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Psalm 16-18
Easy-to-Read Version
Psalm 16-18
Easy-to-Read Version
A miktam of David.
16 Protect me, God, because I depend on you.
2 Some of you[a] have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord.
Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 But you have also said about the gods[b] of this land,
“They are my powerful gods.
They are the ones who make me happy.”
4 But those who worship other gods will have many troubles.
I will not share in the gifts of blood they offer to their idols.
I will not even say their names.
5 Lord, you give me all that I need.
You support me.
You give me my share.
6 My share[c] is wonderful.
My inheritance[d] is very beautiful.
7 I praise the Lord because he taught me well.
Even at night he put his instructions deep inside my mind.[e]
8 I always remember that the Lord is with me.[f]
He is here, close by my side,
so nothing can defeat me.
9 So my heart and soul will be very happy.
Even my body will live in safety,
10 because you will not leave me in the place of death.
You will not let your faithful one rot in the grave.
11 You will teach me the right way to live.
Just being with you will bring complete happiness.
Being at your right side will make me happy forever.
A prayer of David.[g]
17 Lord, hear my prayer for justice.
I am calling loudly to you.
I am being honest in what I say,
so please listen to my prayer.
2 You will make the right decision,
because you can see the truth.
3 You were with me all night
and looked deep into my heart.
You questioned me and found that
I did not say or do anything wrong.
4 Unlike most people, I have obeyed your commands,
so I have never been like those who are cruel and evil.
5 I have followed your way.
My feet never left your path.
6 Every time I call to you, God, you answer me.
So listen to me now, and hear what I say.
7 Show your amazing kindness
and rescue those who depend on you.
Use your great power
and protect them from their enemies.
8 Protect me like the pupil[h] of your eye.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
9 Save me from the wicked people who are trying to destroy me.
Protect me from those who come to hurt me.
10 They think only of themselves
and brag about what they will do.
11 They have been following me,
and now they are all around me.
They watch me, waiting to throw me to the ground.
12 Like hungry lions, they want to kill and eat.
Like young lions, they hide, ready to attack.
13 Lord, get up[i] and face the enemy.
Make them surrender.
Use your sword and save me from these wicked people.
14 Use your power, Lord,
and remove them from this life.
But as for the people you treasure,
fill them with food.
Give them plenty for their children and their grandchildren.
15 I have done only what is right, so I will see your face.
And seeing you,[j] I will be fully satisfied.
[k] To the director: A song of David, the Lord’s servant. He sang this song to the Lord when the Lord saved him from Saul and all his other enemies.
18 I love you, Lord!
You are my strength.
2 The Lord is my Rock, my fortress, my place of safety.
He is my God, the Rock I run to for protection.
He is my shield; by his power I am saved.[l]
He is my hiding place high in the hills.
3 I called to the Lord for help,
and he saved me from my enemies!
He is worthy of my praise!
4 Death had its ropes wrapped around me.
A deadly flood was carrying me away.
5 The ropes of the grave wrapped around me.
Death set its trap right there in front of me.
6 In my trouble I called to the Lord.
Yes, I cried out to my God for help.
There in his temple he heard my voice.
He heard my cry for help.
7 The earth shook and shivered.
The foundations of the mountains trembled.
They shook because he was angry.
8 Smoke came from his nose.
Burning flames came from his mouth.
Red-hot coals fell from him.
9 He tore open the sky and came down!
He stood on a thick, dark cloud.
10 He flew across the sky, riding on a Cherub angel
racing on the wings of the wind.
11 He wrapped himself in darkness that covered him like a tent.
He was hidden by dark clouds heavy with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him,
hail broke through the clouds with flashes of lightning.
13 The Lord thundered from the sky;
God Most High let his voice be heard.[m]
14 He scattered his enemies with his arrows—
the lightning bolts that threw them into confusion.
15 Lord, you shouted your command,
and a powerful wind began to blow.[n]
Then the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the earth’s foundations were uncovered.
16 He reached down from above and grabbed me.
He pulled me from the deep water.
17 He saved me from my powerful enemies, who hated me.
They were too strong for me, so he saved me.
18 They attacked me in my time of trouble,
but the Lord was there to support me.
