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Psalm 17-20
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 17-20
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 17
A Prayer for Protection
A Davidic prayer.
1 Lord, hear a just cause;(A)
pay attention to my cry;
listen to my prayer—
from lips free of deceit.(B)
2 Let my vindication come from You,
for You see what is right.(C)
3 You have tested my heart;(D)
You have examined me at night.
You have tried me and found nothing evil;(E)
I have determined that my mouth will not sin.[a]
4 Concerning what people do:
by the word of Your lips[b]
I have avoided the ways of the violent.(F)
5 My steps are on Your paths;
my feet have not slipped.(G)
6 I call on You, God,
because You will answer me;(H)
listen closely to me; hear what I say.
7 Display the wonders of Your faithful love,(I)
Savior of all who seek refuge(J)
from those who rebel against Your right hand.[c]
8 Protect me as the pupil of Your eye;(K)
hide me in the shadow of Your wings(L)
9 from[d] the wicked who treat me violently,[e]
my deadly enemies who surround me.(M)
10 They have become hardened;[f](N)
their mouths speak arrogantly.(O)
11 They advance against me;[g] now they surround me.(P)
They are determined[h]
to throw me to the ground.(Q)
12 They are[i] like a lion eager to tear,
like a young lion lurking in ambush.(R)
13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him; bring him down.(S)
With Your sword, save me from the wicked.(T)
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.(U)
15 But I will see Your face in righteousness;(V)
when I awake, I will be satisfied with Your presence.[j](W)
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 hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.(X) He said:
1 I love You, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock,
my fortress, and my deliverer,(Y)
my God, my mountain where I seek refuge,
my shield(Z) and the horn of my salvation,(AA)
my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(AB)
and I was saved from my enemies.(AC)
4 The ropes of death were wrapped around me;
the torrents of destruction terrified me.(AD)
5 The ropes of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.(AE)
6 I called to the Lord in my distress,
and I cried to my God for help.
From His temple He heard my voice,(AF)
and my cry to Him reached His ears.(AG)
7 Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the mountains trembled;(AH)
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.[k](AI)
9 He parted the heavens and came down,(AJ)
a dark cloud beneath His feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.(AK)
11 He made darkness His hiding place,
dark storm clouds His canopy around Him.(AL)
12 From the radiance of His presence,(AM)
His clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
13 The Lord thundered from[l] heaven;
the Most High projected His voice.[m](AN)
14 He shot His arrows and scattered them;
He hurled[n] lightning bolts and routed them.(AO)
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.(AP)
16 He reached down from heaven
and took hold of me;
He pulled me out of deep waters.(AQ)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me.(AR)
18 They confronted me in the day of my distress,
but the Lord was my support.(AS)
19 He brought me out to a spacious place;(AT)
He rescued me because He delighted in me.(AU)
20 The Lord rewarded me
according to my righteousness;(AV)
He repaid me
according to the cleanness of my hands.(AW)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not turned from my God to wickedness.(AX)
22 Indeed, I have kept all His ordinances in mind[o]
and have not disregarded His statutes.(AY)
23 I was blameless toward Him(AZ)
and kept myself from sinning.
24 So the Lord repaid me
according to my righteousness,(BA)
according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.(BB)
25 With the faithful
You prove Yourself faithful;
with the blameless man
You prove Yourself blameless;
26 with the pure
You prove Yourself pure,
but with the crooked
You prove Yourself shrewd.(BC)
27 For You rescue an afflicted people,(BD)
but You humble those with haughty eyes.(BE)
28 Lord, You light my lamp;
my God illuminates my darkness.(BF)
29 With You I can attack a barrier,[p]
and with my God I can leap over a wall.(BG)
30 God—His way is perfect;(BH)
the word of the Lord is pure.(BI)
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.(BJ)
31 For who is God besides Yahweh?(BK)
And who is a rock? Only our God.(BL)
32 God—He clothes me with strength(BM)
and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer(BN)
and sets me securely on the heights.[q](BO)
34 He trains my hands for war;(BP)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.(BQ)
35 You have given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand upholds me,(BR)
and Your humility exalts me.
36 You widen a place beneath me for my steps,(BS)
and my ankles do not give way.(BT)
37 I pursue my enemies and overtake them;
I do not turn back until they are wiped out.(BU)
38 I crush them, and they cannot get up;
they fall beneath my feet.(BV)
39 You have clothed me with strength for battle;(BW)
You subdue my adversaries beneath me.(BX)
40 You have made my enemies retreat before me;[r](BY)
I annihilate those who hate me.(BZ)
41 They cry for help, but there is no one to save them(CA)—
they cry to the Lord, but He does not answer them.(CB)
42 I pulverize them like dust before the wind;(CC)
I trample them[s] like mud in the streets.(CD)
43 You have freed me from the feuds among the people;
You have appointed me the head of nations;(CE)
a people I had not known serve me.(CF)
44 Foreigners submit to me grudgingly;
as soon as they hear,[t] they obey me.(CG)
45 Foreigners lose heart
and come trembling from their fortifications.(CH)
46 The Lord lives—may my rock be praised!
The God of my salvation is exalted.(CI)
47 God—He gives me vengeance(CJ)
and subdues peoples under me.(CK)
48 He frees me from my enemies.
You exalt me above my adversaries;
You rescue me from violent men.(CL)
49 Therefore I will praise You, Yahweh, among the nations;
I will sing about Your name.(CM)
50 He gives great victories to His king;(CN)
He shows loyalty to His anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.(CO)
Psalm 19
The Witness of Creation and Scripture
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky[u] proclaims the work of His hands.(CP)
2 Day after day they pour out speech;
night after night they communicate knowledge.[v]
3 There is no speech; there are no words;
their voice is not heard.
