Psalm 11–17

Psalm 11

Faith in the Lord’s Righteousness

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 In athe Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul,

“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?

2 For look! bThe wicked bend their bow,

They make ready their arrow on the string,

That they may shoot 1secretly at the upright in heart.

3 cIf the foundations are destroyed,

What can the righteous do?

4 The Lord is in His holy temple,

The Lord’s dthrone is in heaven;

eHis eyes behold,

His eyelids test the sons of men.

5 The Lord ftests the righteous,

But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.

6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals;

Fire and brimstone and a burning wind

gShall be 2the portion of their cup.

7 For the Lord is righteous,

He hloves righteousness;

3His countenance beholds the upright.

Psalm 12

Man’s Treachery and God’s Constancy

To the Chief Musician. aOn 1An Eight-Stringed Harp. A Psalm of David.

1 Help, 2Lord, for the godly man bceases!

For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

2 cThey speak idly everyone with his neighbor;

With flattering lips and 3a double heart they speak.

3 May the Lord 4cut off all flattering lips,

And the tongue that speaks 5proud things,

4 Who have said,

“With our tongue we will prevail;

Our lips are our own;

Who is lord over us?”

5 “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,

Now I will arise,” says the Lord;

“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

6 The words of the Lord are dpure words,

Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,

Purified seven times.

7 You shall keep them, O Lord,

You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

8 The wicked prowl on every side,

When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Psalm 13

Trust in the Salvation of the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?

aHow long will You hide Your face from me?

2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

Having sorrow in my heart daily?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;

bEnlighten my eyes,

cLest I sleep the sleep of death;

4 Lest my enemy say,

“I have prevailed against him”;

Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

5 But I have trusted in Your mercy;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 14

Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 The afool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt,

They have done abominable works,

There is none who does good.

2 bThe Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,

To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

3 cThey have all turned aside,

They have together become corrupt;

There is none who does good,

No, not one.

4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,

Who eat up my people as they eat bread,

And ddo not call on the Lord?

5 There they are in great fear,

For God is with the generation of the righteous.

6 You shame the counsel of the poor,

But the Lord is his erefuge.

7 fOh, 1that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!

gWhen the Lord brings back 2the captivity of His people,

Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Psalm 15

The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the Lord

A Psalm of David.

1 Lord, awho may 1abide in Your tabernacle?

Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

2 He who walks uprightly,

And works righteousness,

And speaks the btruth in his heart;

3 He who cdoes not backbite with his tongue,

Nor does evil to his neighbor,

dNor does he 2take up a reproach against his friend;

4 eIn whose eyes a vile person is despised,

But he honors those who fear the Lord;

He who fswears to his own hurt and does not change;

5 He who does not put out his money at usury,

Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things gshall never be moved.

Psalm 16

The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory

A aMichtam of David.

1 Preserve 1me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord,

“You are my Lord,

bMy goodness is nothing apart from You.”

3 As for the saints who are on the earth,

“They are the excellent ones, in cwhom is all my delight.”

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;

Their drink offerings of dblood I will not offer,

eNor take up their names on my lips.

5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You 2maintain my lot.

6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Yes, I have a good inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;

My 3heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

8 fI have set the Lord always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will 4rest in hope.

10 gFor You will not leave my soul in 5Sheol,

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to 6see corruption.

11 You will show me the hpath of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 17

Prayer with Confidence in Final Salvation

A Prayer of David.

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord,

Attend to my cry;

Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.

2 Let my vindication come from Your presence;

Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.

3 You have tested my heart;

You have visited me in the night;

aYou have 1tried me and have found 2nothing;

I have purposed that my mouth shall not btransgress.

4 Concerning the works of men,

By the word of Your lips,

I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

5 cUphold my steps in Your paths,

That my footsteps may not slip.

6 dI have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;

Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.

7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,

O You who 3save those who trust in You

From those who rise up against them.

8 Keep me as the 4apple of Your eye;

Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

9 From the wicked who oppress me,

From my deadly enemies who surround me.

10 They have closed up their efat hearts;

With their mouths they fspeak proudly.

11 They have now surrounded us in our steps;

They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,

12 As a lion is eager to tear his prey,

And like a young lion lurking in secret places.

13 Arise, O Lord,

Confront him, cast him down;

Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,

14 With Your hand from men, O Lord,

From men of the world who have their portion in this life,

And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.

They are satisfied with children,

And leave the rest of their possession for their babes.

15 As for me, gI will see Your face in righteousness;

hI shall be satisfied when I iawake in Your likeness.