PSALM CXLIII.

1 David prayeth for favour in judgment. 3 He complaineth of his griefs. 5 He strengtheneth his faith by meditation and prayer. 7 He prayeth for grace, 9 for deliverance, 10 for sanctification, 12 for destruction of his enemies.

A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: A.C. 1023. in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in a Ex. xxxiv. thy sight shall no man living be justified.

3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

7. Rom. iii, 20. Gal. ii, 16.

7 Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, * lest I be like unto them that go down *Or, for I am into the pit.

8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

become like,

&c.

me with thee.

9 Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I +flee unto + Heb, hide thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

11 Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

PSALM CXLIV.

1 David blesseth God for his mercy both to him and to man. 5 He prayeth that God would powerfully deliver him from his enemies. 9 He promiseth to praise God. 11 He prayeth for the happy state of the kingdom.

A Psalm of David.

b

1 Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands § to war, and my fingers to fight:

2 | My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

3d LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!

of

A.C. 1023.

e Job iv. 14. 2. Ps. xxxix. 5.

f Ps. xviii. 13, 14.

*Heb. hands.

+ Or, victory.

+ Heb. cut.

Heb. from

kind to kind.

Heb. able to bear burdens, or, loaden with flesh.

g Ps. xxxiii.

12. & lxv. 4.

h Ps. xl. 13, &c.

*Heb. to my help.

i Ps. xxxv. 4.

26. & lxxi. 13.

4 ⚫ Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

5 Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down : touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.

7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;

8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.

10 It is he that giveth + salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.

11 Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:

12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, ‡ polished after the similitude of a palace:

13 That our garners may be full, affording § all manner of store that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:

14 That our oxen may be || strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.

g

15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

PSALM LXX.

David soliciteth God to the speedy destruction of the wicked, and preservation of

h

the godly.

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. 1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.'

i Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.

3 Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.

4 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

5 But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.

PSALM LXXI.

1 David, in confidence of faith, and experience of God's favour, prayeth both for himself, and against the enemies of his soul. 14 He promiseth constancy. 17 He prayeth for perseverance. 19 He praiseth God, and promiseth to do it cheerfully.

1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be A.C. 1023. put to confusion.

2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

:

3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that +lay wait for my soul take counsel together,

11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.

14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.

18 Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed § thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

k Ps. xxxi. 1.

Heb. Be rock of habi

thou to me for

a

tation.

↑ Heb watch, or, observe.

old age and

Heb. unto grey hairs

Heb. thine

arm.

774

A.C. 1023.

*Heb. with

the instru

19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy ment of psal truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, Ó thou Holy One of Israel.

tery.

23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

2 SAMUEL XVIII.

6 The

1 David viewing the armies in their march giveth them charge of Absalom. Israelites are sore smitten in the wood of Ephraim. 9 Absalom hanging in an oak is slain by Joab, and cast into a pit. 18 Absalom's place. 19 Akimaaz and Cushi bring tidings to David. 33 David mourneth for Absalom.

1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds

over them.

2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. 3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou § succour us out of the city.

4 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;

7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.

8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all A. C. 1023. the country and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

And

9 And Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.

10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.

* Heb. multiplied to devour.

upon mine

hand.

+ Heb. Beware whosoever ye be of,

12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should re- + Heb. weigh ceive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. 13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me. 14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus § with thee. Heb. before And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about, and smote Absalom, and slew him.

16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.

17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him and all Israel fled every one to his tent.

&c.

thee.

|| Heb. heart.

18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he Gen. xiv. said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and

he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.

19 ¶ Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.

:

20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's is dead.

*Heb. judged him from the

hand, &c.

+ Heb. be a

but man of son

21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.

tidings.