4 Their message[w] has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.(CQ)
In the heavens[x] He has pitched a tent for the sun.(CR)
5 It is like a groom coming from the[y] bridal chamber;
it rejoices like an athlete running a course.
6 It rises from one end of the heavens
and circles[z] to their other end;(CS)
nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect,
renewing one’s life;(CT)
the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy,
making the inexperienced wise.(CU)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
making the heart glad;(CV)
the command of the Lord is radiant,
making the eyes light up.(CW)
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;(CX)
the ordinances of the Lord are reliable
and altogether righteous.(CY)
10 They are more desirable than gold—
than an abundance of pure gold;(CZ)
and sweeter than honey,
which comes from the honeycomb.(DA)
11 In addition, Your servant is warned by them;
there is great reward in keeping them.(DB)
12 Who perceives his unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from my hidden faults.(DC)
13 Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins;(DD)
do not let them rule over me.(DE)
Then I will be innocent
and cleansed from blatant rebellion.(DF)
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to You,(DG)
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.(DH)
Psalm 20
Deliverance in Battle
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 May Yahweh answer you in a day of trouble;(DI)
may the name of Jacob’s God protect you.(DJ)
2 May He send you help from the sanctuary
and sustain you from Zion.(DK)
3 May He remember all your offerings
and accept your burnt offering.(DL)
4 May He give you what your heart desires(DM)
and fulfill your whole purpose.(DN)
5 Let us shout for joy at your victory(DO)
and lift the banner in the name of our God.(DP)
May Yahweh fulfill all your requests.(DQ)
6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to His anointed;(DR)
He will answer him from His holy heaven
with mighty victories from[aa] His right hand.(DS)
7 Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses,
but we take pride in the name of Yahweh our God.(DT)
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand firm.(DU)
9 Lord, give victory to the king!(DV)
May He[ab] answer us on the day that we call.
Footnotes
- Psalm 17:3 Or [evil]; my mouth will not sin
- Psalm 17:4 God’s instruction
- Psalm 17:7 Or love, You who save with Your right hand those seeking refuge from adversaries
- Psalm 17:9 Lit from the presence of
- Psalm 17:9 Or who plunder me
- Psalm 17:10 Lit have closed up their fat
- Psalm 17:11 Vg; one Hb ms, LXX read They cast me out; MT reads Our steps
- Psalm 17:11 Lit They set their eyes
- Psalm 17:12 Lit He is
- Psalm 17:15 Lit form
- Psalm 18:8 Or ablaze from Him
- Psalm 18:13 Some Hb mss, LXX, Tg, Jer; other Hb mss read in
- Psalm 18:13 Some Hb mss read voice, with hail and fiery coals
- Psalm 18:14 Or multiplied
- Psalm 18:22 Lit Indeed, all His ordinances have been in front of me
- Psalm 18:29 Or ridge
- Psalm 18:33 Or on my high places
- Psalm 18:40 Or You gave me the necks of my enemies
- Psalm 18:42 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg; other Hb mss read I poured them out
- Psalm 18:44 Lit At the hearing of the ear
- Psalm 19:1 Or expanse
- Psalm 19:2 Or Day to day pours out speech, and night to night communicates knowledge
- Psalm 19:4 LXX, Sym, Syr, Vg; MT reads line
- Psalm 19:4 Lit In them
- Psalm 19:5 Lit his
- Psalm 19:6 Lit its circuit is
- Psalm 20:6 Some Hb mss, Aq, Sym, Jer, Syr read with the victorious might of
- Psalm 20:9 Or Lord, save. May the king
Psalm 17-20
New International Version
Psalm 17-20
New International Version
Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me,(A) Lord, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.(B)
Hear(C) my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.(D)
2 Let my vindication(E) come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.(F)
3 Though you probe my heart,(G)
though you examine me at night and test me,(H)
you will find that I have planned no evil;(I)
my mouth has not transgressed.(J)
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;(K)
my feet have not stumbled.(L)
6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;(M)
turn your ear to me(N) and hear my prayer.(O)
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,(P)
you who save by your right hand(Q)
those who take refuge(R) in you from their foes.
