Chapter 16
Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust. 2 O my soul, thou has said unto the Lord, Thou are my Lord: my goodness extends not to thee; 3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. 5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintain my lot. 6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. 7 I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. 8 I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For Thou will not leave my soul in hell; neither will Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou will show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
Chapter 17
Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goes not out of feigned lips. 2 Let my sentence come forth from Thy presence; let Thine eyes behold the things that are equal. 3 Thou has proved mine heart; Thou has visited me in the night; Thou has tried me, and shall find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. 5 Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
6 I have called upon Thee, for Thou will hear me, O God: incline Thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. 7 Show Thy marvelous lovingkindness, O Thou that save by Thy right hand them which put their trust in Thee from those that rise up against them. 8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings, 9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about. 10 They are enclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly. 11 They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; 12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: 14 From men which are Thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly Thou fill with Thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
15 As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness.
Chapter 18
I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength. 2 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. 3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 6 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.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because He was wroth. 8 There went up a smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under His feet. 10 And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, He did fly upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 12 At the brightness that was before Him His thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire. 13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave His voice; hail stones and coals of fire. 14 Yea, He sent out His arrows, and scattered them; and He shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. 15 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.
16 He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. 19 He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands has He recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. 23 I was also upright before Him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. 24 Therefore has the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyesight.
25 With the merciful Thou will show Thyself merciful; with an upright man Thou will show Thyself upright; 26 With the pure Thou will show Thyself pure; and with the froward Thou will show Thyself froward. 27 For Thou will save the afflicted people; but will bring down high looks. 28 For Thou will light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. 29 For by Thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him. 31 For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God? 32 It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places. 34 He teaches my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 35 Thou have also given me the shield of Thy salvation: and Thy right hand has held me up, and Thy gentleness has made me great. 36 Thou has enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. 38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. 39 For Thou has girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou has subdued under me those that rose up against me. 40 Thou have also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. 41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but He answered them not. 42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
43 Thou has delivered me from the strivings of the people; and Thou has made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. 45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46 The Lord lives; and blessed be my Rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47 It is God that avenges me, and subdues the people under me. 48 He delivers me from mine enemies: yea, Thou lift me up above those that rise up against me: Thou have delivered me from the violent man. 49 Therefore will I give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto Thy name. 50 Great deliverance gives He to His king; and shows mercy to His anointed, to David, and to his seed forevermore.
