Psalm 17

A Prayer of David.

17 ¹Hear the right, O Jehovah, attend unto my cry;

Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

²Let my sentence come forth from thy presence;

Let thine eyes look upon equity.

³Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast visited me in the night;

Thou hast tried me, and findest nothing;

I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

⁴As for the works of men, by the word of thy lips

I have kept me from the ways of the violent.

⁵My steps have held fast to thy paths,

My feet have not slipped.

⁶I have called upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, O God:

Incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

⁷Show thy marvellous lovingkindness,

O thou that savest by thy right hand them that take refuge in thee

From those that rise up against them.

⁸Keep me as the apple of the eye;

Hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

⁹From the wicked that oppress me,

My deadly enemies, that compass me about.

¹⁰They are inclosed in their own fat:

With their mouth they speak proudly.

¹¹They have now compassed us in our steps;

They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.

¹²He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey,

And as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

¹³Arise, O Jehovah,

Confront him, cast him down:

Deliver my soul from the wicked by thy sword;

¹⁴From men by thy hand, O Jehovah,

From men of the world, whose portion is in this life,

And whose belly thou fillest with thy treasure:

They are satisfied with children,

And leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

¹⁵As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness;

I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding thy form.