Psalm 143-145

New International Version

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, hear my prayer,^(A)
    listen to my cry for mercy;^(B)
in your faithfulness^(C) and righteousness^(D)
    come to my relief.
²Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous^(E) before you.
³The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness^(F)
    like those long dead.^(G)
⁴So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.^(H)
⁵I remember^(I) the days of long ago;
    I meditate^(J) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
⁶I spread out my hands^(K) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.^[a]

⁷Answer me quickly,^(L) Lord;
    my spirit fails.^(M)
Do not hide your face^(N) from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
⁸Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,^(O)
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way^(P) I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.^(Q)
⁹Rescue me^(R) from my enemies,^(S) Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
¹⁰Teach me^(T) to do your will,
    for you are my God;^(U)
may your good Spirit
    lead^(V) me on level ground.^(W)

¹¹For your name’s sake,^(X) Lord, preserve my life;^(Y)
    in your righteousness,^(Z) bring me out of trouble.
¹²In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;^(AA)
    destroy all my foes,^(AB)
    for I am your servant.^(AC)

Psalm 144

Of David.

¹Praise be to the Lord my Rock,^(AD)
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
²He is my loving God and my fortress,^(AE)
    my stronghold^(AF) and my deliverer,
my shield,^(AG) in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples^[b]^(AH) under me.

³Lord, what are human beings^(AI) that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
⁴They are like a breath;^(AJ)
their days are like a fleeting shadow.^(AK)

⁵Part your heavens,^(AL) Lord, and come down;^(AM)
    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.^(AN)
⁶Send forth lightning^(AO) and scatter^(AP) the enemy;
    shoot your arrows^(AQ) and rout them.
⁷Reach down your hand from on high;^(AR)
    deliver me and rescue me^(AS)
from the mighty waters,^(AT)
    from the hands of foreigners^(AU)
⁸whose mouths are full of lies,^(AV)
    whose right hands^(AW) are deceitful.^(AX)

⁹I will sing a new song^(AY) to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre^(AZ) I will make music to you,
¹⁰to the One who gives victory to kings,^(BA)
who delivers his servant David.^(BB)

From the deadly sword^(BC) ¹¹deliver me;
rescue me^(BD) from the hands of foreigners^(BE)
whose mouths are full of lies,^(BF)
whose right hands are deceitful.^(BG)

¹²Then our sons in their youth
    will be like well-nurtured plants,^(BH)
and our daughters will be like pillars^(BI)
    carved to adorn a palace.
¹³Our barns will be filled^(BJ)
    with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields;
¹⁴    our oxen^(BK) will draw heavy loads.^[c]
There will be no breaching of walls,^(BL)
    no going into captivity,
    no cry of distress in our streets.^(BM)
¹⁵Blessed is the people^(BN) of whom this is true;
    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Psalm 145^[d]

A psalm of praise. Of David.

¹I will exalt you,^(BO) my God the King;^(BP)
I will praise your name^(BQ) for ever and ever.
²Every day I will praise^(BR) you
and extol your name^(BS) for ever and ever.

³Great^(BT) is the Lord and most worthy of praise;^(BU)
    his greatness no one can fathom.^(BV)
⁴One generation^(BW) commends your works to another;
    they tell^(BX) of your mighty acts.^(BY)
⁵They speak of the glorious splendor^(BZ) of your majesty—
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.^[e]^(CA)
⁶They tell^(CB) of the power of your awesome works—^(CC)
    and I will proclaim^(CD) your great deeds.^(CE)
⁷They celebrate your abundant goodness^(CF)
    and joyfully sing^(CG) of your righteousness.^(CH)

⁸The Lord is gracious and compassionate,^(CI)
slow to anger and rich in love.^(CJ)

⁹The Lord is good^(CK) to all;
    he has compassion^(CL) on all he has made.
¹⁰All your works praise you,^(CM) Lord;
    your faithful people extol^(CN) you.^(CO)
¹¹They tell of the glory of your kingdom^(CP)
    and speak of your might,^(CQ)
¹²so that all people may know of your mighty acts^(CR)
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.^(CS)
¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,^(CT)
    and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy^(CU) in all he promises^(CV)
    and faithful in all he does.^[f]
¹⁴The Lord upholds^(CW) all who fall
    and lifts up all^(CX) who are bowed down.^(CY)
¹⁵The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food^(CZ) at the proper time.
¹⁶You open your hand
    and satisfy the desires^(DA) of every living thing.

¹⁷The Lord is righteous^(DB) in all his ways
    and faithful in all he does.^(DC)
¹⁸The Lord is near^(DD) to all who call on him,^(DE)
    to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹He fulfills the desires^(DF) of those who fear him;^(DG)
    he hears their cry^(DH) and saves them.^(DI)
²⁰The Lord watches over^(DJ) all who love him,^(DK)
    but all the wicked he will destroy.^(DL)

²¹My mouth will speak^(DM) in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature^(DN) praise his holy name^(DO)
for ever and ever.

Footnotes

Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established
Psalm 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Psalm 145:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text On the glorious splendor of your majesty / and on your wonderful works I will meditate
Psalm 145:13 One manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text do not have the last two lines of verse 13.