16:5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
16:6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
16:7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in h.e.l.l; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
17:1 Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
17:2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
17:3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
17:4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
17:5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
17:6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O G.o.d: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
17:7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
17:9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compa.s.s me about.
17:10 They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
17:11 They have now compa.s.sed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
17:12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
17:13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
17:14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
18:1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my G.o.d, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
18:3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
18:4 The sorrows of death compa.s.sed me, and the floods of unG.o.dly men made me afraid.
18:5 The sorrows of h.e.l.l compa.s.sed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my G.o.d: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
18:8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
18:10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
18:11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
18:12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds pa.s.sed, hail stones and coals of fire.
18:13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
18:14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
18:15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
18:16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
18:17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18:18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
18:19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
18:20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
18:21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my G.o.d.
18:22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
18:23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
18:24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
18:25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
18:26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
18:27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my G.o.d will enlighten my darkness.