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Psalm 17

A Prayer of David.

Hear a just cause, O Lord,
    attend to my cry;
give ear to my prayer
    that is not spoken from deceitful lips.
May my sentence go out from Your presence;
    may Your eyes see rightly.

You have examined my heart; You have visited me in the night;
    You have tried me and found nothing;
    I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
Concerning the works of men,
    by the word of Your lips
I have avoided
    the paths of the violent,
placing my steps in Your paths,
    that my footsteps do not slip.

I called on You, for You will answer me, O God;
    incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show marvelously Your lovingkindness,
    O Deliverer of those who seek refuge
    by Your right hand from those who arise in opposition.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
    hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
from the wicked who bring ruin to me,
    from my deadly enemies who surround me.

10 They close their hard hearts;
    with their mouth they speak proudly.
11 They have now encircled us in our steps;
    they have set their eyes to bend down to the earth;
12 it is like a lion that is anxious to rip its prey,
    and as a young lion lurking in secrecy.

13 Arise, O Lord! Confront him, cast him down!
    Deliver my soul from the wicked by Your sword,
14 from men by Your hand, O Lord,
    from men of the world whose portion is in this life.
You fill their belly with Your treasure;
    they are satisfied with children,
    and they leave their abundance to their infants.

15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
    I will be satisfied when I awake with Your likeness.

Prayer for protection against oppressors.

A Prayer of David.

17 Hear the right, O Jehovah, attend unto my cry;
Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
Let my sentence come forth from thy presence;
[a]Let thine eyes look upon equity.
Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast visited me in the night;
Thou hast tried me, and [b]findest nothing;
I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
As for the works of men, by the word of thy lips
I have kept me from the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to thy paths,
My feet have not slipped.
I have called upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, O God:
Incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
Show thy marvellous lovingkindness,
O thou that savest [c]by thy right hand them that take refuge in thee
From those that rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of the eye;
Hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
From the wicked that oppress me,
My deadly enemies, that compass me about.
10 [d]They are inclosed in their own fat:
With their mouth they speak proudly.
11 They have now compassed us in our steps;
They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
12 He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey,
And as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, O Jehovah,
[e]Confront him, cast him down:
Deliver my soul from [f]the wicked by thy sword;
14 From [g]men by thy hand, O Jehovah,
From men [h]of the world, whose portion is in this life,
And whose belly thou fillest with thy treasure:
They are satisfied with children,
And leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
15 As for me, [i]I shall behold thy face in righteousness;
[j]I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding thy form.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 17:2 Or, Thine eyes behold with equity
  2. Psalm 17:3 Or, findest no evil purpose in me; My mouth etc.
  3. Psalm 17:7 Or, them that take refuge . . . rise up against thy right hand
  4. Psalm 17:10 Or, They have shut up their heart
  5. Psalm 17:13 Or, Forestall
  6. Psalm 17:13 Or, the wicked, who is thy sword
  7. Psalm 17:14 Or, men who are thy hand
  8. Psalm 17:14 Or, whose portion in life is of the world
  9. Psalm 17:15 Or, let me
  10. Psalm 17:15 Or, let me