Psalm 17

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Protection against Oppressors.

A Prayer of David.

17 Hear a ^(A)just cause, Lord, ^(B)give Your attention to my cry;
^(C)Listen to my prayer, which is not from ^(D)deceitful lips.
²Let ^(E)my ^[a]judgment come forth from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look with ^(F)integrity.
³You have ^(G)put my heart to the test;
You have visited me by night;
You have ^(H)sifted me and ^(I)You find ^[b]nothing;
My ^(J)intent is that my mouth will not offend.
⁴As for the works of mankind, ^(K)by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the ^(L)ways of the violent.
⁵My ^(M)steps have held to Your ^[c]paths.
My ^(N)feet have not slipped.

⁶I have ^(O)called upon You, for You will answer me, God;
^(P)Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
⁷^(Q)Show Your wonderful faithfulness,
^(R)Savior of those who take refuge ^[d]at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.
⁸Keep me as ^[e]the ^(S)apple of the eye;
Hide me ^(T)in the shadow of Your wings
⁹From the ^(U)wicked who deal violently with me,
My ^(V)deadly enemies who surround me.
¹⁰They have ^(W)closed their ^[f]unfeeling hearts,
With their mouths they ^(X)speak proudly.
¹¹They have now ^(Y)surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes ^(Z)to cast us down to the ground.
¹²He is ^(AA)like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion ^(AB)lurking in secret places.

¹³^(AC)Arise, Lord, confront him, ^(AD)make him bow down;
^(AE)Save my soul from the wicked with ^(AF)Your sword,
¹⁴From people by ^(AG)Your hand, Lord,
From people ^[g]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 abundance to their babies.
¹⁵As for me, I shall ^(AJ)behold Your face in righteousness;
^(AK)I shall be satisfied with Your ^(AL)likeness when I awake.

Footnotes

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 35

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

A Psalm of David.

35 Contend, Lord, with those who ^(A)contend with me;
Fight against those who ^(B)fight against me.
²Take hold of ^[a]^(C)buckler and shield
And rise up as ^(D)my help.
³Draw also the spear and ^[b]the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am ^(E)your salvation.”
⁴Let those be ^(F)ashamed and dishonored who seek my ^[c]life;
Let those be ^(G)turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
⁵Let them be ^(H)like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
⁶Let their way be dark and ^(I)slippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
⁷For ^(J)they ^(K)hid their net for me without cause;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
⁸Let ^(L)destruction come upon him when he is unaware,
And ^(M)let the net which he hid catch him;
Let him fall into that very ^(N)destruction.

⁹So my soul shall ^(O)rejoice in the Lord;
It shall ^(P)rejoice in His salvation.
¹⁰All my ^(Q)bones will say, “Lord, ^(R)who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from one ^(S)who is too strong for him,
And ^(T)the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”
¹¹^(U)Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
¹²They ^(V)repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
¹³But as for me, ^(W)when they were sick, my ^(X)clothing was sackcloth;
I ^(Y)humbled my soul with fasting,
But my ^(Z)prayer kept returning to ^[d]me.
¹⁴I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I ^(AA)bowed down ^[e]in mourning, like one who mourns for a mother.
¹⁵But ^(AB)at my ^[f]stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The ^[g]^(AC)afflicted people whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They ^[h]^(AD)slandered me without ceasing.
¹⁶Like godless jesters at a feast,
They ^(AE)gnashed at me with their teeth.

¹⁷Lord, ^(AF)how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul ^(AG)from their ravages,
My ^(AH)only life from the lions.
¹⁸I will ^(AI)give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will ^(AJ)praise You among a mighty people.
¹⁹^(AK)Do not let those who are wrongfully ^(AL)my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those ^(AM)who hate me for no reason ^[i]^(AN)wink maliciously.
²⁰For they do not speak peace,
But they devise ^(AO)deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
²¹They ^(AP)opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, “^(AQ)Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it!”

²²^(AR)You have seen it, Lord, ^(AS)do not keep silent;
Lord, ^(AT)do not be far from me.
²³^(AU)Stir Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
²⁴^(AV)Judge me, Lord my God, according to Your righteousness,
And ^(AW)do not let them rejoice over me.
²⁵Do not let them say in their heart, “^(AX)Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have ^(AY)swallowed him up!”
²⁶May ^(AZ)those be ashamed and altogether humiliated who rejoice at my distress;
May those who ^(BA)exalt themselves over me be ^(BB)clothed with shame and dishonor.

²⁷May those ^(BC)shout for joy and rejoice, who take delight in ^(BD)my vindication;
And ^(BE)may they say continually, “The Lord be exalted,
Who ^(BF)delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
²⁸And ^(BG)my tongue shall proclaim Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.

Footnotes

Psalm 35:2 I.e., small shield
Psalm 35:3 Or close up the path against those
Psalm 35:4 Or soul
Psalm 35:13 Lit my chest
Psalm 35:14 Or dressed for mourning
Psalm 35:15 Or limping
Psalm 35:15 Or struck ones
Psalm 35:15 Lit tore
Psalm 35:19 Or wink the eye

Psalm 54

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Defense against Enemies.

For the music director; on stringed instruments. A ^[a]Maskil of David, ^[b]when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is David not keeping himself hidden among us?”

54 Save me, God, by ^(A)Your name,
And ^[c]vindicate me by ^(B)Your power.
²^(C)Hear my prayer, God;
^(D)Listen to the words of my mouth.
³For strangers have ^(E)risen against me
And ^(F)violent men have ^(G)sought my ^[d]life;
They have ^(H)not set God before them. Selah

⁴Behold, ^(I)God is my helper;
The Lord is ^[e]the ^(J)sustainer of my soul.
⁵^[f]He will ^(K)pay back the evil to my enemies;
^[g]^(L)Destroy them ^(M)in Your ^[h]faithfulness.

⁶^[i]^(N)Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will ^(O)praise Your name, Lord, for it is good.
⁷For ^[j]He has ^(P)saved me from all ^[k]trouble,
And my eye has ^(Q)looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.

Footnotes

Psalm 54 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
Psalm 54 Title 1 Sam 23:19; 26:1
Psalm 54:1 Lit judge
Psalm 54:3 Or soul
Psalm 54:4 Lit as those who sustain
Psalm 54:5 LXX; MT The evil will return
Psalm 54:5 Or Put to silence
Psalm 54:5 Or truth
Psalm 54:6 Or With a voluntary offering
Psalm 54:7 Or it; i.e., His name
Psalm 54:7 Or distress

Psalm 63

New American Standard Bible

The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God.

A Psalm of David, ^[a]when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

63 God, ^(A)You are my God; I shall be watching for You;
My soul ^(B)thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a ^(C)dry and exhausted land where there is no water.
²So have I ^(D)seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and glory.
³Because Your ^[b]^(E)favor is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
⁴So I will bless You ^(F)as long as I live;
I will ^(G)lift up my hands in Your name.
⁵My soul is ^(H)satisfied as with fat and fatness,
And my mouth offers ^(I)praises with joyful lips.

⁶When I remember You ^(J)on my bed,
I meditate on You in the ^(K)night watches,
⁷For ^(L)You have been my help,
And in the ^(M)shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
⁸My soul ^(N)clings ^[c]to You;
Your ^(O)right hand takes hold of me.

⁹But those who ^(P)seek my ^[d]life to destroy it,
Will go into the ^[e]^(Q)depths of the earth.
¹⁰^[f]They will be ^[g]^(R)turned over to the power of the sword;
They will be a ^[h]^(S)prey for foxes.
¹¹But the ^(T)king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who ^(U)swears by Him will boast,
For the ^(V)mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.