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Psalm 16-20
New Living Translation
Psalm 16-20
New Living Translation
Psalm 16
A psalm[a] of David.
1 Keep me safe, O God,
for I have come to you for refuge.
2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 The godly people in the land
are my true heroes!
I take pleasure in them!
4 Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
or even speak the names of their gods.
5 Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
You guard all that is mine.
6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
What a wonderful inheritance!
7 I will bless the Lord who guides me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.[b]
My body rests in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead[c]
or allow your holy one[d] to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.[e]
Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
for it comes from honest lips.
2 Declare me innocent,
for you see those who do right.
3 You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
I am determined not to sin in what I say.
4 I have followed your commands,
which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
5 My steps have stayed on your path;
I have not wavered from following you.
6 I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray.
7 Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
By your mighty power you rescue
those who seek refuge from their enemies.
8 Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.[f]
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
9 Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
from murderous enemies who surround me.
10 They are without pity.
Listen to their boasting!
11 They track me down and surround me,
watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart—
like young lions hiding in ambush.
13 Arise, O Lord!
Stand against them, and bring them to their knees!
Rescue me from the wicked with your sword!
14 By the power of your hand, O Lord,
destroy those who look to this world for their reward.
But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.
May their children have plenty,
leaving an inheritance for their descendants.
15 Because I am righteous, I will see you.
When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.
Psalm 18
For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:
1 I love you, Lord;
you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.
4 The ropes of death entangled me;
floods of destruction swept over me.
5 The grave[g] wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.
6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry to him reached his ears.
7 Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the mountains shook;
they quaked because of his anger.
8 Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
9 He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being,[h] he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
11 He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him
and rained down hail and burning coals.[i]
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded
amid the hail and burning coals.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
15 Then at your command, O Lord,
at the blast of your breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the Lord supported me.
19 He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
22 I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.
23 I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right.
He has seen my innocence.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
26 To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
27 You rescue the humble,
but you humiliate the proud.
28 You light a lamp for me.
The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
29 In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.
30 God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
31 For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
32 God arms me with strength,
and he makes my way perfect.
33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
35 You have given me your shield of victory.
Your right hand supports me;
your help[j] has made me great.
36 You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.
37 I chased my enemies and caught them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.
38 I struck them down so they could not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
40 You placed my foot on their necks.
I have destroyed all who hated me.
41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.
42 I ground them as fine as dust in the wind.
I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
43 You gave me victory over my accusers.
You appointed me ruler over nations;
people I don’t even know now serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit;
foreign nations cringe before me.
45 They all lose their courage
and come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted!
47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he subdues the nations under me
48 and rescues me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.
49 For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.
50 You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.
Psalm 19
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.[k]
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens
and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.
7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.
9 Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.
12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 20
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
2 May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.[l]
3 May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings. Interlude
4 May he grant your heart’s desires
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.
6 Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
and rescue him by his great power.
7 Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
8 Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm.
9 Give victory to our king, O Lord!
Answer our cry for help.
Footnotes
- 16:Title Hebrew miktam. This may be a literary or musical term.
- 16:9 Greek version reads and my tongue shouts his praises. Compare Acts 2:26.
- 16:10a Hebrew in Sheol.
- 16:10b Or your Holy One.
- 16:11 Greek version reads You have shown me the way of life, / and you will fill me with the joy of your presence. Compare Acts 2:28.
- 17:8 Hebrew as the pupil of your eye.
- 18:5 Hebrew Sheol.
- 18:10 Hebrew a cherub.
- 18:12 Or and lightning bolts; also in 18:13.
- 18:35 Hebrew your humility; compare 2 Sam 22:36.
- 19:3 Or There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
- 20:2 Hebrew Zion.
Psalm 16-20
New International Version
Psalm 16-20
New International Version
Psalm 16
A miktam[a] of David.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;(C)
apart from you I have no good thing.”(D)
3 I say of the holy people(E) who are in the land,(F)
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods(G) will suffer(H) more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names(I) on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion(J) and my cup;(K)
you make my lot(L) secure.
6 The boundary lines(M) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.(N)
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;(O)
even at night(P) my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand,(Q) I will not be shaken.(R)
9 Therefore my heart is glad(S) and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,(T)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,(U)
nor will you let your faithful[b] one(V) see decay.(W)
11 You make known to me the path of life;(X)
you will fill me with joy in your presence,(Y)
with eternal pleasures(Z) at your right hand.(AA)
Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me,(AB) Lord, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.(AC)
Hear(AD) my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.(AE)
2 Let my vindication(AF) come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.(AG)
3 Though you probe my heart,(AH)
though you examine me at night and test me,(AI)
you will find that I have planned no evil;(AJ)
my mouth has not transgressed.(AK)
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;(AL)
my feet have not stumbled.(AM)
6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;(AN)
turn your ear to me(AO) and hear my prayer.(AP)
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,(AQ)
you who save by your right hand(AR)
those who take refuge(AS) in you from their foes.