8 Keep me(S) as the apple of your eye;(T)
hide me(U) in the shadow of your wings(V)
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.(W)
10 They close up their callous hearts,(X)
and their mouths speak with arrogance.(Y)
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,(Z)
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion(AA) hungry for prey,(AB)
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up,(AC) Lord, confront them, bring them down;(AD)
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
from those of this world(AE) whose reward is in this life.(AF)
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers(AG) for their little ones.
15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake,(AH) I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.(AI)
Psalm 18[a](AJ)
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.(AK)
2 The Lord is my rock,(AL) my fortress(AM) and my deliverer;(AN)
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(AO)
my shield[b](AP) and the horn[c] of my salvation,(AQ) my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(AR)
and I have been saved from my enemies.(AS)
4 The cords of death(AT) entangled me;
the torrents(AU) of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death(AV) confronted me.
6 In my distress(AW) I called to the Lord;(AX)
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(AY)
my cry came(AZ) before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled(BA) and quaked,(BB)
and the foundations of the mountains shook;(BC)
they trembled because he was angry.(BD)
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;(BE)
consuming fire(BF) came from his mouth,
burning coals(BG) blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;(BH)
dark clouds(BI) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(BJ) and flew;
he soared(BK) on the wings of the wind.(BL)
11 He made darkness his covering,(BM) his canopy(BN) around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(BO) clouds advanced,
with hailstones(BP) and bolts of lightning.(BQ)
13 The Lord thundered(BR) from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows(BS) and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning(BT) he routed them.(BU)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations(BV) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(BW) Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(BX)
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.(BY)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(BZ)
from my foes, who were too strong for me.(CA)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(CB)
but the Lord was my support.(CC)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(CD)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.(CE)
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(CF)
according to the cleanness of my hands(CG) he has rewarded me.(CH)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(CI)
I am not guilty of turning(CJ) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(CK)
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(CL) before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(CM)
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful(CN) you show yourself faithful,(CO)
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(CP) you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(CQ)
27 You save the humble(CR)
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(CS)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(CT) burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.(CU)
29 With your help(CV) I can advance against a troop[e];
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:(CW)
The Lord’s word is flawless;(CX)
he shields(CY) all who take refuge(CZ) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(DA)
And who is the Rock(DB) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(DC)
and keeps my way secure.(DD)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(DE)
he causes me to stand on the heights.(DF)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(DG)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains(DH) me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(DI) for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.(DJ)
37 I pursued my enemies(DK) and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(DL) so that they could not rise;(DM)
they fell beneath my feet.(DN)
39 You armed me with strength(DO) for battle;
you humbled my adversaries(DP) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(DQ) in flight,
and I destroyed(DR) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(DS)—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.(DT)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(DU)
I trampled them[f] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.(DV)
People I did not know(DW) now serve me,
44 foreigners(DX) cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(DY)
they come trembling(DZ) from their strongholds.(EA)
46 The Lord lives!(EB) Praise be to my Rock!(EC)
Exalted be God(ED) my Savior!(EE)
47 He is the God who avenges(EF) me,
who subdues nations(EG) under me,
48 who saves(EH) me from my enemies.(EI)
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man(EJ) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(EK)
I will sing(EL) the praises of your name.(EM)
50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,(EN)
to David(EO) and to his descendants forever.(EP)
Psalm 19[g]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens(EQ) declare(ER) the glory of God;(ES)
the skies(ET) proclaim the work of his hands.(EU)
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.(EV)
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice[h] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.(EW)
In the heavens God has pitched a tent(EX) for the sun.(EY)
5 It is like a bridegroom(EZ) coming out of his chamber,(FA)
like a champion(FB) rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens(FC)
and makes its circuit to the other;(FD)
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord(FE) is perfect,(FF)
refreshing the soul.(FG)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,(FH)
making wise the simple.(FI)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,(FJ)
giving joy(FK) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.(FL)
9 The fear of the Lord(FM) is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.(FN)
10 They are more precious than gold,(FO)
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,(FP)
than honey from the honeycomb.(FQ)
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.(FR)
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;(FS)
may they not rule over me.(FT)
Then I will be blameless,(FU)
innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing(FV) in your sight,
Lord, my Rock(FW) and my Redeemer.(FX)
Psalm 20[i]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;(FY)
may the name of the God of Jacob(FZ) protect you.(GA)
2 May he send you help(GB) from the sanctuary(GC)
and grant you support(GD) from Zion.(GE)
3 May he remember(GF) all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.[j](GG)
4 May he give you the desire of your heart(GH)
and make all your plans succeed.(GI)
5 May we shout for joy(GJ) over your victory
and lift up our banners(GK) in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.(GL)
6 Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.(GM)
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.(GN)
7 Some trust in chariots(GO) and some in horses,(GP)
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.(GQ)
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,(GR)
but we rise up(GS) and stand firm.(GT)
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us(GU) when we call!
Footnotes
- Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
- Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
- Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
- Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
- Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out
- Psalm 19:1 In Hebrew texts 19:1-14 is numbered 19:2-15.
- Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Jerome and Syriac; Hebrew measuring line
- Psalm 20:1 In Hebrew texts 20:1-9 is numbered 20:2-10.
- Psalm 20:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
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