New King James Version (NKJV)

The Perfect Revelation of the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 Theheavens declare the glory of God;

# And thefirmament shows His handiwork.

2 Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

3 Thereisno speech nor language

Wheretheir voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

5 Whichislike a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

# Andrejoices like a strong man to run its race.

6 Its risingisfrom one end of heaven,

And its circuit to the other end;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of theLordisperfect, converting the soul;

# The testimony of theLordissure, makingwise the simple;

8 The statutes of theLordareright, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of theLordispure, enlightening the eyes;

9 The fear of theLordisclean, enduring forever;

The judgments of theLordaretrueandrighteous altogether.

10 More to be desiredaretheythangold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

Andin keeping themthereisgreat reward.

12 Who can understandhiserrors?

# Cleanse me from secretfaults.

13 Keep back Your servant also frompresumptuoussins;

# Let them not havedominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless,

And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

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

Be acceptable in Your sight,

# OLord, my strength and myRedeemer.

The Assurance of God’s Saving Work

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 May theLordanswer you in the day of trouble;

May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

2 May He send you help from the sanctuary,

And strengthen you out of Zion;

3 May He remember all your offerings,

And accept your burnt sacrifice.

Selah

4 May He grant you according to your heart’sdesire,

# Andfulfill all your purpose.

5 We will rejoice in your salvation,

And in the name of our God we will set upourbanners!

May theLordfulfill all your petitions.

6 Now I know that theLordsaves His anointed;

He will answer him from His holy heaven

With the saving strength of His right hand.

7 Sometrustin chariots, and some inhorses;

But we will remember the name of theLordour God.

8 They have bowed down and fallen;

But we have risen and stand upright.

9 Save,Lord!

May the King answer us when we call.

Joy in the Salvation of the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 The king shall have joy in Your strength, OLord;

And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

2 You have given him his heart’s desire,

# And have not withheld therequest of his lips.

Selah

3 For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;

You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

4 He asked life from You,andYou gaveitto him—

Length of days forever and ever.

5 His gloryisgreat in Your salvation;

Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.

6 For You have made him most blessed forever;

# You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.

7 For the king trusts in theLord,

And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.

8 Your hand will find all Your enemies;

Your right hand will find those who hate You.

9 You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;

TheLordshall swallow them up in His wrath,

And the fire shall devour them.

10 Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,

And their descendants from among the sons of men.

11 For they intended evil against You;

# They devised a plotwhichthey are not abletoperform.

12 Therefore You will make them turn their back;

You will make readyYourarrowson Your string toward their faces.

13 Be exalted, OLord, in Your own strength!

We will sing and praise Your power.

The Suffering, Praise, and Posterity of the Messiah

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.

1 MyGod, My God, why have You forsaken Me?

WhyareYousofar from helping Me,

Andfromthe words of My groaning?

2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;

And in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But Youareholy,

# Enthroned in thepraises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in You;

They trusted, and You delivered them.

5 They cried to You, and were delivered;

# They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

6 But Iama worm, and no man;

# A reproach of men, and despised by the people.

7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;

They shoot out the lip, they shake the head,saying,

8 “Hetrusted in theLord, let Him rescue Him;

# Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

9 But YouareHe who took Me out of the womb;

You made Me trustwhileon My mother’s breasts.

10 I was cast upon You from birth.

From My mother’s womb

# YouhavebeenMy God.

11 Be not far from Me,

For troubleisnear;

Forthereisnone to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;

# StrongbullsofBashan have encircled Me.

13 They gape at Mewiththeir mouths,

Likea raging and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,

# And all My bones are out of joint;

My heart is like wax;

It has melted within Me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

# AndMy tongue clings to My jaws;

You have brought Me to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded Me;

The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.

# They pierced My hands and My feet;

17 I can count all My bones.

# They lookandstare at Me.

18 They divide My garments among them,

And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, OLord, do not be far from Me;

O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

20 Deliver Me from the sword,

# My preciouslifefrom the power of the dog.

21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth

And from the horns of the wild oxen!

# You have answered Me.

22 I will declare Your name toMy brethren;

In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

23 You who fear theLord, praise Him!

All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,

And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!

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

Nor has He hidden His face from Him;

# Butwhen He cried to Him, He heard.

25 My praiseshallbeof You in the great assembly;

# I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.

26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;

Those who seek Him will praise theLord.

Let your heart live forever!

27 All the ends of the world

Shall remember and turn to theLord,

And all the families of the nations

Shall worship before You.

28 For the kingdomistheLord’s,

And He rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth

Shall eat and worship;

# All those who go down to the dust

Shall bow before Him,

Even he who cannot keep himself alive.

30 A posterity shall serve Him.

It will be recounted of the Lord to thenextgeneration,

31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,

That He has donethis.

The Lord the Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David.

1 TheLordismy shepherd;

# I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

# He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

# He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley ofthe shadow of death,

# I will fear no evil;

# For Youarewith me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

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

# Youanoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of theLord

Forever.