8 Keep me(AT) as the apple of your eye;(AU)
hide me(AV) in the shadow of your wings(AW)
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.(AX)
10 They close up their callous hearts,(AY)
and their mouths speak with arrogance.(AZ)
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,(BA)
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion(BB) hungry for prey,(BC)
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
13 Rise up,(BD) Lord, confront them, bring them down;(BE)
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
from those of this world(BF) whose reward is in this life.(BG)
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers(BH) for their little ones.
15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake,(BI) I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.(BJ)
Psalm 18[c](BK)
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.(BL)
2 The Lord is my rock,(BM) my fortress(BN) and my deliverer;(BO)
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(BP)
my shield[d](BQ) and the horn[e] of my salvation,(BR) my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(BS)
and I have been saved from my enemies.(BT)
4 The cords of death(BU) entangled me;
the torrents(BV) of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death(BW) confronted me.
6 In my distress(BX) I called to the Lord;(BY)
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(BZ)
my cry came(CA) before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled(CB) and quaked,(CC)
and the foundations of the mountains shook;(CD)
they trembled because he was angry.(CE)
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;(CF)
consuming fire(CG) came from his mouth,
burning coals(CH) blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;(CI)
dark clouds(CJ) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(CK) and flew;
he soared(CL) on the wings of the wind.(CM)
11 He made darkness his covering,(CN) his canopy(CO) around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(CP) clouds advanced,
with hailstones(CQ) and bolts of lightning.(CR)
13 The Lord thundered(CS) from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.[f]
14 He shot his arrows(CT) and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning(CU) he routed them.(CV)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations(CW) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(CX) Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(CY)
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.(CZ)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(DA)
from my foes, who were too strong for me.(DB)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(DC)
but the Lord was my support.(DD)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(DE)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.(DF)
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(DG)
according to the cleanness of my hands(DH) he has rewarded me.(DI)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(DJ)
I am not guilty of turning(DK) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(DL)
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(DM) before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(DN)
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful(DO) you show yourself faithful,(DP)
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(DQ) you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(DR)
27 You save the humble(DS)
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(DT)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(DU) burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.(DV)
29 With your help(DW) I can advance against a troop[g];
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:(DX)
The Lord’s word is flawless;(DY)
he shields(DZ) all who take refuge(EA) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(EB)
And who is the Rock(EC) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(ED)
and keeps my way secure.(EE)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(EF)
he causes me to stand on the heights.(EG)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(EH)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains(EI) me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(EJ) for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.(EK)
37 I pursued my enemies(EL) and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(EM) so that they could not rise;(EN)
they fell beneath my feet.(EO)
39 You armed me with strength(EP) for battle;
you humbled my adversaries(EQ) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(ER) in flight,
and I destroyed(ES) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(ET)—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.(EU)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(EV)
I trampled them[h] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.(EW)
People I did not know(EX) now serve me,
44 foreigners(EY) cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(EZ)
they come trembling(FA) from their strongholds.(FB)
46 The Lord lives!(FC) Praise be to my Rock!(FD)
Exalted be God(FE) my Savior!(FF)
47 He is the God who avenges(FG) me,
who subdues nations(FH) under me,
48 who saves(FI) me from my enemies.(FJ)
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man(FK) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(FL)
I will sing(FM) the praises of your name.(FN)
50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,(FO)
to David(FP) and to his descendants forever.(FQ)
Psalm 19[i]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens(FR) declare(FS) the glory of God;(FT)
the skies(FU) proclaim the work of his hands.(FV)
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.(FW)
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice[j] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.(FX)
In the heavens God has pitched a tent(FY) for the sun.(FZ)
5 It is like a bridegroom(GA) coming out of his chamber,(GB)
like a champion(GC) rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens(GD)
and makes its circuit to the other;(GE)
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord(GF) is perfect,(GG)
refreshing the soul.(GH)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,(GI)
making wise the simple.(GJ)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,(GK)
giving joy(GL) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.(GM)
9 The fear of the Lord(GN) is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.(GO)
10 They are more precious than gold,(GP)
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,(GQ)
than honey from the honeycomb.(GR)
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.(GS)
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;(GT)
may they not rule over me.(GU)
Then I will be blameless,(GV)
innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing(GW) in your sight,
Lord, my Rock(GX) and my Redeemer.(GY)
Psalm 20[k]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;(GZ)
may the name of the God of Jacob(HA) protect you.(HB)
2 May he send you help(HC) from the sanctuary(HD)
and grant you support(HE) from Zion.(HF)
3 May he remember(HG) all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.[l](HH)
4 May he give you the desire of your heart(HI)
and make all your plans succeed.(HJ)
5 May we shout for joy(HK) over your victory
and lift up our banners(HL) in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.(HM)
6 Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.(HN)
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.(HO)
7 Some trust in chariots(HP) and some in horses,(HQ)
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.(HR)
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,(HS)
but we rise up(HT) and stand firm.(HU)
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us(HV) when we call!
Footnotes
- Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 16:10 Or holy
- Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
- Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
- Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
- Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
- Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out
- Psalm 19:1 In Hebrew texts 19:1-14 is numbered 19:2-15.
- Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Jerome and Syriac; Hebrew measuring line
- Psalm 20:1 In Hebrew texts 20:1-9 is numbered 20:2-10.
- Psalm 20:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.