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Psalm 15-18
English Standard Version
Psalm 15-18
English Standard Version
Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?
A Psalm of David.
2 He who (D)walks blamelessly and (E)does what is right
and (F)speaks truth in his heart;
3 who (G)does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor (H)takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 (I)in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who (J)swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who (K)does not put out his money at interest
and (L)does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be (M)moved.
You Will Not Abandon My Soul
A (N)Miktam[a] of David.
16 Preserve me, O God, for in you I (O)take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
(P)I have no good apart from you.”
4 The sorrows of those who run after[c] another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or (R)take their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is (S)my chosen portion and my (T)cup;
you hold my (U)lot.
6 (V)The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who (W)gives me counsel;
in (X)the night also my (Y)heart instructs me.[d]
8 (Z)I have (AA)set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my (AB)right hand, I shall not be (AC)shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my (AD)whole being[e] rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to (AE)Sheol,
(AF)or let your (AG)holy one see (AH)corruption.[f]
11 You make known to me (AI)the path of life;
in your presence there is (AJ)fullness of joy;
at your right hand are (AK)pleasures forevermore.
In the Shadow of Your Wings
A (AL)Prayer of David.
17 Hear a just cause, O Lord; (AM)attend to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
2 From your presence (AN)let my vindication come!
Let your eyes behold the right!
3 You have (AO)tried my heart, you have (AP)visited me by (AQ)night,
you have (AR)tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have (AS)held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
6 I (AT)call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
(AU)incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7 (AV)Wondrously show[g] your steadfast love,
O Savior of those who seek refuge
from (AW)their adversaries at your right hand.
8 Keep me as (AX)the apple of your eye;
hide me in (AY)the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who do me violence,
my deadly enemies who (AZ)surround me.
10 (BA)They close their hearts to pity;
with their mouths they (BB)speak arrogantly.
11 They have now surrounded our (BC)steps;
they set their eyes to (BD)cast us to the ground.
12 He is like a lion eager to tear,
as a young lion (BE)lurking in ambush.
13 Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
14 from men by your hand, O Lord,
from (BF)men of the world whose (BG)portion is in this life.[h]
You fill their womb with treasure;[i]
they are satisfied with (BH)children,
and they leave their abundance to their infants.
15 As for me, I shall (BI)behold your face in righteousness;
when I (BJ)awake, I shall be (BK)satisfied with your likeness.
The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, (BL)the servant of the Lord, (BM)who addressed the words of this (BN)song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:
18 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my (BO)rock and my (BP)fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my (BQ)rock, in (BR)whom I take refuge,
my (BS)shield, and (BT)the horn of my salvation, my (BU)stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is (BV)worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4 (BW)The cords of death encompassed me;
(BX)the torrents of destruction assailed me;[j]
5 (BY)the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 (BZ)In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his (CA)temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
7 Then the earth (CB)reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,[k]
and devouring (CC)fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He (CD)bowed the heavens and (CE)came down;
(CF)thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on (CG)the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his (CH)canopy around him,
thick clouds (CI)dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him
(CJ)hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13 The Lord also (CK)thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his (CL)voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his (CM)arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and (CN)routed them.
15 Then (CO)the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your (CP)rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of (CQ)the breath of your nostrils.
16 He (CR)sent from on high, he took me;
he (CS)drew me out of (CT)many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were (CU)too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into (CV)a broad place;
he rescued me, because he (CW)delighted in me.
20 The Lord dealt with me (CX)according to my righteousness;
according to (CY)the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21 For I have (CZ)kept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For (DA)all his rules[l] were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23 I was (DB)blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
24 So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 With (DC)the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26 with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with (DD)the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27 For you save (DE)a humble people,
but (DF)the haughty eyes you bring down.
28 For it is you who light my (DG)lamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29 For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can (DH)leap over (DI)a wall.
30 This God—his way is (DJ)perfect;[m]
the word of the Lord (DK)proves true;
he is (DL)a shield for all those who (DM)take refuge in him.
31 For (DN)who is God, but the Lord?
And who is (DO)a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who (DP)equipped me with strength
and made my way (DQ)blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a (DR)deer
and set me secure on (DS)the heights.
34 He (DT)trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand (DU)supported me,
and your (DV)gentleness made me great.
36 You (DW)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies (DX)turn their backs to me,[n]
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 (DY)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as (DZ)dust before the wind;
I cast them out like (EA)the mire of the streets.
43 You delivered me from (EB)strife with the people;
you made me (EC)the head of the nations;
(ED)people whom I had not known served me.
44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
(EE)foreigners (EF)came cringing to me.
45 (EG)Foreigners lost heart
and (EH)came trembling out of their fortresses.
46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeance
and (EI)subdued peoples under me,
48 who rescued me from my enemies;
yes, you (EJ)exalted me above those who rose against me;
you delivered me from (EK)the man of violence.
49 (EL)For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and (EM)sing to your name.
