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Psalm 20

A Prayer for Victory for the King

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For the choir director. A psalm by David.

The People’s Prayer

May the Lord answer you in the day of distress.
May the name of the God of Jacob lift you up.
May he send you help from the holy place.
May he support you from Zion.
May he remember all your sacrificial gifts. Interlude
May he accept your burnt offerings.
May he give you whatever your heart desires.
May he fulfill all your plans.
We will shout joyfully when God saves you.
In the name of our God we will lift up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your prayers.

The King’s Response

Now I know that the Lord saves his Anointed.[a]
He answers him from his holy heavens
    with powerful acts of salvation from his right hand.

The People’s Prayer

Some rely on chariots, and some on horses,
but we rely on the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
Lord, save the king! Answer us in the day we call!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 20:6 That is, the king of Israel, who as a type of Christ was called by the title the Anointed

God’s Blessing on the King

For the music director. A psalm of David.[a]

20 May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble.
May the name of Jacob’s God protect[b] you.
May he send you help[c] from the sanctuary,
and from Zion may he sustain you.
May he remember all your offerings,
and your burnt offering may he regard favorably.[d]
May he give to you your heart’s desire,[e]
and your every plan may he fulfill. Selah
May we shout for joy over your victory,
and in the name of our God may we set up banners.
May Yahweh fulfill all your requests.
Now I know that Yahweh will help his anointed.[f]
He will answer him from his holy heaven
with the victorious power of his right hand.
Some boast in chariots and others in horses,[g]
but we boast in the name of Yahweh, our God.
They will collapse and fall,
and we will rise and stand firm.
Rescue,[h] O Yahweh.
Let the king answer us when we call.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 20:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 20:1 The sense is that of making something inaccessibly high, like a fortress
  3. Psalm 20:2 Hebrew “your help”
  4. Psalm 20:3 Literally “find to be fat”
  5. Psalm 20:4 Literally “according to your heart”
  6. Psalm 20:6 Hebrew “messiah”
  7. Psalm 20:7 Literally “These in the chariots and those in the horses”
  8. Psalm 20:9 Or “Grant victory”