Psalm 21

From The Holy Bible New Living Translation

How the king rejoices in your strength,
O LORD!
He shouts with joy because you give him
victory.
For you have given him his heart's desire;
you have withheld nothing he requested.

You welcomed him back with success and
prosperity.
You placed a crown of finest gold
on his head.
He asked you to preserve his life,
and you granted his request.
The days of his life stretch on forever.
your victory brings him great honor,
and you have clothed him with splendor
and majesty.
You have endowed him with eternal blessings
and given him the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the LORD.
The unfailing love of the Most High will
keep him from stumbling.

You will capture all your enemies.
Your strong right hand will seize all who
hate you.
You will throw them in a flaming furnace
when you appear.
The LORD will consume them in his anger;
fire will devour them.
You will wipe their children from the face of 
the earth;
they will never have descendants.
Although they plot against you,
their evil schemes will never succeed.
For they will turn and run
when they see your arrows aimed at them.
Rise up, O LORD, in all your power.
With music and singing we celebrate your
mighty acts.

Psalm 20

From The New Living Translation Bible

In times of trouble may the LORD answer 
your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you
from all harm.
May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.
May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

May he grant your heart's desires
and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy when we hear
of your victory
and raise a victory banner in the name
of our God.
May the LORD answer all your prayers.

Now I know that the LORD rescues his 
anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
and rescue him by his great power.
Some nations boast of their chariots and
horses,
but we boast in the name of the LORD our
God.
Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm.

Give victory to our king, O LORD!
Answer our cry for help.

Psalm 19

From The Message by Eugene H. Peterson


God's glory is on tour in the skies,
God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
Professor Night lectures each evening.

Their words aren't heard,
their voices aren't recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

God makes a huge dome
for the sun---a superdome!
The morning sun's a new husband
leaping from his honeymoon bed, 
The daybreaking sun an athlete
racing to the tape.

That's how God's Word vaults across the skies
from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
warming hearts to faith.

The revelation of Yahweh is whole
and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of Yahweh are clear
and point out the right road.
The life-maps of Yahweh are right,
showing the way to joy.
The directions of Yahweh are plain
and easy on the eyes.
Yahweh's reputation is twenty-four carat gold,
with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of Yahweh are accurate
down to the nth degree.

God's Word is better than a diamond,
better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You'll like it better than strawberries in spring,
better than red, ripe strawberries.

There's more: God's Word warns us of danger
and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
Or know when we play the fool?

Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
Keep me from stupid sins,
from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
on the morning altar,
O, God, my Altar-Rock,
God, Priest-of-My Altar.