Psalm 12-17

New American Standard Bible

God, a Helper against the Treacherous.

For the music director; ^[a]upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David.

12 Help, Lord, for ^(A)the godly person has come to an end,
For the faithful have disappeared from the sons of mankind.
²They ^(B)speak ^[b]lies to one another;
They speak with ^[c]^(C)flattering lips and a double heart.
³May the Lord cut off all ^[d]flattering lips,
The tongue that ^(D)speaks great things;
⁴Who ^(E)have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are ^[e]our own; who is lord over us?”
⁵“Because of the ^(F)devastation of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now ^(G)I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will ^(H)put him in the safety for which he longs.”

⁶The ^(I)words of the Lord are pure words;
Like silver ^(J)refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.
⁷You, Lord, will keep them;
You will ^(K)protect him from this generation forever.
⁸The ^(L)wicked strut about on every side
When ^[f]^(M)vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, Lord? Will You ^(N)forget me forever?
How long ^(O)will You hide Your face from me?
²How long am I to ^(P)feel anxious in my soul,
With ^(Q)grief in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

³^(R)Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
^(S)Enlighten my eyes, or I will ^(T)sleep the sleep of death,
⁴And my enemy will ^(U)say, “I have overcome him,”
And ^(V)my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

⁵But I have ^(W)trusted in Your faithfulness;
My heart shall ^(X)rejoice in Your salvation.
⁶I will ^(Y)sing to the Lord,
Because He has ^(Z)looked after me.

Foolishness and Wickedness of People.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

14 The fool has ^(AA)said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed detestable acts;
There is ^(AB)no one who does good.
²The Lord has ^(AC)looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind
To see if there are any who ^[g]^(AD)understand,
Who ^(AE)seek God.
³They have all ^(AF)turned aside, together they are corrupt;
There is ^(AG)no one who does good, not even one.

⁴Do all the workers of injustice ^(AH)not know,
Who ^(AI)devour my people as they eat bread,
And ^(AJ)do not call upon the Lord?
⁵There they are in great dread,
For God is with a ^(AK)righteous generation.
⁶You would put to shame the plan of the poor,
But the Lord is his ^(AL)refuge.

⁷Oh, that ^(AM)the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord ^(AN)restores the fortunes of His people,
Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

15 Lord, who may reside ^(AO)in Your tent?
Who may settle on Your ^(AP)holy hill?
²One who ^(AQ)walks with integrity, practices righteousness,
And ^(AR)speaks truth in his heart.
³He ^(AS)does not slander ^[h]with his tongue,
Nor ^(AT)do evil to his neighbor,
Nor ^(AU)bring shame on his friend;
⁴A despicable person is despised in his eyes,
But he ^(AV)honors those who fear the Lord;
He ^(AW)takes an oath to his own detriment, and does not change;
⁵He ^(AX)does not ^[i]lend his money ^[j]at interest,
Nor ^(AY)does he take a bribe against the innocent.
^(AZ)One who does these things will never be shaken.

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Salvation in Death.

A ^[k]Mikhtam of David.

16 ^(BA)Protect me, God, for ^(BB)I take refuge in You.
²^[l]I said to the Lord, “You are ^[m]my Lord;
I ^(BC)have nothing good besides You.”
³As for the ^[n]^(BD)saints who are on the earth,
^[o]They are the majestic ones; ^(BE)all my delight is in them.
⁴^[p]The ^(BF)pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of ^(BG)blood,
Nor will I ^(BH)take their names upon my lips.

⁵The Lord is the ^(BI)portion of my inheritance and my ^(BJ)cup;
You support my ^(BK)lot.
⁶The measuring ^(BL)lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my inheritance is ^(BM)beautiful to me.

⁷I will bless the Lord who has ^(BN)advised me;
Indeed, my ^[q]^(BO)mind instructs me in the night.
⁸^(BP)I have ^(BQ)set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is ^(BR)at my right hand, ^(BS)I will not be shaken.
⁹Therefore ^(BT)my heart is glad and ^(BU)my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will ^(BV)dwell securely.
¹⁰For You ^(BW)will not abandon my soul to ^[r]Sheol;
You will not ^[s]^(BX)allow Your ^[t]Holy One to ^[u]undergo decay.
¹¹You will make known to me ^(BY)the way of life;
In ^(BZ)Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are ^(CA)pleasures forever.

Prayer for Protection against Oppressors.

A Prayer of David.

17 Hear a ^(CB)just cause, Lord, ^(CC)give Your attention to my cry;
^(CD)Listen to my prayer, which is not from ^(CE)deceitful lips.
²Let ^(CF)my ^[v]judgment come forth from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look with ^(CG)integrity.
³You have ^(CH)put my heart to the test;
You have visited me by night;
You have ^(CI)sifted me and ^(CJ)You find ^[w]nothing;
My ^(CK)intent is that my mouth will not offend.
⁴As for the works of mankind, ^(CL)by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the ^(CM)ways of the violent.
⁵My ^(CN)steps have held to Your ^[x]paths.
My ^(CO)feet have not slipped.

⁶I have ^(CP)called upon You, for You will answer me, God;
^(CQ)Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
⁷^(CR)Show Your wonderful faithfulness,
^(CS)Savior of those who take refuge ^[y]at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
⁸Keep me as ^[z]the ^(CT)apple of the eye;
Hide me ^(CU)in the shadow of Your wings
⁹From the ^(CV)wicked who deal violently with me,
My ^(CW)deadly enemies who surround me.
¹⁰They have ^(CX)closed their ^[aa]unfeeling hearts,
With their mouths they ^(CY)speak proudly.
¹¹They have now ^(CZ)surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes ^(DA)to cast us down to the ground.
¹²He is ^(DB)like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion ^(DC)lurking in secret places.

