Psalm 9-21

New International Version

³ My enemies turn back;
    they stumble and perish before you.
⁴ For you have upheld my right^(F) and my cause,^(G)
    sitting enthroned^(H) as the righteous judge.^(I)
5 You have rebuked the nations^(J) and destroyed the wicked;
    you have blotted out their name^(K) for ever and ever.
⁶ Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
    you have uprooted their cities;^(L)
    even the memory of them^(M) has perished.

⁷ The Lord reigns forever;^(N)
    he has established his throne^(O) for judgment.
⁸ He rules the world in righteousness^(P)
    and judges the peoples with equity.^(Q)
9 The Lord is a refuge^(R) for the oppressed,^(S)
    a stronghold in times of trouble.^(T)
10 Those who know your name^(U) trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken^(V) those who seek you.^(W)

¹¹ Sing the praises^(X) of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;^(Y)
    proclaim among the nations^(Z) what he has done.^(AA)
12 For he who avenges blood^(AB) remembers;
    he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.^(AC)

¹³ Lord, see how my enemies^(AD) persecute me!
    Have mercy^(AE) and lift me up from the gates of death,^(AF)
14 that I may declare your praises^(AG)
    in the gates of Daughter Zion,^(AH)
    and there rejoice in your salvation.^(AI)

¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;^(AJ)
    their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.^(AK)
16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
    the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.^[c](AL)
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,^(AM)
    all the nations that forget God.^(AN)
18 But God will never forget the needy;
    the hope^(AO) of the afflicted^(AP) will never perish.

¹⁹ Arise,^(AQ) Lord, do not let mortals triumph;^(AR)
    let the nations be judged^(AS) in your presence.
²⁰ Strike them with terror,^(AT) Lord;
    let the nations know they are only mortal.^(AU)

² In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,^(AX)
    who are caught in the schemes he devises.
³ He boasts^(AY) about the cravings of his heart;
    he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.^(AZ)
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
    in all his thoughts there is no room for God.^(BA)
5 His ways are always prosperous;
    your laws are rejected by^[e] him;
    he sneers at all his enemies.
⁶ He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
    He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”^(BB)

⁷ His mouth is full^(BC) of lies and threats;^(BD)
    trouble and evil are under his tongue.^(BE)
8 He lies in wait^(BF) near the villages;
    from ambush he murders the innocent.^(BG)
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
⁹     like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;^(BH)
    he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.^(BI)
10 His victims are crushed,^(BJ) they collapse;
    they fall under his strength.
¹¹ He says to himself, “God will never notice;^(BK)
    he covers his face and never sees.”^(BL)

¹² Arise,^(BM) Lord! Lift up your hand,^(BN) O God.
    Do not forget the helpless.^(BO)
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?^(BP)
    Why does he say to himself,
    “He won’t call me to account”?^(BQ)
14 But you, God, see the trouble^(BR) of the afflicted;
    you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;^(BS)
    you are the helper^(BT) of the fatherless.
¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked man;^(BU)
    call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
    that would not otherwise be found out.

¹⁶ The Lord is King for ever and ever;^(BV)
    the nations^(BW) will perish from his land.
¹⁷ You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;^(BX)
    you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,^(BY)
18 defending the fatherless^(BZ) and the oppressed,^(CA)
    so that mere earthly mortals
    will never again strike terror.

⁴ The Lord is in his holy temple;^(CJ)
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.^(CK)
He observes everyone on earth;^(CL)
    his eyes examine^(CM) them.
⁵ The Lord examines the righteous,^(CN)
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.^(CO)
6 On the wicked he will rain
    fiery coals and burning sulfur;^(CP)
    a scorching wind^(CQ) will be their lot.

