Psalm 21[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.(A)
    How great is his joy in the victories you give!(B)

You have granted him his heart’s desire(C)
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.[b]
You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold(D) on his head.(E)
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.(F)
Through the victories(G) you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.(H)
Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy(I) of your presence.(J)
For the king trusts in the Lord;(K)
    through the unfailing love(L) of the Most High(M)
    he will not be shaken.(N)

Your hand will lay hold(O) on all your enemies;
    your right hand will seize your foes.
When you appear for battle,
    you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and his fire will consume them.(P)
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    their posterity from mankind.(Q)
11 Though they plot evil(R) against you
    and devise wicked schemes,(S) they cannot succeed.
12 You will make them turn their backs(T)
    when you aim at them with drawn bow.

13 Be exalted(U) in your strength, Lord;(V)
    we will sing and praise your might.

Psalm 22[c]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?(W)
    Why are you so far(X) from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?(Y)
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,(Z)
    by night,(AA) but I find no rest.[d]

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;(AB)
    you are the one Israel praises.[e](AC)
In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.(AD)
To you they cried out(AE) and were saved;
    in you they trusted(AF) and were not put to shame.(AG)

But I am a worm(AH) and not a man,
    scorned by everyone,(AI) despised(AJ) by the people.
All who see me mock me;(AK)
    they hurl insults,(AL) shaking their heads.(AM)
“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.(AN)
Let him deliver him,(AO)
    since he delights(AP) in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb;(AQ)
    you made me trust(AR) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth(AS) I was cast on you;
    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me,(AT)
    for trouble is near(AU)
    and there is no one to help.(AV)

12 Many bulls(AW) surround me;(AX)
    strong bulls of Bashan(AY) encircle me.
13 Roaring lions(AZ) that tear their prey(BA)
    open their mouths wide(BB) against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.(BC)
My heart has turned to wax;(BD)
    it has melted(BE) within me.
15 My mouth[f] is dried up like a potsherd,(BF)
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;(BG)
    you lay me in the dust(BH) of death.

16 Dogs(BI) surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce[g](BJ) my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
    people stare(BK) and gloat over me.(BL)
18 They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots(BM) for my garment.(BN)

19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.(BO)
    You are my strength;(BP) come quickly(BQ) to help me.(BR)
20 Deliver me from the sword,(BS)
    my precious life(BT) from the power of the dogs.(BU)
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;(BV)
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.(BW)

22 I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly(BX) I will praise you.(BY)
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!(BZ)
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!(CA)
    Revere him,(CB) all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised(CC) or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;(CD)
he has not hidden his face(CE) from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.(CF)

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;(CG)
    before those who fear you[h] I will fulfill my vows.(CH)
26 The poor will eat(CI) and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—(CJ)
    may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth(CK)
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,(CL)
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord(CM)
    and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich(CN) of the earth will feast and worship;(CO)
    all who go down to the dust(CP) will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.(CQ)
30 Posterity(CR) will serve him;
    future generations(CS) will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,(CT)
    declaring to a people yet unborn:(CU)
    He has done it!(CV)

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd,(CW) I lack nothing.(CX)
    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,(CY)
    he refreshes my soul.(CZ)
He guides me(DA) along the right paths(DB)
    for his name’s sake.(DC)
Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[i](DD)
I will fear no evil,(DE)
    for you are with me;(DF)
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table(DG) before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;(DH)
    my cup(DI) overflows.
Surely your goodness and love(DJ) will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-13 is numbered 21:2-14.
  2. Psalm 21:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  3. Psalm 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1-31 is numbered 22:2-32.
  4. Psalm 22:2 Or night, and am not silent
  5. Psalm 22:3 Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel
  6. Psalm 22:15 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text strength
  7. Psalm 22:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text me, / like a lion
  8. Psalm 22:25 Hebrew him
  9. Psalm 23:4 Or the valley of the shadow of death

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