Psalm 143–145

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, hear my prayer,ⁱ

listen to my cry for mercy;^j

in your faithfulness^k and righteousness^l

come to my relief.

²Do not bring your servant into judgment,

for no one living is righteous^m before you.

³The enemy pursues me,

he crushes me to the ground;

he makes me dwell in the darknessⁿ

like those long dead.^o

⁴So my spirit grows faint within me;

my heart within me is dismayed.^p

⁵I remember^q the days of long ago;

I meditate^r on all your works

and consider what your hands have done.

⁶I spread out my hands^s to you;

I thirst for you like a parched land.^a

⁷Answer me quickly,^t Lord;

my spirit fails.^u

Do not hide your face^v from me

or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

⁸Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,^w

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way^x I should go,

for to you I entrust my life.^y

⁹Rescue me^z from my enemies,^a Lord,

for I hide myself in you.

¹⁰Teach me^b to do your will,

for you are my God;^c

may your good Spirit

lead^d me on level ground.^e

¹¹For your name’s sake,^f Lord, preserve my life;^g

in your righteousness,^h bring me out of trouble.

¹²In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;ⁱ

destroy all my foes,^j

for I am your servant.^k

Psalm 144

Of David.

¹Praise be to the Lord my Rock,^l

who trains my hands for war,

my fingers for battle.

²He is my loving God and my fortress,^m

my strongholdⁿ and my deliverer,

my shield,^o in whom I take refuge,

who subdues peoples^ap under me.

³Lord, what are human beings^q that you care for them,

mere mortals that you think of them?

⁴They are like a breath;^r

their days are like a fleeting shadow.^s

⁵Part your heavens,^t Lord, and come down;^u

touch the mountains, so that they smoke.^v

⁶Send forth lightning^w and scatter^x the enemy;

shoot your arrows^y and rout them.

⁷Reach down your hand from on high;^z

deliver me and rescue me^a

from the mighty waters,^b

from the hands of foreigners^c

⁸whose mouths are full of lies,^d

whose right hands^e are deceitful.^f

⁹I will sing a new song^g to you, my God;

on the ten-stringed lyre^h I will make music to you,

¹⁰to the One who gives victory to kings,ⁱ

who delivers his servant David.^j

From the deadly sword^{k 11}deliver me;

rescue me^l from the hands of foreigners^m

whose mouths are full of lies,ⁿ

whose right hands are deceitful.^o

¹²Then our sons in their youth

will be like well-nurtured plants,^p

and our daughters will be like pillars^q

carved to adorn a palace.

¹³Our barns will be filled^r

with every kind of provision.

Our sheep will increase by thousands,

by tens of thousands in our fields;

¹⁴our oxen^s will draw heavy loads.^b

There will be no breaching of walls,^t

no going into captivity,

no cry of distress in our streets.^u

¹⁵Blessed is the people^v of whom this is true;

blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Psalm 145^a

A psalm of praise. Of David.

¹I will exalt you,^w my God the King;^x

I will praise your name^y for ever and ever.

²Every day I will praise^z you

and extol your name^a for ever and ever.

³Great^b is the Lord and most worthy of praise;^c

his greatness no one can fathom.^d

⁴One generation^e commends your works to another;

they tell^f of your mighty acts.^g

⁵They speak of the glorious splendor^h of your majesty—

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.^bi

⁶They tell^j of the power of your awesome works—^k

and I will proclaim^l your great deeds.^m

⁷They celebrate your abundant goodnessⁿ

and joyfully sing^o of your righteousness.^p

⁸The Lord is gracious and compassionate,^q

slow to anger and rich in love.^r

⁹The Lord is good^s to all;

he has compassion^t on all he has made.

¹⁰All your works praise you,^u Lord;

your faithful people extol^v you.^w

¹¹They tell of the glory of your kingdom^x

and speak of your might,^y

¹²so that all people may know of your mighty acts^z

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.^a

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,^b

and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy^c in all he promises^d

and faithful in all he does.^c

¹⁴The Lord upholds^e all who fall

and lifts up all^f who are bowed down.^g

¹⁵The eyes of all look to you,

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

¹⁶You open your hand

and satisfy the desiresⁱ of every living thing.

¹⁷The Lord is righteous^j in all his ways

and faithful in all he does.^k

¹⁸The Lord is near^l to all who call on him,^m

to all who call on him in truth.

¹⁹He fulfills the desiresⁿ of those who fear him;^o

he hears their cry^p and saves them.^q

²⁰The Lord watches over^r all who love him,^s

but all the wicked he will destroy.^t

²¹My mouth will speak^u in praise of the Lord.

Let every creature^v praise his holy name^w

for ever and ever.