leader. Of David.
The benighted man thinks,
b-“God does not care.”-b
Man’s deeds are corrupt and loathsome;
no one does good.
2The LORD looks down from heaven on mankind
to find a man of understanding,
a man mindful of God.
3All have turned bad,
altogether foul;
there is none who does good,
not even one.
4Are they so witless, all those evildoers,
who devour my people as they devour food,
and do not invoke the LORD?
5There they will be seized with fright,
for God is present in the circle of the righteous.
6You may set at naught the counsel of the lowly,
but the LORD is his refuge.
7O that the deliverance of Israel might come from Zion!
When the LORD restores the fortunes of His people,
Jacob will exult, Israel will rejoice.
15 A psalm of David.
LORD, who may sojourn in Your tent,
who may dwell on Your holy mountain?
2He who lives without blame,
who does what is right,
and in his heart acknowledges the truth;
3 a-whose tongue is not given to evil;-a
who has never done harm to his fellow,
or borne reproach for [his acts toward] his neighbor;
4for whom a contemptible man is abhorrent,
but who honors those who fear the LORD;
who stands by his oath even to his hurt;
5who has never lent money at interest,
or accepted a bribe against the innocent.
The man who acts thus shall never be shaken.
16 A michtama of David.
Protect me, O God, for I seek refuge in You.
2I say to the LORD,
“You are my Lord, b-my benefactor;
there is none above You.”-b
3 c-As to the holy and mighty ones that are in the land,
my whole desire concerning them is that
4those who espouse another [god]
may have many sorrows!-c
I will have no part of their bloody libations;
their names will not pass my lips.
5The LORD is my allotted share and portion;d
You control my fate.
6Delightful country has fallen to my lot;
lovely indeed is my estate.
7I bless the LORD who has guided me;
my consciencee admonishes me at night.
8I am ever mindful of the LORD’s presence;
He is at my right hand; I shall never be shaken.
9So my heart rejoices,
my whole being exults,
and my body rests secure.
10For You will not abandon me to Sheol,
or let Your faithful one see the Pit.
11You will teach me the path of life.
In Your presence is perfect joy;
delights are ever in Your right hand.
17 A prayer of David.
Hear, O LORD, what is just;
heed my cry, give ear to my prayer,
uttered without guile.
2My vindication will come from You;
Your eyes will behold what is right.
3You have visited me at night, probed my mind,
You have tested me and found nothing amiss;
a-I determined that my mouth should not transgress.
4As for man’s dealings,
in accord with the command of Your lips,-a
I have kept in view the fateb of the lawless.
5My feet have held to Your paths;
my legs have not given way.
6I call on You;
You will answer me, God;
turn Your ear to me,
hear what I say.
7Display Your faithfulness in wondrous deeds,
You who deliver with Your right hand
those who seek refuge from assailants.
8Guard me like the apple of Your eye;
hide me in the shadow of Your wings
9from the wicked who despoil me,
c-my mortal enemies who-c encircle me.
10 a-Their hearts are closed to pity;-a
they mouth arrogance;
11now they hem in our feet on every side;
they set their eyes roaming over the land.
12He is like a lion eager for prey,
a king of beasts lying in wait.
13Rise, O LORD! Go forth to meet him.
Bring him down;
rescue me from the wicked with Your sword,
14a-from men, O LORD, with Your hand,
from men whose share in life is fleeting.
But as to Your treasured ones,
fill their bellies.-a
Their sons too shall be satisfied,
and have something to leave over for their young.
15Then I, justified, will behold Your face;
awake, I am filled with the vision of You.
18 aFor the leader. Of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD after the LORD had saved him from the hands of all his enemies and from the clutches of Saul.
2He said:
b-I adore you, O LORD, my strength,-b
3O LORD, my crag, my fortress, my rescuer,
my God, my rock in whom I seek refuge,
my shield, my c-mighty champion,-c my haven.
4 d-All praise! I called on the LORD-d
and was delivered from my enemies.
5Ropese of Death encompassed me;
torrents of Belialf terrified me;
6ropes of Sheol encircled me;
snares of Death confronted me.
7In my distress I called on the LORD,
cried out to my God;
in His temple He heard my voice;
my cry to Him reached His ears.
8Then the earth rocked and quaked;
the foundations of the mountains shook,
rocked by His indignation;
9smoke went up from His nostrils,
from His mouth came devouring fire;
live coals blazed forth from Him.
10He bent the sky and came down,
thick cloud beneath His feet.
11He mounted a cherub and flew,
gliding on the wings of the wind.
12He made darkness His screen;
dark thunderheads, dense clouds of the sky
were His pavilion round about Him.
