Psalms 17:1-15

Psalms 17:1-15 The Message (MSG)

Listen while I build my case, GOD, the most honest prayer you’ll ever hear. Show the world I’m innocent— in your heart you know I am. Go ahead, examine me from inside out, surprise me in the middle of the night— You’ll find I’m just what I say I am. My words don’t run loose. I’m not trying to get my way in the world’s way. I’m trying to get your way, your Word’s way. I’m staying on your trail; I’m putting one foot In front of the other. I’m not giving up. I call to you, God, because I’m sure of an answer. So—answer! bend your ear! listen sharp! Paint grace-graffiti on the fences; take in your frightened children who Are running from the neighborhood bullies straight to you. Keep your eye on me; hide me under your cool wing feathers From the wicked who are out to get me, from mortal enemies closing in. Their hearts are hard as nails, their mouths blast hot air. They are after me, nipping my heels, determined to bring me down, Lions ready to rip me apart, young lions poised to pounce. Up, GOD: beard them! break them! By your sword, free me from their clutches; Barehanded, GOD, break these mortals, these flat-earth people who can’t think beyond today. I’d like to see their bellies swollen with famine food, The weeds they’ve sown harvested and baked into famine bread, With second helpings for their children and crusts for their babies to chew on. And me? I plan on looking you full in the face. When I get up, I’ll see your full stature and live heaven on earth.

Psalms 17:1-15 King James Version (KJV)

Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; Let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. 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. Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: Incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. 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. Keep me as the apple of the eye, Hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, From my deadly enemies, who compass me about. They are inclosed in their own fat: With their mouth they speak proudly. They have now compassed us in our steps: They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, And as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: Deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: 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. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Psalms 17:1-15 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)

Hear a just cause, O LORD, give heed to my cry; Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. Let my judgment come forth from Your presence; Let Your eyes look with equity. You have tried my heart; You have visited me by night; You have tested me and You find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept from the paths of the violent. My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped. I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech. Wondrously show Your lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand From those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings From the wicked who despoil me, My deadly enemies who surround me. They have closed their unfeeling heart, With their mouth they speak proudly. They have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground. He is like a lion that is eager to tear, And as a young lion lurking in hiding places. Arise, O LORD, confront him, bring him low; Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword, From men with Your hand, O LORD, From men of the world, whose portion is in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And leave their abundance to their babes. As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.

Psalms 17:1-15 New Century Version (NCV)

LORD, hear me begging for fairness; listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, because I speak the truth. You will judge that I am right; your eyes can see what is true. You have examined my heart; you have tested me all night. You questioned me without finding anything wrong; I have not sinned with my mouth. I have obeyed your commands, so I have not done what evil people do. I have done what you told me; I have not failed. I call to you, God, and you answer me. Listen to me now, and hear what I say. Your love is wonderful. By your power you save those who trust you from their enemies. Protect me as you would protect your own eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings. Keep me from the wicked who attack me, from my enemies who surround me. They are selfish and brag about themselves. They have chased me until they have surrounded me. They plan to throw me to the ground. They are like lions ready to kill; like lions, they sit in hiding. LORD, rise up, face the enemy, and throw them down. Save me from the wicked with your sword. LORD, save me by your power from those whose reward is in this life. They have plenty of food. They have many sons and leave much money to their children. Because I have lived right, I will see your face. When I wake up, I will see your likeness and be satisfied.

Psalms 17:1-15 American Standard Version (ASV)

Hear the right, O Jehovah, attend unto my cry; Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; Let thine eyes look upon equity. Thou 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. As for the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast to thy paths, My feet have not slipped. I have called upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, O God: Incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them that take refuge in thee From those that rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, My deadly enemies, that compass me about. They are inclosed in their own fat: With their mouth they speak proudly. They have now compassed us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth. He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey, And as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. Arise, O Jehovah, Confront him, cast him down: Deliver my soul from the wicked by thy sword; From 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. As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding thy form.