50 Great (EN)salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his (EO)anointed,
to (EP)David and his offspring forever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 16:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
- Psalm 16:3 Or To the saints in the land, the excellent in whom is all my delight, I say:
- Psalm 16:4 Or who acquire
- Psalm 16:7 Hebrew my kidneys instruct me
- Psalm 16:9 Hebrew my glory
- Psalm 16:10 Or see the pit
- Psalm 17:7 Or Distinguish me by
- Psalm 17:14 Or from men whose portion in life is of the world
- Psalm 17:14 Or As for your treasured ones, you fill their womb
- Psalm 18:4 Or terrified me
- Psalm 18:8 Or in his wrath
- Psalm 18:22 Or just decrees
- Psalm 18:30 Or blameless
- Psalm 18:40 Or You gave me my enemies' necks
Psalm 15-18
New International Version
Psalm 15-18
New International Version
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
2 The one whose walk is blameless,(D)
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth(E) from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,(F)
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
but honors(G) those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath(H) even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;(I)
who does not accept a bribe(J) against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.(K)
Psalm 16
A miktam[a] of David.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;(N)
apart from you I have no good thing.”(O)
3 I say of the holy people(P) who are in the land,(Q)
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods(R) will suffer(S) more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names(T) on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion(U) and my cup;(V)
you make my lot(W) secure.
6 The boundary lines(X) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.(Y)
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;(Z)
even at night(AA) my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand,(AB) I will not be shaken.(AC)
9 Therefore my heart is glad(AD) and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,(AE)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,(AF)
nor will you let your faithful[b] one(AG) see decay.(AH)
11 You make known to me the path of life;(AI)
you will fill me with joy in your presence,(AJ)
with eternal pleasures(AK) at your right hand.(AL)
Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me,(AM) Lord, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.(AN)
Hear(AO) my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.(AP)
2 Let my vindication(AQ) come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.(AR)
3 Though you probe my heart,(AS)
though you examine me at night and test me,(AT)
you will find that I have planned no evil;(AU)
my mouth has not transgressed.(AV)
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;(AW)
my feet have not stumbled.(AX)
6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;(AY)
turn your ear to me(AZ) and hear my prayer.(BA)
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,(BB)
you who save by your right hand(BC)
those who take refuge(BD) in you from their foes.
8 Keep me(BE) as the apple of your eye;(BF)
hide me(BG) in the shadow of your wings(BH)
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.(BI)
10 They close up their callous hearts,(BJ)
and their mouths speak with arrogance.(BK)
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,(BL)
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion(BM) hungry for prey,(BN)
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up,(BO) Lord, confront them, bring them down;(BP)
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
from those of this world(BQ) whose reward is in this life.(BR)
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers(BS) for their little ones.
15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake,(BT) I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.(BU)
Psalm 18[c](BV)
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.(BW)
2 The Lord is my rock,(BX) my fortress(BY) and my deliverer;(BZ)
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(CA)
my shield[d](CB) and the horn[e] of my salvation,(CC) my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(CD)
and I have been saved from my enemies.(CE)
4 The cords of death(CF) entangled me;
the torrents(CG) of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death(CH) confronted me.
6 In my distress(CI) I called to the Lord;(CJ)
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(CK)
my cry came(CL) before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled(CM) and quaked,(CN)
and the foundations of the mountains shook;(CO)
they trembled because he was angry.(CP)
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;(CQ)
consuming fire(CR) came from his mouth,
burning coals(CS) blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;(CT)
dark clouds(CU) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(CV) and flew;
he soared(CW) on the wings of the wind.(CX)
11 He made darkness his covering,(CY) his canopy(CZ) around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(DA) clouds advanced,
with hailstones(DB) and bolts of lightning.(DC)
13 The Lord thundered(DD) from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.[f]
14 He shot his arrows(DE) and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning(DF) he routed them.(DG)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations(DH) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(DI) Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(DJ)
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.(DK)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(DL)
from my foes, who were too strong for me.(DM)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(DN)
but the Lord was my support.(DO)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(DP)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.(DQ)
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(DR)
according to the cleanness of my hands(DS) he has rewarded me.(DT)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(DU)
I am not guilty of turning(DV) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(DW)
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(DX) before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(DY)
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful(DZ) you show yourself faithful,(EA)
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(EB) you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(EC)
27 You save the humble(ED)
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(EE)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(EF) burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.(EG)
29 With your help(EH) I can advance against a troop[g];
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:(EI)
The Lord’s word is flawless;(EJ)
he shields(EK) all who take refuge(EL) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(EM)
And who is the Rock(EN) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(EO)
and keeps my way secure.(EP)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(EQ)
he causes me to stand on the heights.(ER)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(ES)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains(ET) me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(EU) for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.(EV)
37 I pursued my enemies(EW) and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(EX) so that they could not rise;(EY)
they fell beneath my feet.(EZ)
39 You armed me with strength(FA) for battle;
you humbled my adversaries(FB) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(FC) in flight,
and I destroyed(FD) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(FE)—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.(FF)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(FG)
I trampled them[h] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.(FH)
People I did not know(FI) now serve me,
44 foreigners(FJ) cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(FK)
they come trembling(FL) from their strongholds.(FM)
46 The Lord lives!(FN) Praise be to my Rock!(FO)
Exalted be God(FP) my Savior!(FQ)
47 He is the God who avenges(FR) me,
who subdues nations(FS) under me,
48 who saves(FT) me from my enemies.(FU)
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man(FV) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(FW)
I will sing(FX) the praises of your name.(FY)
Footnotes
- Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 16:10 Or holy
- Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
- Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
- Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
- Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
- Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.