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Psalm 18-27
Psalm 18
2The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield
3I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.
4The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
6In my distress I called to the LORD ; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
7The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.
8Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
9He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
10He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
14He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
17He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
19He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21For I have kept the ways of the LORD ; I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
23I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
24The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
29With your help I can advance against a troop
30As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD ’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
31For who is God besides the LORD ? And who is the Rock except our God?
32It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
33He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.
34He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great.
36You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.
37I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
39You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.
40You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but he did not answer.
42I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them
43You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me,
44foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
46The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
47He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,
48who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me.
49Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name. 50He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever.
Psalm 19
2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
3They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
4Yet their voice
5It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.
10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
11By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 20
2May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.
3May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.
4May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
5May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.
6Now this I know: The LORD gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.
7Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. 9LORD, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!
Psalm 21
2You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.
3You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
4He asked you for life, and you gave it to him— length of days, for ever and ever.
5Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
6Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
7For the king trusts in the LORD ; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.
8Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.
9When 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.
10You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind.
11Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.
12You will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow. 13Be exalted in your strength, LORD ; we will sing and praise your might.
Psalm 22
2My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
3Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises.
4In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
5To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8“He trusts in the LORD,” they say, “let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”
9Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
12Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me.
14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.
15My mouth
16Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce
17All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me.
18They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.
19But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.
23You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
25From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you
26The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever!
27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
28for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.
29All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. 31They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!
Psalm 23 1A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 24 1Of David. A psalm. The earth is the LORD ’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
2for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
3Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place?
4The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
5They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior.
6Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.
7Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
8Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory.
Psalm 25
2I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.
4Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.
5Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
6Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
7Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, LORD, are good.
8Good and upright is the LORD ; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
10All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12Who, then, are those who fear the LORD ? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land.
14The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
15My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
17Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.
18Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.
19See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me!
20Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD,
Psalm 26 1Of David. Vindicate me, LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD and have not faltered.
2Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;
3for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.
4I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites.
5I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.
6I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, LORD,
7proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.
8LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.
9Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with those who are bloodthirsty,
10in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes.
11I lead a blameless life; deliver me and be merciful to me. 12My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the LORD .
Psalm 27 1Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
2When the wicked advance against me to devour
3Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
4One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
5For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
6Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD .
7Hear my voice when I call, LORD ; be merciful to me and answer me.
8My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.
10Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
11Teach me your way, LORD ; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
12Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
13I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14Wait for the LORD ; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD .