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A Psalm by David, when he was in the desert of Judah.

63 God, you are my God.
    I will earnestly seek you.
My soul thirsts for you.
    My flesh longs for you,
    in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.
So I have seen you in the sanctuary,
    watching your power and your glory.
Because your loving kindness is better than life,
    my lips shall praise you.
So I will bless you while I live.
    I will lift up my hands in your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food.
    My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
    when I remember you on my bed,
    and think about you in the night watches.
For you have been my help.
    I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
My soul stays close to you.
    Your right hand holds me up.
But those who seek my soul to destroy it
    shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall be given over to the power of the sword.
    They shall be jackal food.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God.
    Everyone who swears by him will praise him,
    for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced.

A Davidic Psalm, while he was in the Judean wilderness.

Joyful Trust in God

63 God, you are my God!
    I will fervently seek you.
My soul thirsts for you;
    my flesh longs for you in a dry, weary, and parched land.
So I have looked for you in the sanctuary,
    to behold your power and glory.
Because your gracious love is better than life itself,
    my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
    I will lift up my hands in your name.

Just as I am satisfied with the choicest of foods,[a]
    so my lips will praise you joyfully.
When I think of you in bed,
    I will meditate on you in the night watches.
For you have been my strength,
    and in the shadow of your wings I will shout for joy.

My soul clings to you,
    even as your right hand supports me.

But as for those who seek to destroy me,
    they will go down to the depths of the earth;
10 May they be given over to the power of[b] the sword;
    may they become carrion for jackals.

11 But as for the king,
    he will rejoice in God.
Indeed, everyone who swears by God[c] will exult,
    because the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 63:5 Lit. with marrow and fatness
  2. Psalm 63:10 The Heb. lacks to the power of
  3. Psalm 63:11 Lit. him

13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah; and he gave up going there. 14 David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand.

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13 David and his men, about 600 strong, got up and left Keilah. They moved around wherever they could go. Saul was advised that David had escaped from Keilah, so he stopped the campaign.[a]

Jonathan Visits David

14 David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and he lived in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not let David[b] slip into Saul’s[c] control.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 23:13 Lit. stopped going out
  2. 1 Samuel 23:14 Lit. him
  3. 1 Samuel 23:14 Lit. his