19 He was pleased with me, so he rescued me.
He took me to a safe place.
20 The Lord rewarded me for doing what is right.
He was good to me because I am innocent.
21 The Lord did this because I have obeyed him.
I have not turned against my God.
22 I always remembered his laws.
I never rejected his rules.
23 He knows I did nothing that was wrong.
I have kept myself from sinning.
24 So the Lord rewarded me for doing what is right.
He could see that I am innocent.
25 Lord, you are faithful to those who are faithful.
You are good to those who are good.
26 You never do wrong to those who have done no wrong.
But you outsmart the wicked, no matter how clever they are.
27 You help those who are humble,
but you humiliate the proud.
28 Lord, you provide the flame for my lamp.
You, God, turn the darkness around me into light.
29 With your help I can defeat an army.
If my God is with me, I can climb over enemy walls.
30 God’s way is perfect.
The Lord’s promise always proves to be true.
He protects those who trust in him.
31 There is no God except the Lord.
There is no Rock except our God.
32 God is the one who gives me strength.
He clears the path I need to take.
33 He makes my feet as steady as those of a deer.
Even on steep mountains he keeps me from falling.
34 He trains me for war
so that my arms can bend the most powerful bow.
35 Lord, you have given me your shield to protect me.
You support me with your right hand.
It is your help that has made me great.
36 You cleared a path for my feet
so that I could walk without stumbling.
37 I chased my enemies and caught them.
I did not stop until they were destroyed.
38 I struck them down, and they could not get up again.
They fell under my feet.
39 God, you made me strong in battle.
You made my enemies fall before me.
40 You made my enemies turn and run away.
I destroyed those who hated me.
41 They cried out for help,
but there was no one to save them.
They cried out to the Lord,
but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them to pieces like dust blown by the wind.
I smashed them like mud in the streets.
43 You saved me from those who fought against me.
You made me the ruler over nations.
People I never knew now serve me.
44 As soon as they heard about me, they were ready to obey.
Those foreigners fall helpless before me!
45 They lose all their courage
and come out of their hiding places shaking with fear.
46 The Lord lives!
I praise my Rock, the God who saves me.
How great he is!
47 He is the God who punishes my enemies for me,
the one who puts people under my control.
48 He saves me from my enemies!
You, Lord, help me defeat those who attack me.
You save me from cruel people.
49 Lord, that is why I praise you among the nations.
That is why I sing songs of praise to your name.
50 The Lord helps his king win battle after battle.
He shows his faithful love to his chosen one,[o]
to David and his descendants forever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 16:2 Some of you Literally, “you” (singular). Most translations assume it should be “I,” giving a different meaning to verses 2 and 3, which are very difficult in the Hebrew text.
- Psalm 16:3 gods Literally, “holy ones.”
- Psalm 16:6 share Or “section of land.”
- Psalm 16:6 inheritance Here, this probably means the land each Israelite received.
- Psalm 16:7 mind Literally, “my kidneys.”
- Psalm 16:8 Literally, “I set the Lord before me always.”
- Psalm 17:1 Psalm 17 A prayer of David Or “A prayer dedicated to David.”
- Psalm 17:8 pupil The center of the eye, which everyone wants to protect.
- Psalm 17:13 Lord, get up The people said this when they lifted the Box of the Agreement and took it into battle, showing that God was with them. See Num. 10:35-36.
- Psalm 17:15 you Literally, “your likeness.”
- Psalm 18:1 Psalm 18 This song is also found in 2 Sam. 22.
- Psalm 18:2 by his power I am saved Literally, “He is the horn of my salvation.”
- Psalm 18:13 The ancient Greek version and some Hebrew copies add “with hailstones and bolts of lightning.”
- Psalm 18:15 and … blow Or “and a blast of breath came from your nose.”
- Psalm 18:50 his chosen one Literally, “his anointed one.”
Psalm 16-18
New International Version
Psalm 16-18
New International Version
Psalm 16
A miktam[a] of David.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;(C)
apart from you I have no good thing.”(D)
3 I say of the holy people(E) who are in the land,(F)
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods(G) will suffer(H) more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names(I) on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion(J) and my cup;(K)
you make my lot(L) secure.
