📖 Psalms — Chapter 16 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
Psalms 16:1 RPreserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
Psalms 16:2 O my soul, Rthou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
Psalms 16:3 RBut to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
Psalms 16:4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that Thasten after another god: their Rdrink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
Psalms 16:5 RThe LORD is the portion Tof mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
Psalms 16:6 RThe lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
Psalms 16:7 I will bless the LORD, Rwho hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
Psalms 16:8 RI have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psalms 16:9 Therefore Rmy heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall Trest in hope.
Psalms 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Rneither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the Rpath of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
Psalms 16:1–4 — Refuge and faithful allegiance
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The speaker asks God for preservation and declares trust in him. He delights in God's faithful people and refuses the worship of other gods. The contrast highlights allegiance: seeking divine refuge is joined with refusing rival loyalties that multiply sorrow and draw the heart away from the Lord.
Key Truth: Trust involves faithful allegiance to the Lord.
Check What You Remember
1. What does the speaker ask God to do? (Psalms 16:1)
Find it in Psalms 16:1 (KJV).
2. In whom does he put his trust? (Psalms 16:1)
Find it in Psalms 16:1 (KJV).
3. What is multiplied for those pursuing another god? (Psalms 16:4)
Find it in Psalms 16:4 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Psalms 16:5–8 — The Lord as inheritance and counselor
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The Lord himself is called the speaker's portion, and his heritage is described as good. God gives counsel, and the speaker sets him always before his eyes. Confidence is grounded in God's presence rather than in the size of possessions or an independent ability to secure the future.
Key Truth: The Lord's presence is a rich inheritance.
Check What You Remember
1. Who is the portion of his inheritance? (Psalms 16:5)
Find it in Psalms 16:5 (KJV).
2. Who has given him counsel? (Psalms 16:7)
Find it in Psalms 16:7 (KJV).
3. Where is the Lord in relation to him? (Psalms 16:8)
Find it in Psalms 16:8 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Psalms 16:9–11 — Hope, life, and joy
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The speaker rejoices and rests in hope, declaring that God will not abandon him to the grave. The apostles apply the promise that the Holy One will not see corruption to Jesus' resurrection. The ending locates fullness of joy and lasting pleasure in God's presence.
Key Truth: God's presence gives hope and fullness of joy.
Check What You Remember
1. In what shall his flesh rest? (Psalms 16:9)
Find it in Psalms 16:9 (KJV).
2. Who will not see corruption? (Psalms 16:10)
Find it in Psalms 16:10 (KJV).
3. What is found in God's presence? (Psalms 16:11)
Find it in Psalms 16:11 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Acts 2:31 — Peter applies the promise concerning corruption to Christ's resurrection.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
What does it mean to regard the Lord himself as your portion when circumstances or possessions change?
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. How does the opening make preservation an act of dependence?
2. What refusal distinguishes allegiance from another god?
3. How do portion, cup, lot, and lines portray the LORD’s place?
4. What connects the LORD at his right hand with rest in hope?
5. What does the final verse place alongside the path of life?
Notes
Write what you want to remember, questions to explore, or Scriptures to look up later. Your saved notes are private to your account.
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