Prayer for Victory over Enemies.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

20 May the Lord answer you (A)on a day of trouble!
May the (B)name of the (C)God of Jacob [a]protect you!
May He send you help (D)from the sanctuary,
And (E)support you from Zion!
May He (F)remember all your meal offerings
And [b](G)accept your burnt offering! Selah

May He grant you your (H)heart’s desire
And (I)fulfill your whole plan!
[c]We will (J)sing for joy over your [d]victory,
And in the name of our God we will (K)set up our banners.
May the Lord (L)fulfill all your desires.

Now (M)I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will (N)answer him from His holy heaven
With the [e](O)saving strength of His right hand.
Some praise their chariots and some their (P)horses,
But (Q)we will praise the name of the Lord, our God.
They have (R)bowed down and fallen,
But we have (S)risen and stood upright.
[f](T)Save, Lord;
May the (U)King answer us on the day we call.

Praise for Salvation.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

21 Lord, in Your strength the king will (V)be glad,
And in Your [g]salvation how greatly he will rejoice!
You have (W)given him his heart’s desire,
And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
For You (X)meet him with the blessings of good things;
You set a (Y)crown of pure gold on his head.
He asked for life from You,
You (Z)gave it to him,
(AA)Length of days forever and ever.
His (AB)glory is great through Your [h]salvation,
(AC)Splendor and majesty You place upon him.
For You make him [i]most (AD)blessed forever;
You make him joyful (AE)with the joy of Your presence.

For the king (AF)trusts in the Lord,
And through the faithfulness of the Most High (AG)he will not be shaken.
Your hand will (AH)find all your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate you.
You will make them (AI)as a fiery oven in the time [j]of your anger;
The Lord will (AJ)swallow them up in His wrath,
And (AK)fire will devour them.
10 You will eliminate their [k]descendants from the earth,
And their [l](AL)children from among the sons of mankind.
11 Though they [m](AM)intended evil against You
And (AN)devised a plot,
They will not succeed.
12 For You will (AO)make them turn their back;
You will take aim at their faces (AP)with Your bowstrings.
13 Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength;
We will (AQ)sing and praise Your power.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 20:1 Lit make you high and inaccessible
  2. Psalm 20:3 Lit consider your...as fat
  3. Psalm 20:5 Or Let’s sing
  4. Psalm 20:5 Or salvation
  5. Psalm 20:6 Or mighty deeds of the victory of His right hand
  6. Psalm 20:9 Or O Lord, save the king; answer us
  7. Psalm 21:1 Or victory
  8. Psalm 21:5 Or victory
  9. Psalm 21:6 Lit blessings
  10. Psalm 21:9 Or of your presence
  11. Psalm 21:10 Lit fruit
  12. Psalm 21:10 Lit seed
  13. Psalm 21:11 Lit stretched out

Psalm 20[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;(A)
    may the name of the God of Jacob(B) protect you.(C)
May he send you help(D) from the sanctuary(E)
    and grant you support(F) from Zion.(G)
May he remember(H) all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.[b](I)
May he give you the desire of your heart(J)
    and make all your plans succeed.(K)
May we shout for joy(L) over your victory
    and lift up our banners(M) in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.(N)

Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.(O)
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.(P)
Some trust in chariots(Q) and some in horses,(R)
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.(S)
They are brought to their knees and fall,(T)
    but we rise up(U) and stand firm.(V)
Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us(W) when we call!

Psalm 21[c]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

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

You have granted him his heart’s desire(Z)
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.[d]
You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold(AA) on his head.(AB)
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.(AC)
Through the victories(AD) you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.(AE)
Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy(AF) of your presence.(AG)
For the king trusts in the Lord;(AH)
    through the unfailing love(AI) of the Most High(AJ)
    he will not be shaken.(AK)

Your hand will lay hold(AL) 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.(AM)
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    their posterity from mankind.(AN)
11 Though they plot evil(AO) against you
    and devise wicked schemes,(AP) they cannot succeed.
12 You will make them turn their backs(AQ)
    when you aim at them with drawn bow.

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 20:1 In Hebrew texts 20:1-9 is numbered 20:2-10.
  2. Psalm 20:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  3. Psalm 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-13 is numbered 21:2-14.
  4. Psalm 21:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.