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Psalm 16-18
Holman Christian Standard Bible

Psalm 16

Confidence in the Lord

A Davidic Miktam.(A)

1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You.(B)
2 I[a] said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good besides You.”[b](C)
3 As for the holy people who are in the land,(D)
they are the noble ones.
All my delight is in them.
4 The sorrows of those who take another god
for themselves will multiply;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
and I will not speak their names with my lips.(E)

5 Lord, You are my portion[c]
and my cup of blessing;
You hold my future.(F)
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.(G)

7 I will praise the Lord who counsels me(H)—
even at night my conscience instructs me.(I)
8 I keep the Lord in mind[d] always.
Because He is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.(J)

9 Therefore my heart is glad
and my spirit rejoices;
my body also rests securely.(K)
10 For You will not abandon me to Sheol;(L)
You will not allow Your Faithful One to see decay.(M)
11 You reveal the path of life to me;
in Your presence is abundant joy;(N)
in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.(O)

Psalm 17

A Prayer for Protection

A Davidic prayer.

1 Lord, hear a just cause;(P)
pay attention to my cry;
listen to my prayer—
from lips free of deceit.(Q)
2 Let my vindication come from You,
for You see what is right.(R)
3 You have tested my heart;(S)
You have examined me at night.
You have tried me and found nothing evil;(T)
I have determined that my mouth will not sin.[e]
4 Concerning what people do:
by the word of Your lips[f]
I have avoided the ways of the violent.(U)
5 My steps are on Your paths;
my feet have not slipped.(V)

6 I call on You, God,
because You will answer me;(W)
listen closely to me; hear what I say.
7 Display the wonders of Your faithful love,(X)
Savior of all who seek refuge(Y)
from those who rebel against Your right hand.[g]
8 Protect me as the pupil of Your eye;(Z)
hide me in the shadow of Your wings(AA)
9 from[h] the wicked who treat me violently,[i]
my deadly enemies who surround me.(AB)

10 They have become hardened;[j](AC)
their mouths speak arrogantly.(AD)
11 They advance against me;[k] now they surround me.(AE)
They are determined[l]
to throw me to the ground.(AF)
12 They are[m] like a lion eager to tear,
like a young lion lurking in ambush.(AG)

13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him; bring him down.(AH)
With Your sword, save me from the wicked.(AI)
14 With Your hand, Lord, save me from men,
from men of the world
whose portion is in this life:
You fill their bellies with what You have in store;
their sons are satisfied,
and they leave their surplus to their children.(AJ)

15 But I will see Your face in righteousness;(AK)
when I awake, I will be satisfied with Your presence.[n](AL)

Psalm 18

Praise for Deliverance

For the choir director. Of the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.(AM) He said:

1 I love You, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock,
my fortress, and my deliverer,(AN)
my God, my mountain where I seek refuge,
my shield(AO) and the horn of my salvation,(AP)
my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(AQ)
and I was saved from my enemies.(AR)

4 The ropes of death were wrapped around me;
the torrents of destruction terrified me.(AS)
5 The ropes of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.(AT)
6 I called to the Lord in my distress,
and I cried to my God for help.
From His temple He heard my voice,(AU)
and my cry to Him reached His ears.(AV)

7 Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the mountains trembled;(AW)
they shook because He burned with anger.
8 Smoke rose from His nostrils,
and consuming fire came from His mouth;
coals were set ablaze by it.[o](AX)
9 He parted the heavens and came down,(AY)
a dark cloud beneath His feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.(AZ)
11 He made darkness His hiding place,
dark storm clouds His canopy around Him.(BA)
12 From the radiance of His presence,(BB)
His clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
13 The Lord thundered from[p] heaven;
the Most High projected His voice.[q](BC)
14 He shot His arrows and scattered them;
He hurled[r] lightning bolts and routed them.(BD)
15 The depths of the sea became visible,
the foundations of the world were exposed,
at Your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.(BE)

16 He reached down from heaven
and took hold of me;
He pulled me out of deep waters.(BF)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me.(BG)
18 They confronted me in the day of my distress,
but the Lord was my support.(BH)
19 He brought me out to a spacious place;(BI)
He rescued me because He delighted in me.(BJ)

20 The Lord rewarded me
according to my righteousness;(BK)
He repaid me
according to the cleanness of my hands.(BL)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not turned from my God to wickedness.(BM)
22 Indeed, I have kept all His ordinances in mind[s]
and have not disregarded His statutes.(BN)
23 I was blameless toward Him(BO)
and kept myself from sinning.
24 So the Lord repaid me
according to my righteousness,(BP)
according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.(BQ)