⁷ For the Lord is righteous,^(CR)
    he loves justice;^(CS)
    the upright^(CT) will see his face.^(CU)

³ May the Lord silence all flattering lips^(CY)
    and every boastful tongue—^(CZ)
4 those who say,
    “By our tongues we will prevail;^(DA)
    our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

⁵ “Because the poor are plundered^(DB) and the needy groan,^(DC)
    I will now arise,^(DD)” says the Lord.
    “I will protect them^(DE) from those who malign them.”
⁶ And the words of the Lord are flawless,^(DF)
    like silver purified^(DG) in a crucible,^(DH)
    like gold^[h] refined seven times.

⁷ You, Lord, will keep the needy safe^(DI)
    and will protect us forever from the wicked,^(DJ)
8 who freely strut^(DK) about
    when what is vile is honored by the human race.

³ Look on me^(DQ) and answer,^(DR) Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes,^(DS) or I will sleep in death,^(DT)
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,^(DU)”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.^(DV)

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

² The Lord looks down from heaven^(EB)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,^(EC)
    any who seek God.^(ED)
3 All have turned away,^(EE) all have become corrupt;^(EF)
    there is no one who does good,^(EG)
    not even one.^(EH)

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

They devour my people^(EJ) as though eating bread;
    they never call on the Lord.^(EK)
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.^(EL)

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

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

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

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

⁵ Lord, you alone are my portion^(FI) and my cup;^(FJ)
    you make my lot^(FK) secure.
⁶ The boundary lines^(FL) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.^(FM)
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;^(FN)
    even at night^(FO) my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand,^(FP) I will not be shaken.^(FQ)

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad^(FR) and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,^(FS)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,^(FT)
    nor will you let your faithful^[l] one^(FU) see decay.^(FV)
11 You make known to me the path of life;^(FW)
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,^(FX)
    with eternal pleasures^(FY) at your right hand.^(FZ)

³ Though you probe my heart,^(GG)
    though you examine me at night and test me,^(GH)
you will find that I have planned no evil;^(GI)
    my mouth has not transgressed.^(GJ)
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;^(GK)
    my feet have not stumbled.^(GL)

⁶ I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;^(GM)
    turn your ear to me^(GN) and hear my prayer.^(GO)
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,^(GP)
    you who save by your right hand^(GQ)
    those who take refuge^(GR) in you from their foes.
⁸ Keep me^(GS) as the apple of your eye;^(GT)
    hide me^(GU) in the shadow of your wings^(GV)
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me.^(GW)

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

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

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

² The Lord is my rock,^(HL) my fortress^(HM) and my deliverer;^(HN)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,^(HO)
    my shield^[n](HP) and the horn^[o] of my salvation,^(HQ) my stronghold.

³ I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,^(HR)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.^(HS)
4 The cords of death^(HT) entangled me;
    the torrents^(HU) of destruction overwhelmed me.
⁵ The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death^(HV) confronted me.

⁶ In my distress^(HW) I called to the Lord;^(HX)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;^(HY)
    my cry came^(HZ) before him, into his ears.
⁷ The earth trembled^(IA) and quaked,^(IB)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;^(IC)
    they trembled because he was angry.^(ID)
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;^(IE)
    consuming fire^(IF) came from his mouth,
    burning coals^(IG) blazed out of it.
⁹ He parted the heavens and came down;^(IH)
    dark clouds^(II) were under his feet.
¹⁰ He mounted the cherubim^(IJ) and flew;
    he soared^(IK) on the wings of the wind.^(IL)
11 He made darkness his covering,^(IM) his canopy^(IN) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
¹² Out of the brightness of his presence^(IO) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones^(IP) and bolts of lightning.^(IQ)
13 The Lord thundered^(IR) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.^[p]
14 He shot his arrows^(IS) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning^(IT) he routed them.^(IU)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations^(IV) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,^(IW) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.^(IX)

¹⁶ He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.^(IY)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,^(IZ)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.^(JA)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,^(JB)
    but the Lord was my support.^(JC)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;^(JD)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.^(JE)

