hail and burning coals.^[i]
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded
    amid the hail and burning coals.
¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
    great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
¹⁵ Then at your command, O Lord,
    at the blast of your breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
    and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

¹⁶ He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
    from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
¹⁸ They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
    but the Lord supported me.
¹⁹ He led me to a place of safety;
    he rescued me because he delights in me.
²⁰ The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
    he restored me because of my innocence.
²¹ For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
    I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
²² I have followed all his regulations;
    I have never abandoned his decrees.
²³ I am blameless before God;
    I have kept myself from sin.
²⁴ The Lord rewarded me for doing right.
    He has seen my innocence.

²⁵ To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
    to those with integrity you show integrity.
²⁶ To the pure you show yourself pure,
    but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
²⁷ You rescue the humble,
    but you humiliate the proud.
²⁸ You light a lamp for me.
    The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
²⁹ In your strength I can crush an army;
    with my God I can scale any wall.

³⁰ God’s way is perfect.
    All the Lord’s promises prove true.
    He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
³¹ For who is God except the Lord?
    Who but our God is a solid rock?
³² God arms me with strength,
    and he makes my way perfect.
³³ He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
³⁴ He trains my hands for battle;
    he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
³⁵ You have given me your shield of victory.
    Your right hand supports me;
    your help^[j] has made me great.
³⁶ You have made a wide path for my feet
    to keep them from slipping.

³⁷ I chased my enemies and caught them;
    I did not stop until they were conquered.
³⁸ I struck them down so they could not get up;
    they fell beneath my feet.
³⁹ You have armed me with strength for the battle;
    you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
⁴⁰ You placed my foot on their necks.
    I have destroyed all who hated me.
⁴¹ They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.
    They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.
⁴² I ground them as fine as dust in the wind.
    I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
⁴³ You gave me victory over my accusers.
    You appointed me ruler over nations;
    people I don’t even know now serve me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me, they submit;
    foreign nations cringe before me.
⁴⁵ They all lose their courage
    and come trembling from their strongholds.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
    May the God of my salvation be exalted!
⁴⁷ He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
    he subdues the nations under me
⁴⁸     and rescues me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
    you save me from violent opponents.
⁴⁹ For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;
    I will sing praises to your name.
⁵⁰ You give great victories to your king;
    you show unfailing love to your anointed,
    to David and all his descendants forever.