PSALMS 19-23

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The Works and the Word of God.For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

2 Day to day pours forth speech,

And night to night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech, nor are there words;

Their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their utterances to the end of the world.

In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;

It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens,

And its circuit to the other end of them;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;

Let them not rule over me;

Then I will be blameless,

And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Prayer for Victory over Enemies.For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
20:1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!

May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!

2 May He send you help from the sanctuary

And support you from Zion!

3 May He remember all your meal offerings

And find your burnt offering acceptable! Selah.

4 May He grant you your heart’s desire

And fulfill all your counsel!

5 We will sing for joy over your victory,

And in the name of our God we will set up our banners.

May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;

He will answer him from His holy heaven

With the saving strength of His right hand.

7 Some boast in chariots and some in horses,

But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.

8 They have bowed down and fallen,

But we have risen and stood upright.

9 Save, O LORD;

May the King answer us in the day we call.

Praise for Deliverance.For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
21:1 O LORD, in Your strength the king will be glad,

And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice!

2 You have given him his heart’s desire,

And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

3 For You meet him with the blessings of good things;

You set a crown of fine gold on his head.

4 He asked life of You,

You gave it to him,

Length of days forever and ever.

5 His glory is great through Your salvation,

Splendor and majesty You place upon him.

6 For You make him most blessed forever;

You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence.

7 For the king trusts in the LORD,

And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

8 Your hand will find out all your enemies;

Your right hand will find out those who hate you.

9 You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger;

The LORD will swallow them up in His wrath,

And fire will devour them.

10 Their offspring You will destroy from the earth,

And their descendants from among the sons of men.

11 Though they intended evil against You

And devised a plot,

They will not succeed.

12 For You will make them turn their back;

You will aim with Your bowstrings at their faces.

13 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength;

We will sing and praise Your power.

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;

And by night, but I have no rest.

3 Yet You are holy,

O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

4 In You our fathers trusted;

They trusted and You delivered them.

5 To You they cried out and were delivered;

In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,

A reproach of men and despised by the people.

7 All who see me sneer at me;

They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,

8 “Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him;

Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

9 Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;

You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.

10 Upon You I was cast from birth;

You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near;

For there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded me;

Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

13 They open wide their mouth at me,

As a ravening and a roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,

And all my bones are out of joint;

My heart is like wax;

It is melted within me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;

And You lay me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded me;

A band of evildoers has encompassed me;

They pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I can count all my bones.

They look, they stare at me;

18 They divide my garments among them,

And for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O LORD, be not far off;

O You my help, hasten to my assistance.

20 Deliver my soul from the sword,

My only life from the power of the dog.

21 Save me from the lion’s mouth;

From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

22 I will tell of Your name to my brethren;

In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him;

All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,

And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.

24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;

Nor has He hidden His face from him;

But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

25 From You comes my praise in the great assembly;

I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.

26 The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;

Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.

Let your heart live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,

And all the families of the nations will worship before You.

28 For the kingdom is the LORD’S

And He rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,

All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,

Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.

30 Posterity will serve Him;

It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.

31 They will come and will declare His righteousness

To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

The LORD, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.A Psalm of David.
23:1 The LORD is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You have anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

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