Psalm 143–145

Psalm 143

A CRY FOR HELP

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, hear my prayer.

In your faithfulness listen to my plea,

and in your righteousness answer me.^h

²Do not bring your servant into judgment,ⁱ

for no one alive is righteous in your sight.^j

³For the enemy has pursued me,

crushing me to the ground,

making me live in darkness

like those long dead.^k

⁴My spirit is weak within me;

my heart is overcome with dismay.^l

⁵I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all you have done;

I reflect on the work of your hands.^m

⁶I spread out my hands to you;

I am like parched land before you.ⁿ

Selah

⁷Answer me quickly, Lord;

my spirit fails.^o

Don’t hide your face from me,

or I will be like those

going down to the Pit.^p

⁸Let me experience

your faithful love in the morning,

for I trust in you.^q

Reveal to me the way I should go

because I appeal to you.^r

⁹Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;

I come to you for protection.^Bs

¹⁰Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God.^t

May your gracious Spirit

lead me on level ground.^u

¹¹For your name’s sake, Lord,

let me live.

In your righteousness deliver me from trouble,^v

¹²and in your faithful love destroy my enemies.

Wipe out all those who attack me,

for I am your servant.^w

Psalm 144

A KING’S PRAYER

Of David.

¹Blessed be the Lord, my rock^x

who trains my hands for battle

and my fingers for warfare.^y

²He is my faithful love and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer.

He is my shield,^z and I take refuge in him;^aa

he subdues my people under me.^ab

³Lord, what is a human that you care for him,

a son of man^B that you think of him?^ac

⁴A human is like a breath;

his days are like a passing shadow.^ad

⁵Lord, part your heavens and come down.^ae

Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.^af

⁶Flash your lightning and scatter the foe;^C

shoot your arrows and rout them.^ag

⁷Reach down^D from on high;^ah

rescue me from deep water, and set me free

from the grasp of foreigners^ai

⁸whose mouths speak lies,

whose right hands are deceptive.^a

⁹God, I will sing a new song to you;

I will play on a ten-stringed harp for you^b—

¹⁰the one who gives victory to kings,

who frees his servant David

from the deadly sword.^c

¹¹Set me free and rescue me

from foreigners^d

whose mouths speak lies,

whose right hands are deceptive.^e

¹²Then our sons will be like plants

nurtured in their youth,

our daughters, like corner pillars

that are carved in the palace style.^f

¹³Our storehouses will be full,

supplying all kinds of produce;^g

our flocks will increase by thousands

and tens of thousands in our open fields.^h

¹⁴Our cattle will be well fed.^E

There will be no breach in the walls,

no going into captivity,^F

and no cry of lament in our public squares.ⁱ

¹⁵Happy are the people with such blessings.

Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.^j

Psalm 145

PRAISING GOD’S GREATNESS

A hymn of David.

¹I^A exalt you, my God the King,

and bless your name forever and ever.^k

²I will bless you every day;

I will praise your name forever and ever.ⁱ

³The Lord is great and is highly praised;^m

his greatness is unsearchable.ⁿ

⁴One generation will declare your works to the next

and will proclaim your mighty acts.^o

⁵I^B will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty

and^C your wondrous works.^p

⁶They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts,

and I will declare your greatness.^Dq

⁷They will give a testimony of your great goodness

and will joyfully sing of your righteousness.^r

⁸The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and great in faithful love.^s

⁹The Lord is good to everyone;^t

his compassion rests on all he has made.^u

¹⁰All you have made will thank you, Lord;

the^E faithful will bless you.^v

¹¹They will speak of the glory of your kingdom

and will declare your might,^w

¹²informing all people of your mighty acts

and of the glorious splendor of your^F kingdom.^x

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;

your rule is for all generations.^y

The Lord is faithful in all his words

and gracious in all his actions.^Gz

¹⁴The Lord helps all who fall;

he raises up all who are oppressed.^Haa

¹⁵All eyes look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.^ab

¹⁶You open your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living thing.^ac

¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all his ways

and faithful in all his acts.^ad

¹⁸The Lord is near all who call out to him,

all who call out to him with integrity.^ae

¹⁹He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry for help and saves them.^af

²⁰The Lord guards all those who love him,

but he destroys all the wicked.^ag

²¹My mouth will declare the Lord’s praise;

let every living thing

bless his holy name forever and ever.^a