Psalm 61-63

Amplified Bible

Confidence in God’s Protection.

To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

61 Hear my cry, O God;
Listen to my prayer.
²
From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and weak;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I [a rock that is too high to reach without Your help].
³
For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me,
A strong tower against the enemy.
⁴
Let me dwell in Your tent forever;
Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah.

⁵
For You have heard my vows, O God;
You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name [with reverence].
⁶
You will prolong the king’s life [adding days upon days];
His years will be like many generations.
⁷
He will sit enthroned forever before [the face of] God;
Appoint lovingkindness and truth to watch over and preserve him.
⁸
So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
Paying my vows day by day.

God Alone a Refuge from Treachery and Oppression.

To the Chief Musician; to Jeduthun [Ethan, the noted musician, founder of an official musical family]. A Psalm of David.

62 For God alone my soul waits in silence;
From Him comes my salvation.
²
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
My defense and my strong tower; I will not be shaken or disheartened.

³
How long will you attack a man
So that you may murder him, all of you,
Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?
⁴
They consult only to throw him down from his high position [to dishonor him];
They delight in lies.
They bless with [the words of] their mouths,
But inwardly they curse. Selah.

⁵
For God alone my soul waits in silence and quietly submits to Him,
For my hope is from Him.
⁶
He only is my rock and my salvation;
My fortress and my defense, I will not be shaken or discouraged.
⁷
On God my salvation and my glory rest;
He is my rock of [unyielding] strength, my refuge is in God.
⁸
Trust [confidently] in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him.
God is a refuge for us. Selah.

⁹
Men of low degree are only a breath (emptiness), and men of [high] rank are a lie (delusion).
In the balances they go up [because they have no measurable weight or value];
They are together lighter than a breath.
¹⁰
Do not trust in oppression,
And do not vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

¹¹
God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
¹²
Also to You, O Lord, belong lovingkindness and compassion,
For You compensate every man according to [the value of] his work.^(A)

The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God.

A Psalm of David; when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

63 O God, You are my God; with deepest longing I will seek You;
My ^[a]soul [my life, my very self] thirsts for You, my flesh longs and sighs for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
²
So I have gazed upon You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.^(B)
³
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
⁴
So will I bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
⁵
My ^[b]soul [my life, my very self] is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises [to You] with joyful lips.

⁶
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate and thoughtfully focus on You in the night watches,
⁷
For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings [where I am always protected] I sing for joy.
⁸
My ^[c]soul [my life, my very self] clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.

⁹
But those who seek my life to destroy it
Will [be destroyed and] go into the depths of the earth [into the underworld].
¹⁰
They will be given over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes.
¹¹
But the king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him [honoring the true God, acknowledging His authority and majesty] will glory,
For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.