Psalm 13-17

English Standard Version

How Long, O Lord?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

13 ^(A)How long, O Lord? Will you ^(B)forget me forever?
How long will you ^(C)hide your face from me?
²How long must I take ^(D)counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

³^(E)Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
^(F)light up my eyes, lest ^(G)I sleep the sleep of death,
⁴^(H)lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am ^(I)shaken.

⁵But I have ^(J)trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall ^(K)rejoice in your salvation.
⁶I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

The Fool Says, There Is No God

To the choirmaster. Of David.

14 ^(L)The ^(M)fool says in his heart, ^(N)“There is no God.”
They are ^(O)corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
^(P)there is none who does good.

²The Lord ^(Q)looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,^[a]
who ^(R)seek after God.

³They have all turned aside; together they have become ^(S)corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.

⁴Have they no ^(T)knowledge, all the evildoers
who ^(U)eat up my people as they eat bread
and ^(V)do not call upon the Lord?

⁵There they are in great terror,
for God is with ^(W)the generation of the righteous.
⁶You would shame the plans of the poor,
but^[b] the Lord is his ^(X)refuge.

⁷Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord ^(Y)restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?

A Psalm of David.

15 O Lord, ^(Z)who shall sojourn in your ^(AA)tent?
Who shall dwell on your ^(AB)holy hill?

²He who ^(AC)walks blamelessly and ^(AD)does what is right
    and ^(AE)speaks truth in his heart;
³who ^(AF)does not slander with his tongue
    and does no evil to his neighbor,
    nor ^(AG)takes up a reproach against his friend;
⁴^(AH)in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who ^(AI)swears to his own hurt and does not change;
⁵who ^(AJ)does not put out his money at interest
    and ^(AK)does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be ^(AL)moved.

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A ^(AM)Miktam^[c] of David.

16 Preserve me, O God, for in you I ^(AN)take refuge.
²I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
^(AO)I have no good apart from you.”

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

⁴The sorrows of those who run after^[e] another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or ^(AQ)take their names on my lips.

⁵The Lord is ^(AR)my chosen portion and my ^(AS)cup;
you hold my ^(AT)lot.
⁶^(AU)The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷I bless the Lord who ^(AV)gives me counsel;
in ^(AW)the night also my ^(AX)heart instructs me.^[f]
⁸^(AY)I have ^(AZ)set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my ^(BA)right hand, I shall not be ^(BB)shaken.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my ^(BC)whole being^[g] rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
¹⁰For you will not abandon my soul to ^(BD)Sheol,
^(BE)or let your ^(BF)holy one see ^(BG)corruption.^[h]

¹¹You make known to me ^(BH)the path of life;
in your presence there is ^(BI)fullness of joy;
at your right hand are ^(BJ)pleasures forevermore.

In the Shadow of Your Wings

A ^(BK)Prayer of David.

17 Hear a just cause, O Lord; ^(BL)attend to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
²From your presence ^(BM)let my vindication come!
Let your eyes behold the right!

³You have ^(BN)tried my heart, you have ^(BO)visited me by ^(BP)night,
    you have ^(BQ)tested me, and you will find nothing;
    I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
⁴With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
    I have avoided the ways of the violent.
⁵My steps have ^(BR)held fast to your paths;
    my feet have not slipped.

⁶I ^(BS)call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
    ^(BT)incline your ear to me; hear my words.
⁷^(BU)Wondrously show^[i] your steadfast love,
    O Savior of those who seek refuge
    from ^(BV)their adversaries at your right hand.

⁸Keep me as ^(BW)the apple of your eye;
hide me in ^(BX)the shadow of your wings,
⁹from the wicked who do me violence,
my deadly enemies who ^(BY)surround me.

¹⁰^(BZ)They close their hearts to pity;
    with their mouths they ^(CA)speak arrogantly.
¹¹They have now surrounded our ^(CB)steps;
    they set their eyes to ^(CC)cast us to the ground.
¹²He is like a lion eager to tear,
    as a young lion ^(CD)lurking in ambush.

¹³Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!
    Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
¹⁴from men by your hand, O Lord,
    from ^(CE)men of the world whose ^(CF)portion is in this life.^[j]
You fill their womb with treasure;^[k]
    they are satisfied with ^(CG)children,
    and they leave their abundance to their infants.

¹⁵As for me, I shall ^(CH)behold your face in righteousness;
when I ^(CI)awake, I shall be ^(CJ)satisfied with your likeness.

Footnotes

Psalm 14:2 Or that act wisely
Psalm 14:6 Or for
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