13Out of the brilliance before Him,
hail and fiery coals g-pierced His clouds.-g
14Then the LORD thundered from heaven,
the Most High gave forth His voice—
h-hail and fiery coals.-h
15He let fly His shafts and scattered them;
He discharged lightning and routed them.
16The ocean bed was exposed;
the foundations of the world were laid bare
by Your mighty roaring, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
17He reached down from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of the mighty waters;
18He saved me from my fierce enemy,
from foes too strong for me.
19They confronted me on the day of my calamity,
but the LORD was my support.
20He brought me out to freedom;
He rescued me because He was pleased with me.
21The LORD rewarded me according to my merit;
He requited the cleanness of my hands;
22for I have kept to the ways of the LORD,
and have not been guilty before my God;
23for I am mindful of all His rules;
I have not disregarded His laws.
24I have been blameless toward Him,
and have guarded myself against sinning;
25and the LORD has requited me according to my merit,
the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
26With the loyal, You deal loyally;
with the blameless man, blamelessly.
27With the pure, You act purely,
and with the perverse, You are wily.
28It is You who deliver lowly folk,
but haughty eyes You humble.
29It is You who light my lamp;
the LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.
30With You, I can rush a barrier;i
with my God I can scale a wall;
31the way of God is perfect;
the word of the LORD is pure;
He is a shield to all who seek refuge in Him.
32Truly, who is a god except the LORD,
who is a rock but our God?—
33the God who girded me with might,
who made my way perfect;
34who made my legs like a deer’s,
and let me stand firm on thej heights;
35who trained my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36You have given me the shield of Your protection;
Your right hand has sustained me,
Your carek has made me great.
37You have let me stride on freely;
my feet have not slipped.
38I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till I destroyed them.
39I struck them down,
and they could rise no more;
they lay fallen at my feet.
40You have girded me with strength for battle,
brought my adversaries low before me,
41made my enemies turn tail before me;
I wiped out my foes.
42They cried out, but there was none to deliver;
[cried] to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
43I ground them fine as windswept dust;
I trod them flat as dirt of the streets.
44You have rescued me from the strife of people;
You have set me at the head of nations;
peoples I knew not must serve me.
45At the mere report of me they are submissive;
foreign peoples cower before me;
46foreign peoples lose courage,
l-and come trembling out of their strongholds.-l
47The LORD lives! Blessed is my rock!
Exalted be God, my deliverer,
48the God who has vindicated me
and made peoples subject to me,
49who rescued me from my enemies,
who raised me clear of my adversaries,
saved me from lawless men.
50For this I sing Your praise among the nations, LORD,
and hymn Your name:
51m-He accords great victories-m to His king,
keeps faith with His anointed,
with David and his offspring forever.
19For the leader. A psalm of David.
2The heavens declare the glory of God,
the sky proclaims His handiwork.
3Day to day makes utterance,
night to night speaks out.
4There is no utterance,
there are no words,
a-whose sound goes unheard.-a
5Their voiceb carries throughout the earth,
their words to the end of the world.
He placed in themc a tent for the sun,
6who is like a groom coming forth from the chamber,
like a hero, eager to run his course.
7His rising-place is at one end of heaven,
and his circuit reaches the other;
nothing escapes his heat.
8The teaching of the LORD is perfect,
renewing life;
the decrees of the LORD are enduring,
making the simple wise;
9The precepts of the LORD are just,
rejoicing the heart;
the instruction of the LORD is lucid,
making the eyes light up.
10The fear of the LORD is pure,
abiding forever;
the judgments of the LORD are true,
righteous altogether,
11more desirable than gold,
than much fine gold;
sweeter than honey,
than drippings of the comb.
12Your servant pays them heed;
in obeying them there is much reward.
13Who can be aware of errors?
Clear me of unperceived guilt,
14and from d-willful sins-d keep Your servant;
let them not dominate me;
then shall I be blameless
and clear of grave offense.
15May the words of my mouth
and the prayer of my hearte
be acceptable to You,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
20For the leader. A psalm of David.
2May the LORD answer you in time of trouble,
the name of Jacob’s God keep you safe.
3May He send you help from the sanctuary,
and sustain you from Zion.
4May He receive the tokensa of all your meal offerings,
and approveb your burnt offerings.
Selah.
5May He grant you your desire,
and fulfill your every plan.
6May we shout for joy in your victory,
arrayed by standards in the name of our God.
May the LORD fulfill your every wish.
7Now I know that the LORD will give victory to His anointed,
will answer him from His heavenly sanctuary
with the mighty victories of His right arm.
8They [call] on chariots, they [call]