Psalm 19–23

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.

Psalm 22a

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?t

Why are you so faru from saving me,

so far from my cries of anguish?v

2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,w

by night,x but I find no rest.b

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;y

you are the one Israel praises.c z

4 In you our ancestors put their trust;

they trusted and you delivered them.a

5 To you they cried outb and were saved;

in you they trustedc and were not put to shame.d

6 But I am a worme and not a man,

scorned by everyone,f despisedg by the people.

7 All who see me mock me;h

they hurl insults,i shaking their heads.j

8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,

“let the Lord rescue him.k

Let him deliver him,l

since he delightsm in him.”

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;n

you made me trusto in you, even at my mother’s breast.

10 From birthp I was cast on you;

from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me,q

for trouble is nearr

and there is no one to help.s

12 Many bullst surround me;u

strong bulls of Bashanv encircle me.

13 Roaring lionsw that tear their preyx

open their mouths widey against me.

14 I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint.z

My heart has turned to wax;a

it has meltedb within me.

15 My mouthd is dried up like a potsherd,c

and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;d

you lay me in the duste of death.

16 Dogsf surround me,

a pack of villains encircles me;

they piercee g my hands and my feet.

17 All my bones are on display;

people stareh and gloat over me.i

18 They divide my clothes among them

and cast lotsj for my garment.k

19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.l

You are my strength;m come quicklyn to help me.o

20 Deliver me from the sword,p

my precious lifeq from the power of the dogs.r

21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;s

save me from the horns of the wild oxen.t

22 I will declare your name to my people;

in the assemblyu I will praise you.v

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!w

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!x

Revere him,y all you descendants of Israel!

24 For he has not despisedz or scorned

the suffering of the afflicted one;a

he has not hidden his faceb from him

but has listened to his cry for help.c

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;d

before those who fear youf I will fulfill my vows.e

26 The poor will eatf and be satisfied;

those who seek the Lord will praise him—g

may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earthh

will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

will bow down before him,i

28 for dominion belongs to the Lordj

and he rules over the nations.

29 All the richk of the earth will feast and worship;l

all who go down to the dustm will kneel before him—

those who cannot keep themselves alive.n

30 Posterityo will serve him;

future generationsp will be told about the Lord.

31 They will proclaim his righteousness,q

declaring to a people yet unborn:r

He has done it!s

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd,t I lack nothing.u

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,v

3 he refreshes my soul.w

He guides mex along the right pathsy

for his name’s sake.z

4 Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,a a

I will fear no evil,b

for you are with me;c

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5 You prepare a tabled before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;e

my cupf overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and loveg will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.