Psalms 17; Psalms 18; Psalms 19; Psalms 20

Psalms 17

1 Lord, hear me begging for fairness; listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, because I speak the truth.

2 You will judge that I am right; your eyes can see what is true.

3 You have examined my heart; you have tested me all night. You questioned me without finding anything wrong; I have not sinned with my mouth.

4 I have obeyed your commands, so I have not done what evil people do.

5 I have done what you told me; I have not failed.

6 I call to you, God, and you answer me. Listen to me now, and hear what I say.

7 Your love is wonderful. By your power you save those who trust you from their enemies.

8 Protect me as you would protect your own eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings.

9 Keep me from the wicked who attack me, from my enemies who surround me.

10 They are selfish and brag about themselves.

11 They have chased me until they have surrounded me. They plan to throw me to the ground.

12 They are like lions ready to kill; like lions, they sit in hiding.

13 Lord, rise up, face the enemy, and throw them down. Save me from the wicked with your sword.

14 Lord, save me by your power from those whose reward is in this life. They have plenty of food. They have many sons and leave much money to their children.

15 Because I have lived right, I will see your face. When I wake up, I will see your likeness and be satisfied. For the director of music. By the Lord's servant, David. David sang this song to the Lord when the Lord had saved him from Saul and all his other enemies.

Psalms 18

1 I love you, Lord. You are my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, my protection, my Savior. My God is my rock. I can run to him for safety. He is my shield and my saving strength, my defender.

3 I will call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I will be saved from my enemies.

4 The ropes of death came around me; the deadly rivers overwhelmed me.

5 The ropes of death wrapped around me. The traps of death were before me.

6 In my trouble I called to the Lord. I cried out to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my call for help reached his ears.

7 The earth trembled and shook. The foundations of the mountains began to shake. They trembled because the Lord was angry.

8 Smoke came out of his nose, and burning fire came out of his mouth. Burning coals went before him.

9 He tore open the sky and came down with dark clouds under his feet.

10 He rode a creature with wings and flew. He raced on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his shelter around him, surrounded by fog and clouds.

12 Out of the brightness of his presence came clouds with hail and lightning.

13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High raised his voice, and there was hail and lightning.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies. His many bolts of lightning confused them with fear.

15 Lord, you spoke strongly. The wind blew from your nose. Then the valleys of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the earth were seen.

16 The Lord reached down from above and took me; he pulled me from the deep water.

17 He saved me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me.

18 They attacked me at my time of trouble, but the Lord supported me.

19 He took me to a safe place. Because he delights in me, he saved me.

20 The Lord spared me because I did what was right. Because I have not done evil, he has rewarded me.

21 I have followed the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning away from my God.

22 I remember all his laws and have not broken his rules.

23 I am innocent before him; I have kept myself from doing evil.

24 The Lord rewarded me because I did what was right, because I did what the Lord said was right.

25 Lord, you are loyal to those who are loyal, and you are good to those who are good.

26 You are pure to those who are pure, but you are against those who are bad.

27 You save the humble, but you bring down those who are proud.

28 Lord, you give light to my lamp. My God brightens the darkness around me.

29 With your help I can attack an army. With God's help I can jump over a wall.

30 The ways of God are without fault. The Lord's words are pure. He is a shield to those who trust him.

31 Who is God? Only the Lord. Who is the Rock? Only our God.

32 God is my protection. He makes my way free from fault.

33 He makes me like a deer that does not stumble; he helps me stand on the steep mountains.

34 He trains my hands for battle so my arms can bend a bronze bow.

35 You protect me with your saving shield. You support me with your right hand. You have stooped to make me great.

36 You give me a better way to live, so I live as you want me to.

37 I chased my enemies and caught them. I did not quit until they were destroyed.

38 I crushed them so they couldn't rise up again. They fell beneath my feet.

39 You gave me strength in battle. You made my enemies bow before me.

40 You made my enemies turn back, and I destroyed those who hated me.

41 They called for help, but no one came to save them. They called to the Lord, but he did not answer them.

42 I beat my enemies into pieces, like dust in the wind. I poured them out like mud in the streets.

43 You saved me when the people attacked me. You made me the leader of nations. People I never knew serve me.

44 As soon as they hear me, they obey me. Foreigners obey me.

45 They all become afraid and tremble in their hiding places.

46 The Lord lives! May my Rock be praised.

47 God gives me victory over my enemies and brings people under my rule.

48 He saves me from my enemies. You set me over those who hate me. You saved me from cruel men.

49 So I will praise you, Lord, among the nations. I will sing praises to your name.

50 The Lord gives great victories to his king. He is loyal to his appointed king, to David and his descendants forever. For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Psalms 19

1 The heavens tell the glory of God, and the skies announce what his hands have made.

2 Day after day they tell the story; night after night they tell it again.

3 They have no speech or words; they have no voice to be heard.

4 But their message goes out through all the world; their words go everywhere on earth. The sky is like a home for the sun.

5 The sun comes out like a bridegroom from his bedroom. It rejoices like an athlete eager to run a race.

6 The sun rises at one end of the sky and follows its path to the other end. Nothing hides from its heat.

7 The teachings of the Lord are perfect; they give new strength. The rules of the Lord can be trusted; they make plain people wise.

8 The orders of the Lord are right; they make people happy. The commands of the Lord are pure; they light up the way.

9 Respect for the Lord is good; it will last forever. The judgments of the Lord are true; they are completely right.

10 They are worth more than gold, even the purest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even the finest honey.

11 By them your servant is warned. Keeping them brings great reward.

12 People cannot see their own mistakes. Forgive me for my secret sins.

13 Keep me from the sins of pride; don't let them rule me. Then I can be pure and innocent of the greatest of sins.

14 I hope my words and thoughts please you. Lord, you are my Rock, the one who saves me. For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Psalms 20

1 May the Lord answer you in times of trouble. May the God of Jacob protect you.

2 May he send you help from his Temple and support you from Mount Zion.

3 May he remember all your offerings and accept all your sacrifices. Selah

4 May he give you what you want and make all your plans succeed,

5 and we will shout for joy when you succeed, and we will raise a flag in the name of our God. May the Lord give you all that you ask for.

6 Now I know the Lord helps his appointed king. He answers him from his holy heaven and saves him with his strong right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, others in horses, but we trust the Lord our God.

8 They are overwhelmed and defeated, but we march forward and win.

9 Lord, save the king! Answer us when we call for help. For the director of music. A psalm of David.