6 The boundary lines(M) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.(N)
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;(O)
even at night(P) my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand,(Q) I will not be shaken.(R)
9 Therefore my heart is glad(S) and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,(T)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,(U)
nor will you let your faithful[b] one(V) see decay.(W)
11 You make known to me the path of life;(X)
you will fill me with joy in your presence,(Y)
with eternal pleasures(Z) at your right hand.(AA)
Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me,(AB) Lord, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.(AC)
Hear(AD) my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.(AE)
2 Let my vindication(AF) come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.(AG)
3 Though you probe my heart,(AH)
though you examine me at night and test me,(AI)
you will find that I have planned no evil;(AJ)
my mouth has not transgressed.(AK)
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;(AL)
my feet have not stumbled.(AM)
6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;(AN)
turn your ear to me(AO) and hear my prayer.(AP)
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,(AQ)
you who save by your right hand(AR)
those who take refuge(AS) in you from their foes.
8 Keep me(AT) as the apple of your eye;(AU)
hide me(AV) in the shadow of your wings(AW)
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.(AX)
10 They close up their callous hearts,(AY)
and their mouths speak with arrogance.(AZ)
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,(BA)
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion(BB) hungry for prey,(BC)
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up,(BD) Lord, confront them, bring them down;(BE)
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
from those of this world(BF) whose reward is in this life.(BG)
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers(BH) for their little ones.
15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake,(BI) I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.(BJ)
Psalm 18[c](BK)
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.(BL)
2 The Lord is my rock,(BM) my fortress(BN) and my deliverer;(BO)
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(BP)
my shield[d](BQ) and the horn[e] of my salvation,(BR) my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(BS)
and I have been saved from my enemies.(BT)
4 The cords of death(BU) entangled me;
the torrents(BV) of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death(BW) confronted me.
6 In my distress(BX) I called to the Lord;(BY)
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(BZ)
my cry came(CA) before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled(CB) and quaked,(CC)
and the foundations of the mountains shook;(CD)
they trembled because he was angry.(CE)
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;(CF)
consuming fire(CG) came from his mouth,
burning coals(CH) blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;(CI)
dark clouds(CJ) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(CK) and flew;
he soared(CL) on the wings of the wind.(CM)
11 He made darkness his covering,(CN) his canopy(CO) around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(CP) clouds advanced,
with hailstones(CQ) and bolts of lightning.(CR)
13 The Lord thundered(CS) from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.[f]
14 He shot his arrows(CT) and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning(CU) he routed them.(CV)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations(CW) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(CX) Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(CY)
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.(CZ)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(DA)
from my foes, who were too strong for me.(DB)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(DC)
but the Lord was my support.(DD)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(DE)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.(DF)
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(DG)
according to the cleanness of my hands(DH) he has rewarded me.(DI)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(DJ)
I am not guilty of turning(DK) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(DL)
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(DM) before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(DN)
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful(DO) you show yourself faithful,(DP)
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(DQ) you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(DR)
27 You save the humble(DS)
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(DT)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(DU) burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.(DV)
29 With your help(DW) I can advance against a troop[g];
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:(DX)
The Lord’s word is flawless;(DY)
he shields(DZ) all who take refuge(EA) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(EB)
And who is the Rock(EC) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(ED)
and keeps my way secure.(EE)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(EF)
he causes me to stand on the heights.(EG)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(EH)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains(EI) me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(EJ) for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.(EK)
37 I pursued my enemies(EL) and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(EM) so that they could not rise;(EN)
they fell beneath my feet.(EO)
39 You armed me with strength(EP) for battle;
you humbled my adversaries(EQ) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(ER) in flight,
and I destroyed(ES) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(ET)—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.(EU)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(EV)
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.(EW)
People I did not know(EX) now serve me,
44 foreigners(EY) cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(EZ)
they come trembling(FA) from their strongholds.(FB)
46 The Lord lives!(FC) Praise be to my Rock!(FD)
Exalted be God(FE) my Savior!(FF)
47 He is the God who avenges(FG) me,
who subdues nations(FH) under me,
48 who saves(FI) me from my enemies.(FJ)
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man(FK) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(FL)
I will sing(FM) the praises of your name.(FN)
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
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
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