Psalm 15-18

English Standard Version

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.

³ As for ^(Q)the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight.^[b]

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.

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.

^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.