Psalm 15:1–18:50
1 Lord, who can dwell in Your tent? h
Who can live on Your holy mountain? i
2 The one who lives honestly, practices righteousness,
and acknowledges the truth in his heart j—
3 who does not slander with his tongue, k
who does not harm his friend
or discredit his neighbor, l
4 who despises the one rejected by the Lord m
but honors those who * fear the Lord, n
who keeps his word whatever the cost, o
5 who does not lend his money at interest p
or take a bribe against the innocent q—
the one who does these things will never be moved. r
1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You. t
2 I u said to * Yahweh, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good besides You.” v w
3 As for the holy people who are in the land, x
they are the noble ones.
All my delight is in them.
4 The sorrows of those who take another god
for themselves will multiply;
I will not pour out their * drink offerings of blood,
and I will not speak their names with my lips. y
5 Lord, You are my portion z
and my cup of blessing;
You hold my future. a
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. b
7 I will praise the Lord who counsels me c—
even at night my conscience instructs me. d
8 I keep the Lord in mind e always.
Because He is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken. f
and my spirit rejoices;
my body also rests securely. g
10 For You will not abandon me to * Sheol; h
You will not allow Your Faithful One to see decay. i
11 You reveal the path of life to me;
in Your presence is abundant joy; j
in Your right hand are eternal pleasures. k
A Davidic prayer.
1 Lord, hear a just cause; l
pay attention to my cry;
listen to my prayer—
from lips free of deceit. m
2 Let my vindication come from You,
for You see what is right. n
3 You have tested my heart; o
You have examined me at night.
You have tried me and found nothing evil; p
I have determined that my mouth will not sin. q
by the word of Your lips r
I have avoided the ways of the violent. s
my feet have not slipped. t
because You will answer me; u
listen closely to me; hear what I say.
7 Display the wonders of Your faithful love, v
Savior of all who seek refuge w
from those who rebel against Your right hand. x
8 Protect me as the pupil of Your eye; y
hide me in the shadow of Your wings z
9 from a the wicked who treat me violently, b
my deadly enemies who surround me. c
10 They have become hardened; d e
their mouths speak arrogantly. f
11 They advance against me; g now they surround me. h
They are determined i
to throw me to the ground. j
12 They are k like a lion eager to tear,
like a young lion lurking in ambush. l
Confront him; bring him down. m
With Your sword, save me from the wicked. n
14 With Your hand, Lord, save me from men,
from men of the world
whose portion is in this life:
You fill their bellies with what You have in store;
their sons are satisfied,
and they leave their surplus to their children. o
15 But I will see Your face in righteousness; p
when I awake, I will be satisfied with Your presence. q r
For the choir director. Of the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. s He said:
1 I love You, Lord, my strength.
my fortress, and my deliverer, t
my God, my mountain where I seek refuge,
my shield u and the * horn of my salvation, v
my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, w
and I was saved from my enemies. x
4 The ropes of death were wrapped around me;
the torrents of destruction terrified me. y
5 The ropes of * Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me. z
6 I called to the Lord in my distress,
and I cried to my God for help.
From His temple He heard my voice, a
and my cry to Him reached His ears. b
7 Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the mountains trembled; c
they shook because He burned with anger.
8 Smoke rose from His nostrils,
and consuming fire came from His mouth;
coals were set ablaze by it. d e
9 He parted the heavens and came down, f
a dark cloud beneath His feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind. g
11 He made darkness His hiding place,
dark storm clouds His canopy around Him. h
12 From the radiance of His presence, i
His clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
13 The Lord thundered from j heaven;
the * Most High projected His voice. k l
14 He shot His arrows and scattered them;
He hurled m lightning bolts and routed them. n
15 The depths of the sea became visible,
the foundations of the world were exposed,
at Your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. o
16 He reached down from heaven
and took hold of me;
He pulled me out of deep waters. p
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me. q
18 They confronted me in the day of my distress,
but the Lord was my support. r
19 He brought me out to a spacious place; s
He rescued me because He delighted in me. t
according to my righteousness; u
He repaid me
according to the cleanness of my hands. v
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not turned from my God to wickedness. w
22 Indeed, I have kept all His ordinances in mind x
and have not disregarded His statutes. y
23 I was blameless toward Him z
and kept myself from sinning.
according to my righteousness, a
according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. b
You prove Yourself faithful;
with the blameless man
You prove Yourself blameless;
You prove Yourself pure,
but with the crooked
You prove Yourself shrewd. c
27 For You rescue an afflicted people, d
but You humble those with haughty eyes. e
my God illuminates my darkness. f
29 With You I can attack a barrier, g
and with my God I can leap over a wall. h
30 God—His way is perfect; i
the word of the Lord is pure. j
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. k
31 For who is God besides * Yahweh? l
And who is a rock? Only our God. m
32 God—He clothes me with strength n
and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer o
and sets me securely on the heights. p q
34 He trains my hands for war; r
my arms can bend a bow of bronze. s
35 You have given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand upholds me, t
and Your humility exalts me.
36 You widen a place beneath me for my steps, u
and my ankles do not give way. v
37 I pursue my enemies and overtake them;
I do not turn back until they are wiped out. w
38 I crush them, and they cannot get up;
they fall beneath my feet. x
39 You have clothed me with strength for battle; y
You subdue my adversaries beneath me. z
40 You have made my enemies retreat before me; a b
I annihilate those who hate me. c
41 They cry for help, but there is no one to save them d—
they cry to the Lord, but He does not answer them. e
42 I pulverize them like dust before the wind; f
I trample them g like mud in the streets. h
43 You have freed me from the feuds among the people;
You have appointed me the head of nations; i
a people I had not known serve me. j
44 Foreigners submit to me grudgingly;
as soon as they hear, k they obey me. l
and come trembling from their fortifications. m
46 The Lord lives—may my rock be praised!
The God of my salvation is exalted. n
47 God—He gives me vengeance o
and subdues peoples under me. p
48 He frees me from my enemies.
You exalt me above my adversaries;
You rescue me from violent men. q
49 Therefore I will praise You, Yahweh, among the nations;
I will sing about Your name. r
50 He gives great victories to His king; s
He shows loyalty to His anointed,
to David and his descendants forever. t