Psalm 143–145

A Prayer Not to Be Killed

A psalm of David.

143Lord, hear my prayer;

listen to my cry for mercy.

Answer me

because you are loyal and good.

²Don’t judge me, your servant,

because no one alive is right before you.

³My enemies are chasing me;

they crushed me to the ground.

They made me live in darkness

like those long dead.

⁴I am afraid;

my courage is gone.

⁵I remember what happened long ago;

I consider everything you have done.

I think about all you have made.

⁶I lift my hands to you in prayer.

As a dry land needs rain, I thirst for you.

Selah

⁷Lord, answer me quickly,

because I am getting weak.

Don’t turn away from me,

or I will be like those who are dead.

⁸Tell me in the morning about your love,

because I trust you.

Show me what I should do,

because my prayers go up to you.

⁹Lord, save me from my enemies;

I hide in you.

¹⁰Teach me to do what you want,

because you are my God.

Let your good Spirit

lead me on level ground.

¹¹Lord, let me live

so people will praise you.

In your goodness

save me from my troubles.

¹²In your love defeat my enemies.

Destroy all those who trouble me,

because I am your servant.

A Prayer for Victory

Of David.

144Praise the Lord, my Rock,

who trains me for war,

who trains me for battle.

²He protects me like a strong, walled city, and he loves me.

He is my defender and my Savior,

my shield and my protection.

He helps me keep my people under control.

³Lord, why are people important to you?

Why do you even think about human beings?

⁴People are like a breath;

their lives are like passing shadows.

⁵Lord, tear open the sky and come down.

Touch the mountains so they will smoke.

⁶Send the lightning and scatter my enemies.

Shoot your arrows and force them away.

⁷Reach down from above.

Save me and rescue me out of this sea of enemies,

from these foreigners.

⁸They are liars;

they are dishonest.

⁹God, I will sing a new song to you;

I will play to you on the ten-stringed harp.

¹⁰You give victory to kings.

You save your servant David from cruel swords.

¹¹Save me, rescue me from these foreigners.

They are liars; they are dishonest.

¹²Let our sons in their youth

grow like plants.

Let our daughters be

like the decorated stones in the Temple.

¹³Let our barns be filled

with crops of all kinds.

Let our sheep in the fields have

thousands and tens of thousands of lambs.

¹⁴Let our cattle be strong.

Let no one break in.

Let there be no war,

no screams in our streets.

¹⁵Happy are those who are like this;

happy are the people whose God is the Lord.

Praise to God the King

A psalm of praise. Of David.

145I praise your greatness, my God the King;

I will praise you forever and ever.

²I will praise you every day;

I will praise you forever and ever.

³The Lord is great and worthy of our praise;

no one can understand how great he is.

⁴Parents will tell their children what you have done.

They will retell your mighty acts,

⁵wonderful majesty, and glory.

And I will think about your miracles.

⁶They will tell about the amazing things you do,

and I will tell how great you are.

⁷They will remember your great goodness

and will sing about your fairness.

⁸The Lord is kind and shows mercy.

He does not become angry quickly but is full of love.

⁹The Lord is good to everyone;

he is merciful to all he has made.

¹⁰Lord, everything you have made will praise you;

those who belong to you will bless you.

¹¹They will tell about the glory of your kingdom

and will speak about your power.

¹²Then everyone will know the mighty things you do

and the glory and majesty of your kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom will go on and on,

and you will rule forever.

The Lord will keep all his promises;

he is loyal to all he has made.

¹⁴The Lord helps those who have been defeated

and takes care of those who are in trouble.

¹⁵All living things look to you for food,

and you give it to them at the right time.

¹⁶You open your hand,

and you satisfy all living things.

¹⁷Everything the Lord does is right.

He is loyal to all he has made.

¹⁸The Lord is close to everyone who prays to him,

to all who truly pray to him.

¹⁹He gives those who respect him what they want.

He listens when they cry, and he saves them.

²⁰The Lord protects everyone who loves him,

but he will destroy the wicked.

²¹I will praise the Lord.

Let everyone praise his holy name forever.