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Longing for God

A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.[a]

63 O God, you are my God;
I will seek you diligently.
My soul thirsts for you; my flesh longs for you
as in a dry and weary land without water.
Thus I have seen you in the sanctuary,
beholding your strength and glory.
Because your loyal love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you while I live.
I will lift up my hands[b] in your name.
My soul will be satisfied as with the best and richest food,
and with joyful lips my mouth will praise.
When I remember you on my bed,
I meditate on you in the night watches.
Because you have been my help,
therefore[c] in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to[d] you;
your right hand upholds me.
But as for them who seek my life for ruin,
they will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They who would deliver him to the sword[e]
will become a portion for jackals.
11 However, the king will rejoice in God.
Everyone who swears an oath by him will boast,
because the mouth of the liars will be stopped.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 63:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 63:4 Hebrew “palms”
  3. Psalm 63:7 Hebrew “and”
  4. Psalm 63:8 Or “follows hard after”
  5. Psalm 63:10 Literally “pour him out to the hands of the sword”

Psalm 63[a]

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,(A)
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.(B)

I have seen you in the sanctuary(C)
    and beheld your power and your glory.(D)
Because your love is better than life,(E)
    my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,(F)
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.(G)
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;(H)
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
    I think of you through the watches of the night.(I)
Because you are my help,(J)
    I sing in the shadow of your wings.(K)
I cling to you;(L)
    your right hand upholds me.(M)

Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;(N)
    they will go down to the depths of the earth.(O)
10 They will be given over to the sword(P)
    and become food for jackals.(Q)

11 But the king will rejoice in God;
    all who swear by God will glory in him,(R)
    while the mouths of liars will be silenced.(S)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 63:1 In Hebrew texts 63:1-11 is numbered 63:2-12.

63 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.