Psalm 18:37–21:13

37 I pursued my enemiesm and overtook them;

I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

38 I crushed themn so that they could not rise;o

they fell beneath my feet.p

39 You armed me with strengthq for battle;

you humbled my adversariesr before me.

40 You made my enemies turn their backss in flight,

and I destroyedt my foes.

41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save themu—

to the Lord, but he did not answer.v

42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;w

I trampled themf like mud in the streets.

43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;

you have made me the head of nations.x

People I did not knowy now serve me,

44 foreignersz cower before me;

as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.

45 They all lose heart;a

they come tremblingb from their strongholds.c

46 The Lord lives!d Praise be to my Rock!e

Exalted be Godf my Savior!g

47 He is the God who avengesh me,

who subdues nationsi under me,

48 who savesj me from my enemies.k

You exalted me above my foes;

from a violent manl you rescued me.

49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;m

I will singn the praises of your name.o

50 He gives his king great victories;

he shows unfailing love to his anointed,p

to Davidq and to his descendants forever.r

Psalm 19a

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 The heavenss declaret the glory of God;u

the skiesv proclaim the work of his hands.w

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.x

3 They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

4 Yet their voiceb goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.y

In the heavens God has pitched a tentz for the sun.a

5 It is like a bridegroomb coming out of his chamber,c

like a championd rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavense

and makes its circuit to the other;f

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7 The law of the Lordg is perfect,h

refreshing the soul.i

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,j

making wise the simple.k

8 The precepts of the Lord are right,l

giving joym to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.n

9 The fear of the Lordo is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.p

10 They are more precious than gold,q

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,r

than honey from the honeycomb.s

11 By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

12 But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.t

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;u

may they not rule over me.v

Then I will be blameless,w

innocent of great transgression.

14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasingx in your sight,

Lord, my Rocky and my Redeemer.z

Psalm 20a

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;a

may the name of the God of Jacobb protect you.c

2 May he send you helpd from the sanctuarye

and grant you supportf from Zion.g

3 May he rememberh all your sacrifices

and accept your burnt offerings.b i

4 May he give you the desire of your heartj

and make all your plans succeed.k

5 May we shout for joyl over your victory

and lift up our bannersm in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.n

6 Now this I know:

The Lord gives victory to his anointed.o

He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary

with the victorious power of his right hand.p

7 Some trust in chariotsq and some in horses,r

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.s

8 They are brought to their knees and fall,t

but we rise upu and stand firm.v

9 Lord, give victory to the king!

Answer usw when we call!

Psalm 21a

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.x

How great is his joy in the victories you give!y

2 You have granted him his heart’s desirez

and have not withheld the request of his lips.b

3 You came to greet him with rich blessings

and placed a crown of pure golda on his head.b

4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—

length of days, for ever and ever.c

5 Through the victoriesd you gave, his glory is great;

you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.e

6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings

and made him glad with the joyf of your presence.g

7 For the king trusts in the Lord;h

through the unfailing lovei of the Most Highj

he will not be shaken.k

8 Your hand will lay holdl on all your enemies;

your right hand will seize your foes.

9 When you appear for battle,

you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.

The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,

and his fire will consume them.m

10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,

their posterity from mankind.n

11 Though they plot evilo against you

and devise wicked schemes,p they cannot succeed.

12 You will make them turn their backsq

when you aim at them with drawn bow.

13 Be exaltedr in your strength, Lord;s

we will sing and praise your might.