October 18 – Psalms 143 and 144 from the Old Testament
Psalms 143 and 144 – Psalm 143
A psalm of David.
143:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my plea for help!
Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me!
143:2 Do not sit in judgment on your servant,
for no one alive is innocent before you.
143:3 Certainly my enemies chase me.
They smash me into the ground.
They force me to live in dark regions,
like those who have been dead for ages.
143:4 My strength leaves me;
I am absolutely shocked.
143:5 I recall the old days;
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on your accomplishments.
143:6 I spread my hands out to you in prayer;
my soul thirsts for you in a parched land.
143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!
My strength is fading.
Do not reject me,
or I will join those descending into the grave.
143:8 May I hear about your loyal love in the morning,
for I trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
because I long for you.
143:9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord!
I run to you for protection.
143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you,
for you are my God.
May your kind presence
lead me into a level land.
143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, revive me!
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble!
143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, destroy my enemies!
Annihilate all who threaten my life,
for I am your servant.
Psalm 144
By David.
144:1 The Lord, my protector, deserves praise –
the one who trains my hands for battle,
and my fingers for war,
144:2 who loves me and is my stronghold,
my refuge and my deliverer,
my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,
who makes nations submit to me.
144:3 O Lord, of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them?
Of what importance is mankind, that you should be concerned about them?
144:4 People are like a vapor,
their days like a shadow that disappears.
144:5 O Lord, make the sky sink and come down!
Touch the mountains and make them smolder!
144:6 Hurl lightning bolts and scatter them!
Shoot your arrows and rout them!
144:7 Reach down from above!
Grab me and rescue me from the surging water,
from the power of foreigners,
144:8 who speak lies,
and make false promises.
144:9 O God, I will sing a new song to you!
Accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, I will sing praises to you,
144:10 the one who delivers kings,
and rescued David his servant from a deadly sword.
144:11 Grab me and rescue me from the power of foreigners,
who speak lies,
and make false promises.
144:12 Then our sons will be like plants,
that quickly grow to full size.
Our daughters will be like corner pillars,
carved like those in a palace.
144:13 Our storehouses will be full,
providing all kinds of food.
Our sheep will multiply by the thousands
and fill our pastures.
144:14 Our cattle will be weighted down with produce.
No one will break through our walls,
no one will be taken captive,
and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares.
144:15 How blessed are the people who experience these things!
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
