Psalm 61-63
New King James Version
Assurance of God’s Eternal Protection
To the Chief Musician. On [a]a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.
61 Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For You have been a shelter for me,
(A)A strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in Your [b]tabernacle forever;
(B)I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
5 For You, O God, have heard my vows;
You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
6 You will prolong the king’s life,
His years as many generations.
7 He shall abide before God forever.
Oh, prepare mercy (C)and truth, which may [c]preserve him!
8 So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may daily perform my vows.
A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God
To the Chief Musician. To (D)Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
62 Truly (E)my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my [d]defense;
I shall not be greatly (F)moved.[e]
3 How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
(G)Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They (H)delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my [f]expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be [g]moved.
7 (I)In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;
(J)Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 (K)Surely men of low degree are [h]a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
(L)If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.
11 God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For (M)You [i]render to each one according to his work.
Joy in the Fellowship of God
A Psalm of David (N)when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
63 O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
(O)My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see (P)Your power and Your glory.
3 (Q)Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will (R)lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with [j]marrow and [k]fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
6 When (S)I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
7 Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall [l]fall by the sword;
They shall be [m]a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
(T)Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
Footnotes
- Psalm 61:1 Heb. neginah
- Psalm 61:4 tent
- Psalm 61:7 Lit. guard or keep
- Psalm 62:2 strong tower
- Psalm 62:2 shaken
- Psalm 62:5 hope
- Psalm 62:6 shaken
- Psalm 62:9 vanity
- Psalm 62:12 reward
- Psalm 63:5 Lit. fat
- Psalm 63:5 Abundance
- Psalm 63:10 Lit. pour him out by the hand of the sword
- Psalm 63:10 Prey
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.