The King of Glory and His Kingdom

A Psalm of David.

1 TheearthistheLord’s, and all its fullness,

The world and those who dwell therein.

2 For He hasfounded it upon the seas,

And established it upon the waters.

3 Who may ascend into the hill of theLord?

Or who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who hasclean hands anda pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,

# Norsworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive blessing from theLord,

And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 ThisisJacob, the generation of those whoseek Him,

Who seek Your face.

Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates!

And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!

# And the King of glory shall come in.

8 Whoisthis King of glory?

TheLordstrong and mighty,

# TheLordmighty inbattle.

9 Lift up your heads, O you gates!

Lift up, you everlasting doors!

And the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory?

TheLordof hosts,

Heisthe King of glory.

Selah

A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness

A

Psalm

of David.

1 ToYou, OLord, I lift up my soul.

2 O my God, Itrust in You;

Let me not be ashamed;

# Let not my enemies triumph over me.

3 Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;

Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

4 Show me Your ways, OLord;

Teach me Your paths.

5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For Youarethe God of my salvation;

On You I wait all the day.

6 Remember, OLord,Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,

For theyarefrom of old.

7 Do not rememberthe sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;

# According to Your mercy remember me,

For Your goodness’ sake, OLord.

8 Good and uprightistheLord;

Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

9 The humble He guides in justice,

And the humble He teaches His way.

10 All the paths of theLordaremercy and truth,

To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

11 For Your name’s sake, OLord,

Pardon my iniquity, for itisgreat.

12 Whoisthe man that fears theLord?

# Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

13 He himself shall dwell in prosperity,

# Andhis descendants shall inherit the earth.

14 The secret of theLordiswith those who fear Him,

And He will show them His covenant.

15 My eyesareever toward theLord,

For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,

For Iamdesolate and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged;

Bring me out of my distresses!

18 Look on my affliction and my pain,

And forgive all my sins.

19 Consider my enemies, for they are many;

And they hate me with cruel hatred.

20 Keep my soul, and deliver me;

Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.

21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,

For I wait for You.

22 Redeem Israel, O God,

Out of all their troubles!

A Prayer for Divine Scrutiny and Redemption

A

Psalm

of David.

1 Vindicateme, OLord,

# For I havewalked in my integrity.

# I have also trusted in theLord;

I shall not slip.

2 Examine me, OLord, and prove me;

Try my mind and my heart.

3 For Your lovingkindnessisbefore my eyes,

# AndI have walked in Your truth.

4 I have notsat with idolatrous mortals,

Nor will I go in with hypocrites.

5 I havehated the assembly of evildoers,

And will not sit with the wicked.

6 I will wash my hands in innocence;

So I will go about Your altar, OLord,

7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,

And tell of all Your wondrous works.

8 Lord,I have loved the habitation of Your house,

And the place where Your glory dwells.

9 Do not gather my soul with sinners,

Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

10 In whose handsisa sinister scheme,

# And whose right hand is full ofbribes.

11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;

Redeem me and be merciful to me.

12 My foot stands in an even place;

In the congregations I will bless theLord.

An Exuberant Declaration of Faith

A

Psalm

of David.

1 TheLordismylight and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

# TheLordisthe strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked came against me

# Toeat up my flesh,

My enemies and foes,

They stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this Iwillbeconfident.

4 OnethingI have desired of theLord,

That will I seek:

# That I maydwell in the house of theLord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of theLord,

And to inquire in His temple.

5 Forin the time of trouble

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle

He shall hide me;

# He shallset me high upon a rock.

6 And nowmy head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;

Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to theLord.

7 Hear, OLord,whenI cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 WhenYousaid,“Seek My face,”

My heart said to You, “Your face,Lord, I will seek.”

9 Do not hide Your face from me;

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not leave me nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me,

Then theLordwill take care of me.

11 Teach me Your way, OLord,

And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;

# Forfalse witnesses have risen against me,

And such as breathe out violence.

13 Iwouldhavelostheart,unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of theLord

# In the land of the living.

14 Wait on theLord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on theLord!

Rejoicing in Answered Prayer

A

Psalm

of David.

1 To You I will cry, OLordmy Rock:

# Do not be silent to me,

# Lest, if Youaresilent to me,

I become like those who go down to the pit.

2 Hear the voice of my supplications

When I cry to You,

# When I lift up my handstoward Your holy sanctuary.

3 Do not take me away with the wicked

And with the workers of iniquity,

# Who speak peace to their neighbors,

But evilisin their hearts.

4 Give them according to their deeds,

And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;

Give them according to the work of their hands;

Render to them what they deserve.

5 Becausethey do not regard the works of theLord,

Nor the operation of His hands,

He shall destroy them

And not build them up.

6 BlessedbetheLord,

Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!

7 TheLordismy strength and my shield;

# My hearttrusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

And with my song I will praise Him.

8 TheLordistheir strength,

# And Heisthesaving refuge of His anointed.

9 Save Your people,

# And blessYour inheritance;

Shepherd them also,

# And bear them up forever.