²⁰ The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;^(JF)
    according to the cleanness of my hands^(JG) he has rewarded me.^(JH)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;^(JI)
    I am not guilty of turning^(JJ) from my God.
²² All his laws are before me;^(JK)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
²³ I have been blameless^(JL) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
²⁴ The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,^(JM)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵ To the faithful^(JN) you show yourself faithful,^(JO)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
²⁶ to the pure^(JP) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.^(JQ)
27 You save the humble^(JR)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.^(JS)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp^(JT) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.^(JU)
29 With your help^(JV) I can advance against a troop^[q];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect:^(JW)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;^(JX)
    he shields^(JY) all who take refuge^(JZ) in him.
³¹ For who is God besides the Lord?^(KA)
    And who is the Rock^(KB) except our God?
³² It is God who arms me with strength^(KC)
    and keeps my way secure.^(KD)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;^(KE)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.^(KF)
34 He trains my hands for battle;^(KG)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains^(KH) me;
    your help has made me great.
³⁶ You provide a broad path^(KI) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.^(KJ)

³⁷ I pursued my enemies^(KK) and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
³⁸ I crushed them^(KL) so that they could not rise;^(KM)
    they fell beneath my feet.^(KN)
39 You armed me with strength^(KO) for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries^(KP) before me.
⁴⁰ You made my enemies turn their backs^(KQ) in flight,
    and I destroyed^(KR) my foes.
⁴¹ They cried for help, but there was no one to save them^(KS)—
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.^(KT)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;^(KU)
    I trampled them^[r] like mud in the streets.
⁴³ You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.^(KV)
People I did not know^(KW) now serve me,
⁴⁴     foreigners^(KX) cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
⁴⁵ They all lose heart;^(KY)
    they come trembling^(KZ) from their strongholds.^(LA)

⁴⁶ The Lord lives!^(LB) Praise be to my Rock!^(LC)
    Exalted be God^(LD) my Savior!^(LE)
47 He is the God who avenges^(LF) me,
    who subdues nations^(LG) under me,
⁴⁸     who saves^(LH) me from my enemies.^(LI)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man^(LJ) you rescued me.
⁴⁹ Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;^(LK)
    I will sing^(LL) the praises of your name.^(LM)

⁵⁰ He gives his king great victories;
    he shows unfailing love to his anointed,^(LN)
    to David^(LO) and to his descendants forever.^(LP)

⁷ The law of the Lord^(ME) is perfect,^(MF)
    refreshing the soul.^(MG)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,^(MH)
    making wise the simple.^(MI)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,^(MJ)
    giving joy^(MK) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.^(ML)
9 The fear of the Lord^(MM) is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.^(MN)

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,^(MO)
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,^(MP)
    than honey from the honeycomb.^(MQ)
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.^(MR)
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;^(MS)
    may they not rule over me.^(MT)
Then I will be blameless,^(MU)
    innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing^(MV) in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock^(MW) and my Redeemer.^(MX)

May the Lord grant all your requests.^(NL)

⁶ Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.^(NM)
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.^(NN)
7 Some trust in chariots^(NO) and some in horses,^(NP)
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.^(NQ)
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,^(NR)
    but we rise up^(NS) and stand firm.^(NT)
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us^(NU) when we call!

² You have granted him his heart’s desire^(NX)
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.^[x]
3 You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold^(NY) on his head.^(NZ)
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.^(OA)
5 Through the victories^(OB) you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.^(OC)
6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy^(OD) of your presence.^(OE)
7 For the king trusts in the Lord;^(OF)
    through the unfailing love^(OG) of the Most High^(OH)
    he will not be shaken.^(OI)

⁸ Your hand will lay hold^(OJ) on all your enemies;
    your right hand will seize your foes.
⁹ When you appear for battle,
    you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and his fire will consume them.^(OK)
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    their posterity from mankind.^(OL)
11 Though they plot evil^(OM) against you
    and devise wicked schemes,^(ON) they cannot succeed.
¹² You will make them turn their backs^(OO)
    when you aim at them with drawn bow.

¹³ Be exalted^(OP) in your strength, Lord;^(OQ)
    we will sing and praise your might.