The Lord, a Provider and the One Who Rescues Me.

A Psalm of David, when he pretended to be insane before [a]Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

34 I will (A)bless the Lord at all times;
His (B)praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will (C)make its boast in the Lord;
The (D)humble will hear it and rejoice.
(E)Exalt the Lord with me,
And let’s (F)exalt His name together.

I (G)sought the Lord and He answered me,
And (H)rescued me from all my fears.
They (I)looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will (J)never be ashamed.
This wretched man cried out, and (K)the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The (L)angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

(M)Taste and see that the Lord is good;
How (N)blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Fear the Lord, you (O)His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is (P)no lack of anything.
10 The young lions do without and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord will (Q)not lack any good thing.
11 (R)Come, you children, listen to me;
(S)I will teach you (T)the fear of the Lord.
12 (U)Who is the person who desires life
And loves length of days, that he may (V)see good?
13 Keep (W)your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking (X)deceit.
14 (Y)Turn from evil and do good;
Seek peace and (Z)pursue it.

15 The (AA)eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears are toward their cry for help.
16 The (AB)face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To (AC)eliminate the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous (AD)cry out, and the Lord hears
And rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord (AE)is near to the (AF)brokenhearted
And saves those who are [b](AG)crushed in spirit.

19 (AH)The (AI)afflictions of the righteous are many,
But the Lord (AJ)rescues him from them all.
20 He protects all his bones,
(AK)Not one of them is broken.
21 (AL)Evil will bring death to the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will suffer for their guilt.
22 The Lord (AM)redeems the souls of His servants,
And none of those who (AN)take refuge in Him will suffer for their guilt.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34 Title Possibly a title of King Achish of Gath, see 1 Sam 21:10-15
  2. Psalm 34:18 Or contrite

Praise for Deliverance from Trouble

A Psalm of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34 I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
    and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
    so your[a] faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Happy is the man who takes refuge in him!
O fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no want!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O sons, listen to me,
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life,
    and covets many days, that he may enjoy good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil,
    and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil, and do good;
    seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
    and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
    to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,
    and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous;
    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked;
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34:5 Gk Syr Jerome: Heb their

10 Then David set out and fled that day from Saul, and went to (A)Achish king of Gath. 11 But the (B)servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? (C)Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

12 David (D)took these words [a]to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath. 13 So he (E)disguised his sanity while in their sight and acted insanely in their [b]custody, and he scribbled on the doors of the gate, and drooled on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is behaving like an insane person. Why do you bring him to me? 15 Do I lack insane people, that you have brought this one to behave like an insane person in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:12 Lit in his
  2. 1 Samuel 21:13 Lit hand

David Flees to Gath

10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul, and went to A′chish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of A′chish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

    ‘Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his ten thousands’?”

12 And David took these words to heart, and was much afraid of A′chish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and made marks on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Then said A′chish to his servants, “Lo, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

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