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In the Shadow of Your Wings

A Prayer of David.

17 Hear a (A)righteous cause, O Yahweh, (B)give heed to my cry of lamentation;
(C)Give ear to my prayer, which is not from (D)deceitful lips.
May (E)my [a]judgment come from Your presence;
May Your eyes behold (F)what is upright.
You have (G)tested my heart;
You have visited me by night;
You have (H)tried me and (I)You find [b]nothing;
I have (J)purposed that my mouth will not [c]transgress.
As for the deeds of men, (K)by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the (L)paths of the violent.
My (M)steps have held fast to Your [d]paths.
My (N)footsteps have not stumbled.

I have (O)called upon You, for You will answer me, O God;
(P)Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
(Q)Marvelously show Your lovingkindnesses,
O (R)Savior of those who take refuge [e]at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as [f]the (S)apple of the eye;
Hide me (T)in the shadow of Your wings
From the (U)wicked who devastate me,
My (V)deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They have (W)closed their [g]unfeeling heart,
With their mouth they (X)speak proudly.
11 They have now (Y)surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes (Z)to cast us down to the ground.
12 He is (AA)like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion (AB)lurking in hiding places.

13 (AC)Arise, O Yahweh, confront him, (AD)bring him low;
(AE)Protect my soul from the wicked with (AF)Your sword,
14 From men with (AG)Your hand, O Yahweh,
From men [h]of the world, (AH)whose portion is in this life,
And whose belly You (AI)fill with Your treasure;
They are satisfied with children,
And leave their excess to their infants.
15 As for me, I shall (AJ)behold Your face in righteousness;
(AK)I will be satisfied [i]with Your (AL)likeness when I awake.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 17:2 Vindication
  2. Psalm 17:3 Or no evil device in me; My mouth
  3. Psalm 17:3 Lit trespass
  4. Psalm 17:5 Lit tracks
  5. Psalm 17:7 Or from those who rise up...at Your right hand
  6. Psalm 17:8 Lit the pupil, the daughter of the eye
  7. Psalm 17:10 Lit fat
  8. Psalm 17:14 Or whose portion in life is of the world
  9. Psalm 17:15 Or with beholding

A Davidic Prayer.

A Cry for Justice

17 Lord, hear my just plea!
    Pay attention to my cry!
Listen to my prayer,
    since it does not come from lying lips.
Justice for me will come from your presence;
    your eyes see what is right.

When you probe my heart,
    and examine me at night;
when you refine me,
    you will find nothing wrong,[a]
        for I have determined that I will not transgress with my mouth.
As for the ways of mankind,
    I have, according to the words of your lips,
        avoided the ways of the violent.
Because my steps have held fast to your paths,
    my footsteps have not faltered.

I call upon you, for you will answer me, God.
    Listen closely to me
        and hear my prayer.
Show forth your gracious love,
    save those who take refuge in you
        from those who rebel against your sovereign power.[b]

Protect me as the most precious part of the eye;[c]
    hide me under the shadow of your wings
from the wicked[d] who have afflicted me,
    from my enemies who have surrounded me.
10 They are imprisoned by their own prosperity,[e]
    they have boasted proudly with their mouth.
11 Now they have encircled our paths[f]
    and are determined[g] to cast us down to the ground.
12 Like a lion they desire to rip us to pieces,
    like a young lion waiting in ambush.

13 Arise, Lord,
    confront them,
        bring them to their knees!
Deliver me from the wicked by your sword—
14 from men, Lord, by your hand—
from men who belong to this world,
    whose reward is only[h] in this[i] life.

But as for your treasured ones,
    may their stomachs be full,
may their children have an abundance,
    and may they leave wealth to their offspring.

15 But as for me, justified, I will behold your face;
    when I awake, your presence[j] will satisfy me.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 17:3 The Heb. lacks wrong
  2. Psalm 17:7 Lit. against your right hand
  3. Psalm 17:8 Lit. as the pupil of the daughter of the eye
  4. Psalm 17:9 Lit. face of the wicked
  5. Psalm 17:10 Lit. fat
  6. Psalm 17:11 So MT; DSS 11QPsc LXX read have expelled me
  7. Psalm 17:11 Lit. and have set their eyes
  8. Psalm 17:14 The Heb. lacks only
  9. Psalm 17:14 So MT; DSS 11QPsc LXX read their
  10. Psalm 17:15 Lit. form, likeness