2 Jehovah looketh down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any, that have understanding; That have regard to God. 3 They are all gone out of the way; they are every one 4 corrupt; There is none that doth good; no, not one. Shall not the evil doers be requited, And call not upon Jehovah? 5 Yea, then shall they be in great fear; For Jehovah is with the race of the righteous. 6 Ye deride the conduct of the poor; 7 But the Lord is their refuge. O that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When Jehovah bringeth back the captives of his people; Then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel be glad. PSALM XV. The qualifications of an acceptable worshipper. This psalm may have been composed when David removed the ark to the tabernacle on mount Zion; 2 Sam. ch. vi. 1 2 A psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide at thy tabernacle, Who shall dwell upon thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and doth righteousness, And speaketh the truth from his heart; 3 He that slandereth not with his tongue; That doth no injury to his neighbour ; And uttereth no reproach against his neighbour. 4 He, in whose eyes the worthless are contemptible; But who honoreth them that fear the Lord; He, that sweareth to his neighbour, and changeth not; 5 He that lendeth not his money for interest, Nor accepteth a gift against the innocent; PSALM XVI. The person, who is the subject of this psalm, expresses his entire dependence upon God, his gratitude for divine goodness, his satisfaction with the condition assigned him, and his firm hopes of future protection and favor. This psalm is considered by the Apostles Peter and Paul, as prophetic of the Messiah. Some Christians, who believe the Apostles to be inspired as teachers of the Christian system, rather than as reasoners and interpreters, suppose David, or the author of the psalm, to be the only person described in it. A psalm of David. 1 PRESERVE me, O God, for to thee do I look for help; 2 I have said to Jehovah, Thou art my Lord; I have no happiness without thee ! 3 The holy that are in the land, and the excellent, In them is all my delight. 4 They, who hasten after other gods, shall have multi plied sorrows ; Their drink-offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor will I take their names upon my lips. 5 Jehovah is my portion and my cup; Thou wilt maintain my lot! 6 My portion hath fallen to me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly inheritance. 7 I will bless the Lord, who careth for me; Yea, in the night my heart admonisheth me. SI set the Lord before me at all times; Since he is at my right hand, I shall not fall. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my spirit rejoiceth; My flesh also dwelleth in security. 10 For thou wilt not give me up to the grave; 11 Thou wilt show me the path of life; In thy presence is fulness of joy ; At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. V.7. Admonisheth me, i. e. to bless him.-V. 10. The pit. See Ps. xxx. 3,9; xlix. 9; Job xxxiii. 18. PSALM XVII. A prayer for help against impious enemies; together with expressions of confidence in the favor of God. 1 A psalm of David. HEAR the righteous cause, O Lord, Attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer from lips without deceit ! 2 May my sentence come forth from thy presence; May thine eyes behold uprightness ! 3 Prove my heart; visit me in the night; Try me like gold, and thou shalt find nothing! 4 My thoughts do not vary from my lips ; As to the deeds of men, Through the word of thy lips I have shunned the paths of the destroyer. 5 Support my steps in thy paths, 6 That my feet may not slip! I call upon thee, O God, for thou wilt hear me ; Incline thine ear to me, and listen to my prayer! 7 Show forth thy loving-kindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand, Them that have recourse to thee from their adversaries. 8 Guard me as the apple of the eye; Hide me under the shadow of thy wings, 9 From the wicked, who assault me, From my deadly enemies, who compass me about! 10 They shut up their hard heart; With their mouth they speak haughtily. 11 They encompass us in all our steps; They fix their eyes upon us, that they may cast us up on the ground. 12 They are like a lion, eager for his prey; Like a young lion, lurking in secret places. 13 Arise, O Lord, disappoint them, cast them down! Deliver me from the wicked by thy sword; 14 From men, by thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, Whose portion is in life; whom thou loadest with treasure; Whose children have enough, and leave their superfluity to their posterity. 15 But I through righteousness shall see thy face; I shall be satisfied with the revival of thy countenance. V. 3. In the night, i. e. when I have all the temptation to evil thoughts and designs, which perfect secrecy can suggest. PSALM XVIII. This psalm is the same with that in 2 Sam. ch. xxii, with some small variations and additions. For the leader of the music. A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spake to the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, 1 I LOVE thee, O Jehovah, my strength! 2 Jehovah is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer ; My God, my strength, in whom I trust; My shield, my strong defence, and my high tower. 3 I called upon God, who is worthy to be praised, And was delivered from my enemies. 4 The snares of death encompassed me ; The waves of destruction filled me with dismay; 5 The snares of the grave surrounded me, And the nets of death seized upon me. 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried unto my God; He heard my voice from his palace, And my cry came before him into his ears. 7 Then the earth quaked and trembled ; The foundations of the mountains rocked and were shaken, Because his wrath was kindled, 8 A smoke went up from his nostrils; And fire from his mouth devoured; Burning coals shot forth from him. 9 He bowed the heavens, and came down ; And darkness was under his feet; . |