Psalm 63
International Children’s Bible
Wishing to Be Near God
A song of David when he was in the desert of Judah.
63 God, you are my God.
    I want to follow you.
My whole being
    thirsts for you,
like a man in a dry, empty land
    where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the Temple.
    I have seen your strength and glory.
3 Your love is better than life.
    I will praise you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live.
    I will lift up my hands in prayer to your name.
5 I will be content as if I had eaten the best foods.
    My lips will sing. My mouth will praise you.
6 I remember you while I’m lying in bed.
    I think about you through the night.
7 You are my help.
    Because of your protection, I sing.
8 I stay close to you.
    You support me with your right hand.
9 Some people are trying to kill me.
    But they will go down to the grave.
10 They will be killed with swords.
    They will be eaten by wild dogs.
11 But the king will rejoice in his God.
    All who make promises in his name will praise him.
    But the mouths of liars will be shut.
Psalm 63
American Standard Version
The thirsting soul satisfied in God.
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
63 O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee:
My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee,
In a dry and weary land, where no water is.
2 So have I looked upon thee in the sanctuary,
To see thy power and thy glory.
3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise thee.
4 So will I bless thee while I live:
I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with [a]marrow and fatness;
And my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips;
6 When I remember thee upon my bed,
[b]And meditate on thee in the night-watches.
7 For thou hast been my help,
And in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8 My soul followeth hard after thee:
Thy right hand upholdeth me.
9 But those that seek my soul, [c]to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall be [d]given over to the power of the sword:
They shall be a portion for [e]foxes.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God:
Every one that sweareth by him shall glory;
For the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
Footnotes
- Psalm 63:5 Hebrew fat.
- Psalm 63:6 Or, I meditate
- Psalm 63:9 Or, shall be destroyed; They shall etc.
- Psalm 63:10 Or, poured out by
- Psalm 63:10 Or, jackals
Psalm 63
New International Version
Psalm 63[a]
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,(A)
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.(B)
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary(C)
    and beheld your power and your glory.(D)
3 Because your love is better than life,(E)
    my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,(F)
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.(G)
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;(H)
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
    I think of you through the watches of the night.(I)
7 Because you are my help,(J)
    I sing in the shadow of your wings.(K)
8 I cling to you;(L)
    your right hand upholds me.(M)
Footnotes
- Psalm 63:1 In Hebrew texts 63:1-11 is numbered 63:2-12.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

