Psalm 16
- Michtam of David.
Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my
goodness extendeth not to thee;
But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent,
in whom is all my delight.
Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god:
will I not offer, nor take up their
names into my lips.
The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my
cup: thou maintainest my lot.
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also
instruct me in the night seasons.
I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right
hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my
flesh also shall rest in hope.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption.
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right
hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 17
- A Prayer of David.
Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto that
goeth not out of feigned lips.
Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes
behold the things that are equal.
Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried
me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept
me from the paths of the destroyer.
Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: thine
ear unto me, and hear my speech.
Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their
eyes bowing down to the earth;
Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young
lion lurking in secret places.
Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from
the wicked, which is thy sword:
From men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their
portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure:
they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied,
when I awake, with thy likeness.
Psalm 18 - To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength,
in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall
I be saved from mine enemies.
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my
voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved
and were shaken, because he was wroth.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth
devoured: coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly
upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark
waters and thick clouds of the skies.
At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed,
hail stones and coals of fire.
The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his
voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out
lightnings, and discomfited them.
Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were
discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated
me: for they were too strong for me.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.
He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered
me, because he delighted in me.
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
he recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright
man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; thou wilt shew thyself froward.
For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried:
those that trust in him.
For who is God save the Lord?
or who is a rock save our God?
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right
hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn
again till they were consumed.
I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they
are fallen under my feet.
For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued
under me those that rose up against me.
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I
might destroy them that hate me.
to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.
Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast
them out as the dirt in the streets.
Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made
me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers
shall submit themselves unto me.
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God
of my salvation be exalted.
It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those
that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and
sing praises unto thy name.
Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to
David, and to his seed for evermore.
Psalm 19 - To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their
words to the end of the world.
In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth
as a strong man to run a race.
His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit
unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of
the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of
the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord
are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter
also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of
them there is great reward.
Who can understand his errors?
cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have
dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent
from the great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be
acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Psalm 20 - To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we
will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.
Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him
from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember
the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.