Psalm 13-18

New International Version

³ Look on me^(F) and answer,^(G) Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes,^(H) or I will sleep in death,^(I)
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,^(J)”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.^(K)

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;^(L)
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.^(M)
6 I will sing^(N) the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me.

² The Lord looks down from heaven^(Q)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,^(R)
    any who seek God.^(S)
3 All have turned away,^(T) all have become corrupt;^(U)
    there is no one who does good,^(V)
    not even one.^(W)

⁴ Do all these evildoers know nothing?^(X)

They devour my people^(Y) as though eating bread;
    they never call on the Lord.^(Z)
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    for God is present in the company of the righteous.
⁶ You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
    but the Lord is their refuge.^(AA)

⁷ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!^(AB)
    When the Lord restores^(AC) his people,
    let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

² The one whose walk is blameless,^(AG)
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth^(AH) from their heart;
³ whose tongue utters no slander,^(AI)
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
⁴ who despises a vile person
    but honors^(AJ) those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath^(AK) even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
⁵ who lends money to the poor without interest;^(AL)
    who does not accept a bribe^(AM) against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.^(AN)

² I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;^(AQ)
    apart from you I have no good thing.”^(AR)
3 I say of the holy people^(AS) who are in the land,^(AT)
    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
⁴ Those who run after other gods^(AU) will suffer^(AV) more and more.
    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
    or take up their names^(AW) on my lips.

⁵ Lord, you alone are my portion^(AX) and my cup;^(AY)
    you make my lot^(AZ) secure.
⁶ The boundary lines^(BA) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.^(BB)
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;^(BC)
    even at night^(BD) my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand,^(BE) I will not be shaken.^(BF)

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad^(BG) and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,^(BH)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,^(BI)
    nor will you let your faithful^[d] one^(BJ) see decay.^(BK)
11 You make known to me the path of life;^(BL)
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,^(BM)
    with eternal pleasures^(BN) at your right hand.^(BO)

³ Though you probe my heart,^(BV)
    though you examine me at night and test me,^(BW)
you will find that I have planned no evil;^(BX)
    my mouth has not transgressed.^(BY)
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;^(BZ)
    my feet have not stumbled.^(CA)

⁶ I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;^(CB)
    turn your ear to me^(CC) and hear my prayer.^(CD)
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,^(CE)
    you who save by your right hand^(CF)
    those who take refuge^(CG) in you from their foes.
⁸ Keep me^(CH) as the apple of your eye;^(CI)
    hide me^(CJ) in the shadow of your wings^(CK)
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me.^(CL)

¹⁰ They close up their callous hearts,^(CM)
    and their mouths speak with arrogance.^(CN)
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,^(CO)
    with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
¹² They are like a lion^(CP) hungry for prey,^(CQ)
    like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

¹³ Rise up,^(CR) Lord, confront them, bring them down;^(CS)
    with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
¹⁴ By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
    from those of this world^(CT) whose reward is in this life.^(CU)
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
    may their children gorge themselves on it,
    and may there be leftovers^(CV) for their little ones.

¹⁵ As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
    when I awake,^(CW) I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.^(CX)

² The Lord is my rock,^(DA) my fortress^(DB) and my deliverer;^(DC)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,^(DD)
    my shield^[f](DE) and the horn^[g] of my salvation,^(DF) my stronghold.

³ I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,^(DG)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.^(DH)
4 The cords of death^(DI) entangled me;
    the torrents^(DJ) of destruction overwhelmed me.
⁵ The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death^(DK) confronted me.

⁶ In my distress^(DL) I called to the Lord;^(DM)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;^(DN)
    my cry came^(DO) before him, into his ears.
⁷ The earth trembled^(DP) and quaked,^(DQ)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;^(DR)
    they trembled because he was angry.^(DS)
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;^(DT)
    consuming fire^(DU) came from his mouth,
    burning coals^(DV) blazed out of it.
⁹ He parted the heavens and came down;^(DW)
    dark clouds^(DX) were under his feet.
¹⁰ He mounted the cherubim^(DY) and flew;
    he soared^(DZ) on the wings of the wind.^(EA)
11 He made darkness his covering,^(EB) his canopy^(EC) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
¹² Out of the brightness of his presence^(ED) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones^(EE) and bolts of lightning.^(EF)
13 The Lord thundered^(EG) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.^[h]
14 He shot his arrows^(EH) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning^(EI) he routed them.^(EJ)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations^(EK) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,^(EL) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.^(EM)

¹⁶ He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.^(EN)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,^(EO)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.^(EP)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,^(EQ)
    but the Lord was my support.^(ER)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;^(ES)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.^(ET)

²⁰ The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;^(EU)
    according to the cleanness of my hands^(EV) he has rewarded me.^(EW)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;^(EX)
    I am not guilty of turning^(EY) from my God.
²² All his laws are before me;^(EZ)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
²³ I have been blameless^(FA) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
²⁴ The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,^(FB)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵ To the faithful^(FC) you show yourself faithful,^(FD)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
²⁶ to the pure^(FE) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.^(FF)
27 You save the humble^(FG)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.^(FH)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp^(FI) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.^(FJ)
29 With your help^(FK) I can advance against a troop^[i];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect:^(FL)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;^(FM)
    he shields^(FN) all who take refuge^(FO) in him.
³¹ For who is God besides the Lord?^(FP)
    And who is the Rock^(FQ) except our God?
³² It is God who arms me with strength^(FR)
    and keeps my way secure.^(FS)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;^(FT)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.^(FU)
34 He trains my hands for battle;^(FV)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains^(FW) me;
    your help has made me great.
³⁶ You provide a broad path^(FX) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.^(FY)

³⁷ I pursued my enemies^(FZ) and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
³⁸ I crushed them^(GA) so that they could not rise;^(GB)
    they fell beneath my feet.^(GC)
39 You armed me with strength^(GD) for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries^(GE) before me.
⁴⁰ You made my enemies turn their backs^(GF) in flight,
    and I destroyed^(GG) my foes.
⁴¹ They cried for help, but there was no one to save them^(GH)—
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.^(GI)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;^(GJ)
    I trampled them^[j] like mud in the streets.
⁴³ You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.^(GK)
People I did not know^(GL) now serve me,
⁴⁴     foreigners^(GM) cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
⁴⁵ They all lose heart;^(GN)
    they come trembling^(GO) from their strongholds.^(GP)

⁴⁶ The Lord lives!^(GQ) Praise be to my Rock!^(GR)
    Exalted be God^(GS) my Savior!^(GT)
47 He is the God who avenges^(GU) me,
    who subdues nations^(GV) under me,
⁴⁸     who saves^(GW) me from my enemies.^(GX)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man^(GY) you rescued me.
⁴⁹ Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;^(GZ)
    I will sing^(HA) the praises of your name.^(HB)

⁵⁰ He gives his king great victories;
    he shows unfailing love to his anointed,^(HC)
    to David^(HD) and to his descendants forever.^(HE)