25 With the faithful
You prove Yourself faithful;
with the blameless man
You prove Yourself blameless;
26 with the pure
You prove Yourself pure,
but with the crooked
You prove Yourself shrewd.(BR)
27 For You rescue an afflicted people,(BS)
but You humble those with haughty eyes.(BT)
28 Lord, You light my lamp;
my God illuminates my darkness.(BU)
29 With You I can attack a barrier,[t]
and with my God I can leap over a wall.(BV)

30 God—His way is perfect;(BW)
the word of the Lord is pure.(BX)
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.(BY)
31 For who is God besides Yahweh?(BZ)
And who is a rock? Only our God.(CA)
32 God—He clothes me with strength(CB)
and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer(CC)
and sets me securely on the heights.[u](CD)
34 He trains my hands for war;(CE)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.(CF)
35 You have given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand upholds me,(CG)
and Your humility exalts me.
36 You widen a place beneath me for my steps,(CH)
and my ankles do not give way.(CI)

37 I pursue my enemies and overtake them;
I do not turn back until they are wiped out.(CJ)
38 I crush them, and they cannot get up;
they fall beneath my feet.(CK)
39 You have clothed me with strength for battle;(CL)
You subdue my adversaries beneath me.(CM)
40 You have made my enemies retreat before me;[v](CN)
I annihilate those who hate me.(CO)
41 They cry for help, but there is no one to save them(CP)—
they cry to the Lord, but He does not answer them.(CQ)
42 I pulverize them like dust before the wind;(CR)
I trample them[w] like mud in the streets.(CS)

43 You have freed me from the feuds among the people;
You have appointed me the head of nations;(CT)
a people I had not known serve me.(CU)
44 Foreigners submit to me grudgingly;
as soon as they hear,[x] they obey me.(CV)
45 Foreigners lose heart
and come trembling from their fortifications.(CW)

46 The Lord lives—may my rock be praised!
The God of my salvation is exalted.(CX)
47 God—He gives me vengeance(CY)
and subdues peoples under me.(CZ)
48 He frees me from my enemies.
You exalt me above my adversaries;
You rescue me from violent men.(DA)
49 Therefore I will praise You, Yahweh, among the nations;
I will sing about Your name.(DB)
50 He gives great victories to His king;(DC)
He shows loyalty to His anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.(DD)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 16:2 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Jer; other Hb mss read You
  2. Psalm 16:2 Or “Lord, my good; there is none besides You.”
  3. Psalm 16:5 Or allotted portion
  4. Psalm 16:8 Lit front of me
  5. Psalm 17:3 Or [evil]; my mouth will not sin
  6. Psalm 17:4 God’s instruction
  7. Psalm 17:7 Or love, You who save with Your right hand those seeking refuge from adversaries
  8. Psalm 17:9 Lit from the presence of
  9. Psalm 17:9 Or who plunder me
  10. Psalm 17:10 Lit have closed up their fat
  11. Psalm 17:11 Vg; one Hb ms, LXX read They cast me out; MT reads Our steps
  12. Psalm 17:11 Lit They set their eyes
  13. Psalm 17:12 Lit He is
  14. Psalm 17:15 Lit form
  15. Psalm 18:8 Or ablaze from Him
  16. Psalm 18:13 Some Hb mss, LXX, Tg, Jer; other Hb mss read in
  17. Psalm 18:13 Some Hb mss read voice, with hail and fiery coals
  18. Psalm 18:14 Or multiplied
  19. Psalm 18:22 Lit Indeed, all His ordinances have been in front of me
  20. Psalm 18:29 Or ridge
  21. Psalm 18:33 Or on my high places
  22. Psalm 18:40 Or You gave me the necks of my enemies
  23. Psalm 18:42 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg; other Hb mss read I poured them out
  24. Psalm 18:44 Lit At the hearing of the ear
Listen to Psalm 16-18
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Psalm 16-18
New International Version

Psalm 16

A miktam[a] of David.

1 Keep me safe,(A) my God,
    for in you I take refuge.(B)

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)

50 He gives his king great victories;
    he shows unfailing love to his anointed,(FO)
    to David(FP) and to his descendants forever.(FQ)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  2. Psalm 16:10 Or holy
  3. Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
  4. Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
  5. Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  6. Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
  7. Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
  8. Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out
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