Day 166, Psalms 13-17

Psalm 13
How Long, O Lord?

TO THE CHOIRMASTER.
A PSALM OF DAVID.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
let my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

*A cry to the Lord for deliverance from a serious illness that threatens death, which would give David’s enemies just what they wanted.

Psalm 14
The Fool Says, There Is No God

TO THE CHOIRMASTER.
OF DAVID.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is non who does good.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.

They have all turned aside;
together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.

Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
who eat up my people as they eat bread
and do not call upon the Lord?

There they are in great terror,
for God is with the generation of the righteous.
You would shame the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is his refuge.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

*A testimony concerning the folly of evil men. This psalm has many links with Psalms 10; 12. It shares the view of Psalm 11 that the righteous Lord is on the throne, and it stands in contrast with Psalm 15, which describes those who are acceptable to God. Psalm 53 is a somewhat revised duplicate of this psalm.

Psalm 15
Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?

A PSALM OF DAVID.

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
who does not put out his money at interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

*Instruction to those who wish to have access to God at his temple.

Psalm 16
You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A MIKTAM OF DAVID.

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”

As for the saints in the land,
they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those who run after
another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand,
I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad,
and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

*A prayer for safekeeping (the petition element in prayer psalms is often relatively short), pleading for the Lord’s protection against the threat of death. It could also be called a psalm of trust.

Psalm 17
In the Shadow of Your Wings

A PRAYER OF DAVID.

Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
From your presence let my vindication come!
Let your eyes behold the right!

You have tried my heart,
you have visited me by night,
you have tested me,
and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
With regard to the works of man,
by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.

I call upon you,
for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me, hear my words.
Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O Savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
from the wicked who do me violence,
my deadly enemies who surround me.

They close their heart to pity;
with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
They have now surrounded our steps;
they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
He is like a lion eager to tear,
as a young lion lurking in ambush.

Arise, O Lord!
Confront him, subdue him!
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
from men by your hand, O Lord,
from men of the world whose portion is in this life.
You fill their womb with treasure;
they are satisfied with children,
and they leave their abundance to their infants.

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

*The psalmist appeals to the Lord as Judge, when under attack by ungodly foes. The psalm reflects many of the Hebrew conventions of lodging a judicial appeal before the king.