¹³^(DD)Arise, Lord, confront him, ^(DE)make him bow down;
^(DF)Save my soul from the wicked with ^(DG)Your sword,
¹⁴From people by ^(DH)Your hand, Lord,
From people ^[ab]of the world, ^(DI)whose portion is in this life,
And whose belly You ^(DJ)fill with Your treasure;
They are satisfied with children,
And leave their abundance to their babies.
¹⁵As for me, I shall ^(DK)behold Your face in righteousness;
^(DL)I shall be satisfied with Your ^(DM)likeness when I awake.

Footnotes

Psalm 12 Title Or according to a lower octave (Heb Sheminith)
Psalm 12:2 Lit worthless speech
Psalm 12:2 Lit a smooth lip
Psalm 12:3 Lit a smooth lip
Psalm 12:4 Lit with us
Psalm 12:8 Or worthlessness
Psalm 14:2 Or act wisely
Psalm 15:3 Lit according to
Psalm 15:5 Lit give
Psalm 15:5 I.e., to a fellow Israelite
Psalm 16 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
Psalm 16:2 Or O my soul, you said
Psalm 16:2 Or the Lord
Psalm 16:3 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
Psalm 16:3 Lit They, even the
Psalm 16:4 Lit Their pains, they who acquired
Psalm 16:7 Lit kidneys, figurative for inner man
Psalm 16:10 I.e., the netherworld
Psalm 16:10 Lit give
Psalm 16:10 Or godly one
Psalm 16:10 Or see corruption; or the pit
Psalm 17:2 I.e., vindication
Psalm 17:3 Or no shameful act in me; My mouth
Psalm 17:5 Lit tracks
Psalm 17:7 Or from those who rise up...at Your right hand
Psalm 17:8 Lit the pupil, the daughter of the eye
Psalm 17:10 Lit fat
Psalm 17:14 Or whose portion in life is of the world

Psalm 19-21

New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The ^(A)heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their ^(B)expanse declares the work of His hands.
²Day to ^(C)day pours forth speech,
And ^(D)night to night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
⁴Their ^[a]^(E)line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has ^(F)placed a tent for the sun,
⁵Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
⁶Its ^(G)rising is from ^[b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the ^[c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷^(H)The Law of the Lord is ^[d]^(I)perfect, ^(J)restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is ^(K)sure, making ^(L)wise the simple.
⁸The precepts of the Lord are ^(M)right, ^(N)rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is ^(O)pure, ^(P)enlightening the eyes.
⁹The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are ^(Q)true; they are ^(R)righteous altogether.
¹⁰They are more desirable than ^(S)gold, yes, than much pure gold;
^(T)Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹Moreover, ^(U)Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great ^(V)reward.
¹²Who can ^(W)discern his errors? ^(X)Acquit me of ^(Y)hidden faults.
¹³Also keep Your servant back ^(Z)from presumptuous sins;
Let them not ^(AA)rule over me;
Then I will be ^(AB)innocent,
And I will be blameless of ^(AC)great wrongdoing.
¹⁴May the words of my mouth and ^(AD)the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, ^(AE)my rock and my ^(AF)Redeemer.

Prayer for Victory over Enemies.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

20 May the Lord answer you ^(AG)on a day of trouble!
May the ^(AH)name of the ^(AI)God of Jacob ^[e]protect you!
²May He send you help ^(AJ)from the sanctuary,
And ^(AK)support you from Zion!
³May He ^(AL)remember all your meal offerings
And ^[f]^(AM)accept your burnt offering! Selah

⁴May He grant you your ^(AN)heart’s desire
And ^(AO)fulfill your whole plan!
⁵^[g]We will ^(AP)sing for joy over your ^[h]victory,
And in the name of our God we will ^(AQ)set up our banners.
May the Lord ^(AR)fulfill all your desires.

⁶Now ^(AS)I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will ^(AT)answer him from His holy heaven
With the ^[i]^(AU)saving strength of His right hand.
⁷Some praise their chariots and some their ^(AV)horses,
But ^(AW)we will praise the name of the Lord, our God.
⁸They have ^(AX)bowed down and fallen,
But we have ^(AY)risen and stood upright.
⁹^[j]^(AZ)Save, Lord;
May the ^(BA)King answer us on the day we call.

Praise for Salvation.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

21 Lord, in Your strength the king will ^(BB)be glad,
And in Your ^[k]salvation how greatly he will rejoice!
²You have ^(BC)given him his heart’s desire,
And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
³For You ^(BD)meet him with the blessings of good things;
You set a ^(BE)crown of pure gold on his head.
⁴He asked for life from You,
You ^(BF)gave it to him,
^(BG)Length of days forever and ever.
⁵His ^(BH)glory is great through Your ^[l]salvation,
^(BI)Splendor and majesty You place upon him.
⁶For You make him ^[m]most ^(BJ)blessed forever;
You make him joyful ^(BK)with the joy of Your presence.

⁷For the king ^(BL)trusts in the Lord,
And through the faithfulness of the Most High ^(BM)he will not be shaken.
⁸Your hand will ^(BN)find all your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate you.
⁹You will make them ^(BO)as a fiery oven in the time ^[n]of your anger;
The Lord will ^(BP)swallow them up in His wrath,
And ^(BQ)fire will devour them.
¹⁰You will eliminate their ^[o]descendants from the earth,
And their ^[p]^(BR)children from among the sons of mankind.
¹¹Though they ^[q]^(BS)intended evil against You
And ^(BT)devised a plot,
They will not succeed.
¹²For You will ^(BU)make them turn their back;
You will take aim at their faces ^(BV)with Your bowstrings.
¹³Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength;
We will ^(BW)sing and praise Your power.