Psalms 17:1-15 New International Version (NIV)

Hear me, LORD, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded. My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled. I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in cover. Rise up, LORD, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked. By your hand save me from such people, LORD, from those of this world whose reward is in this life. May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies; may their children gorge themselves on it, and may there be leftovers for their little ones. As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Psalms 17:1-15 New King James Version (NKJV)

Hear a just cause, O LORD, Attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright. You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. Concerning the works of men, By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip. I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me. They have closed up their fat hearts; With their mouths they speak proudly. They have now surrounded us in our steps; They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth, As a lion is eager to tear his prey, And like a young lion lurking in secret places. Arise, O LORD, Confront him, cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, With Your hand from men, O LORD, From men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their possession for their babes. As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Psalms 17:1-15 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Hear the just (righteous) cause, O LORD; listen to my loud [piercing] cry; Listen to my prayer, that comes from guileless lips. Let my verdict of vindication come from Your presence; May Your eyes look with equity and behold things that are just. You have tried my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tested me and You find nothing [evil in me]; I intend that my mouth will not transgress. Concerning the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept away from the paths of the violent. My steps have held closely to Your paths; My feet have not staggered. I have called upon You, for You, O God, will answer me; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech. Wondrously show Your [marvelous and amazing] lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand From those who rise up against them. Keep me [in Your affectionate care, protect me] as the apple of Your eye; Hide me in the [protective] shadow of Your wings From the wicked who despoil and deal violently with me, My deadly enemies who surround me. They have closed their unfeeling heart [to kindness and compassion]; With their mouths they speak proudly and make presumptuous claims. They track us down and have now surrounded us in our steps; They set their eyes to force us to the ground, He is like a lion eager to tear [his prey], And like a young lion lurking in hiding places. Arise, O LORD, confront him, cast him down; Save my soul from the wicked with Your sword, From men with Your hand, O LORD, From men of the world [these moths of the night] whose portion [of enjoyment] is in this life—idle and vain, And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And they leave what they have left [of wealth] to their children. As for me, I shall see Your face in righteousness; I will be [fully] satisfied when I awake [to find myself] seeing Your likeness.

Psalms 17:1-15 New Living Translation (NLT)

O LORD, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips. Declare me innocent, for you see those who do right. You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. I am determined not to sin in what I say. I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people. My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies. Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. Protect me from wicked people who attack me, from murderous enemies who surround me. They are without pity. Listen to their boasting! They track me down and surround me, watching for the chance to throw me to the ground. They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart— like young lions hiding in ambush. Arise, O LORD! Stand against them, and bring them to their knees! Rescue me from the wicked with your sword! By the power of your hand, O LORD, destroy those who look to this world for their reward. But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones. May their children have plenty, leaving an inheritance for their descendants. Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.

Psalms 17:1-15 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Listen to me, Lord. Hear the passionate prayer of this honest man. My cause is just and my need is real. I’ve done what’s right and my lips speak truth. Examine and exonerate me. Vindicate me and show the world I’m innocent. For in a visitation of the night you inspected my heart and refined my soul in fire until nothing vile was found in me. I will not sin with my words. Following your word has kept me from wrong. Your ways have molded my footsteps, keeping me from going down the paths of the violent. My steps follow in the tracks of your chariot wheels, always staying in their path, never straying from your way. You will answer me, God; I know you always will. Hear my words like you always do as you listen to my every prayer. Magnify the marvels of your mercy to all who seek you. You are the loving Savior of all who turn aside to hide themselves in you. Protect me from harm; keep an eye on me as you would a child who is reflected in the twinkling of your eye. Yes, hide me within the shelter of your embrace, under your outstretched wings. Protect me there from all my foes. For there are many who surround my soul to completely destroy me. They are pitiless, heartless—hard as nails, swollen with pride and filled with arrogance! See how they close in on me, waiting for the chance to throw me to the ground. They’re like lions eager to tear me apart, like young and fearless lions lurking in secret, so ferocious and cruel—ready to rip me to shreds. Arise, God, and confront them! Challenge them with your might! Free me from their clutches and rescue me from their rage. Throw them down to the ground, those who live for only this life on earth. Thrust them out of their prosperity and into their portion in eternity, leaving their wealth and wickedness behind! As for me, because I am innocent, I will see your face until I see you for who you really are. I will be satisfied in an awakening of your likeness in me!

Psalms 17:1-15 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)

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 hearts 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.