Psalm verses about God's protection, grouped by who or what needs protecting, with the full text and a printable sheet.
The psalms describe protection in pictures: a shield around a person, sheltering wings, a strong tower, a hiding place, a keeper who does not sleep. They are clear that danger is real. Arrows fly, plagues spread, armies camp nearby. Some verses, like Psalm 91, speak as if harm cannot come near. Others, like Psalm 27, speak of shelter in the day of trouble, which assumes the trouble comes. Both kinds are here.
The verses are grouped by what you want protected: yourself, your family and home, your sleep, your health, and people in danger such as soldiers. Two short notes at the end cover Psalm 91 and the eagle's wings. The verses on illness are scripture, not medical treatment. Tick the ones you want and print them together.
The main pictures the psalms use for protection, one verse each.
He will cover you with his feathers.Under his wings you will take refuge.His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Feathers, wings, shield and rampart in one verse. The picture moves from soft cover to a wall of defense, and God's faithfulness is named as the shield.
But you, LORD, are a shield around me,my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
A shield around me, not only in front. The heading places the psalm in David's flight from Absalom, and the same verse says God lifts up his head.
You are my hiding place.You will preserve me from trouble.You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
A hiding place first, then songs of deliverance all around. Protection is pictured as being hidden and then surrounded with song.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
A string of names for God in one line: rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, horn of salvation, high tower. The heading ties it to the day David was delivered from Saul.
For you have been a refuge for me,a strong tower from the enemy.
For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
A refuge and a strong tower from the enemy, said in the past tense. The writer asks for shelter now because it has been given before.
For a household, the people in it, and the coming and going of ordinary days.
Unless the LORD builds the house,they who build it labor in vain.Unless the LORD watches over the city,the watchman guards it in vain.
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Builders and a watchman both work in vain unless the LORD builds and watches. The verse does not tell anyone to stop building or watching. It says who the real keeper is.
The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in,from this time forward, and forever more.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Your going out and your coming in, from this time forward. It covers every trip out of the door and back again.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,so the LORD surrounds his people from this time forward and forever more.
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people. The picture is of a whole people enclosed, which suits a prayer for a family.
The LORD’s angel encamps around those who fear him,and delivers them.
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
The angel of the LORD camps around those who fear him. The picture is a camp pitched around people, not a single rescue.
Short verses for the end of the day.
In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep,for you alone, LORD, make me live in safety.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Lying down and sleeping are both named, and the reason given is safety that comes from God alone.
when I remember you on my bed,and think about you in the night watches.
When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
The writer lies on his bed through the night watches and remembers God. The next verse gives the reason: you have been my help, and I rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
For protection in illness. These are prayers, not medical treatment.
The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive.He shall be blessed on the earth,and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies.
The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive. The next verse moves to the sickbed, so this psalm joins protection from enemies with care in illness.
who redeems your life from destruction,who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Redeems your life from destruction. It follows straight after the line about healing all your diseases, so the two belong together.
For anyone in physical danger, including soldiers and others who work in harm's way.
A thousand may fall at your side,and ten thousand at your right hand;but it will not come near you.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
A thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, and it does not come near. The psalm pictures a battle and the shelter of the one who dwells with the Most High.
LORD, the Lord, the strength of my salvation,you have covered my head in the day of battle.
O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
You have covered my head in the day of battle. The picture is a head covered in the fight, and God is called the strength of my salvation.
For in the day of trouble, he will keep me secretly in his pavilion.In the secret place of his tabernacle, he will hide me.He will lift me up on a rock.
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
In the day of trouble God hides the writer in his pavilion and sets him on a rock. The verse assumes the trouble comes and describes shelter inside it.
Psalm 91 does not mention an eagle. Verse 4 speaks of feathers and wings, and in the Psalms the eagle appears only at Psalm 103:5. The eagle's wings come from other books, such as Exodus 19:4, where God bore Israel on eagles' wings, and Isaiah 40:31, where those who wait for the LORD mount up with wings like eagles. The hymn On Eagle's Wings by Michael Joncas, from 1979, draws on Psalm 91 alongside passages like these.
Psalm 91 is known as the Soldier's Psalm or Soldier's Prayer. Its text shows why people in danger turn to it: it names the arrow that flies by day, the terror by night, and a thousand falling at your side. Most of it is spoken to the reader as you. It ends with God speaking for himself: I will be with him in trouble.
Psalm 91:4 gathers the main pictures in one line: feathers, wings, shield and rampart. Psalm 121 is shorter and speaks of a keeper who does not sleep.
Psalm 127:1 and Psalm 121:8 both fit a household: one is about who keeps the house and the city, the other about every going out and coming in. Psalm 125:2 pictures God surrounding his people as the mountains surround Jerusalem.
Psalm 91. It names arrows, terror by night and a thousand falling at your side, and it ends with God saying he will be with the one who calls on him in trouble.
Psalm 41 moves from being preserved and kept alive to being sustained on a sickbed. Psalm 103:3 and 103:4 put healing and being redeemed from destruction side by side.
Psalm 4:8 names lying down and sleeping in safety. Psalm 121:4 says the one who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalms for Enemies and People Who Are Against YouPsalms for Protection from EvilPsalms for FearPsalms for Sleep and Night PrayerPsalms for Family and HomePsalms for Travel and a Safe Journey