Side by side
Psalm 16
Our plain-language guide next to the Bible text. Each row lines up one section with the verses it explains.
Section 1: My Only GoodVerses 1 to 4
"Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge" (16:1).
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing." (16:2).
Everything good comes from God. Apart from him, there is nothing worth having.
He delights in those who follow the LORD, and refuses to follow other gods.
1A Miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge. 2I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” 3As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides. 4Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.
Section 2: A Delightful InheritanceVerses 5 to 8
"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure" (16:5).
Portion and lot refer to inheritance — what is given to you. The LORD himself is David's inheritance.
"The lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places; surely my inheritance is delightful" (16:6).
When land was divided in ancient Israel, boundary lines were measured out. David's portion is God himself, and that is more than enough.
"I will bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night my conscience instructs me" (16:7).
"I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken" (16:8).
5The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. 6The lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places; surely my inheritance is delightful. 7I will bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night my conscience instructs me. 8I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Section 3: Joy Beyond DeathVerses 9 to 11
"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell securely" (16:9).
"For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay" (16:10).
Sheol was the place of the dead. The claim here is extraordinary: God will not leave him there.
"You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand" (16:11).
9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell securely. 10For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. 11You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
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