Psalms 17

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[1]David appealeth to God for his innocence, and prayeth to be saved from his enemies: [10]he sheweth their pride and eagerness to ruin him: [13]he prayeth against worldly men, expressing his own confidence in God.

A Prayer of David.

1. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

2. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.

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.

4. Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

5. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

6. I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

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.

8. Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

9. From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.

10. They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.

11. They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;

12. Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

13. Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

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.

15. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Metrical version

Psalm 17

C.M. St. Peter

LORD, hear the right, attend my cry,
unto my pray'r give heed,
That doth not in hypocrisy
from feigned lips proceed.

And from before thy presence forth
my sentence do thou send:
Toward these things that equal are
do thou thine eyes intend.

Thou prov'dst mine heart, thou visit'dst me
by night, thou didst me try,
Yet nothing found'st; for that my mouth
shall not sin, purposed I.

As for men's works, I, by the word
that from thy lips doth flow,
Did me preserve out of the paths
wherein destroyers go.

Hold up my goings, Lord, me guide
in those thy paths divine,
So that my footsteps may not slide
out of those ways of thine.

I called have on thee, O God,
because thou wilt me hear:
That thou may'st hearken to my speech,
to me incline thine ear.

Thy wondrous loving-kindness show,
thou that, by thy right hand,
Sav'st them that trust in thee from those
that up against them stand.

As th' apple of the eye me keep;
in thy wings' shade me close
From lewd oppressors, compassing
me round, as deadly foes.

In their own fat they are inclosed;
their mouth speaks loftily.
Our steps they compassed; and to ground
down bowing set their eye.

He like unto a lion is
that's greedy of his prey,
Or lion young, which lurking doth
in secret places stay.

Arise, and disappoint my foe,
and cast him down, O LORD:
My soul save from the wicked man,
the man which is thy sword.

From men, which are thy hand, O LORD,
from worldly men me save,
Which only in this present life
their part and portion have.

Whose belly with thy treasure hid
thou fill'st: they children have
In plenty; of their goods the rest
they to their children leave.

But as for me, I thine own face
in righteousness will see;
And with thy likeness, when I wake,
I satisfied shall be.