Psalm 19-27

New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The ^(A)heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their ^(B)expanse declares the work of His hands.
²Day to ^(C)day pours forth speech,
And ^(D)night to night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
⁴Their ^[a]^(E)line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has ^(F)placed a tent for the sun,
⁵Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
⁶Its ^(G)rising is from ^[b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the ^[c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷^(H)The Law of the Lord is ^[d]^(I)perfect, ^(J)restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is ^(K)sure, making ^(L)wise the simple.
⁸The precepts of the Lord are ^(M)right, ^(N)rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is ^(O)pure, ^(P)enlightening the eyes.
⁹The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are ^(Q)true; they are ^(R)righteous altogether.
¹⁰They are more desirable than ^(S)gold, yes, than much pure gold;
^(T)Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹Moreover, ^(U)Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great ^(V)reward.
¹²Who can ^(W)discern his errors? ^(X)Acquit me of ^(Y)hidden faults.
¹³Also keep Your servant back ^(Z)from presumptuous sins;
Let them not ^(AA)rule over me;
Then I will be ^(AB)innocent,
And I will be blameless of ^(AC)great wrongdoing.
¹⁴May the words of my mouth and ^(AD)the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, ^(AE)my rock and my ^(AF)Redeemer.

Prayer for Victory over Enemies.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

20 May the Lord answer you ^(AG)on a day of trouble!
May the ^(AH)name of the ^(AI)God of Jacob ^[e]protect you!
²May He send you help ^(AJ)from the sanctuary,
And ^(AK)support you from Zion!
³May He ^(AL)remember all your meal offerings
And ^[f]^(AM)accept your burnt offering! Selah

⁴May He grant you your ^(AN)heart’s desire
And ^(AO)fulfill your whole plan!
⁵^[g]We will ^(AP)sing for joy over your ^[h]victory,
And in the name of our God we will ^(AQ)set up our banners.
May the Lord ^(AR)fulfill all your desires.

⁶Now ^(AS)I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will ^(AT)answer him from His holy heaven
With the ^[i]^(AU)saving strength of His right hand.
⁷Some praise their chariots and some their ^(AV)horses,
But ^(AW)we will praise the name of the Lord, our God.
⁸They have ^(AX)bowed down and fallen,
But we have ^(AY)risen and stood upright.
⁹^[j]^(AZ)Save, Lord;
May the ^(BA)King answer us on the day we call.

Praise for Salvation.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

21 Lord, in Your strength the king will ^(BB)be glad,
And in Your ^[k]salvation how greatly he will rejoice!
²You have ^(BC)given him his heart’s desire,
And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
³For You ^(BD)meet him with the blessings of good things;
You set a ^(BE)crown of pure gold on his head.
⁴He asked for life from You,
You ^(BF)gave it to him,
^(BG)Length of days forever and ever.
⁵His ^(BH)glory is great through Your ^[l]salvation,
^(BI)Splendor and majesty You place upon him.
⁶For You make him ^[m]most ^(BJ)blessed forever;
You make him joyful ^(BK)with the joy of Your presence.

⁷For the king ^(BL)trusts in the Lord,
And through the faithfulness of the Most High ^(BM)he will not be shaken.
⁸Your hand will ^(BN)find all your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate you.
⁹You will make them ^(BO)as a fiery oven in the time ^[n]of your anger;
The Lord will ^(BP)swallow them up in His wrath,
And ^(BQ)fire will devour them.
¹⁰You will eliminate their ^[o]descendants from the earth,
And their ^[p]^(BR)children from among the sons of mankind.
¹¹Though they ^[q]^(BS)intended evil against You
And ^(BT)devised a plot,
They will not succeed.
¹²For You will ^(BU)make them turn their back;
You will take aim at their faces ^(BV)with Your bowstrings.
¹³Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength;
We will ^(BW)sing and praise Your power.

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.

For the music director; upon ^[r]Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.

22 ^(BX)My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
^(BY)Far from my ^[s]help are the words of my ^[t]^(BZ)groaning.
²My God, I ^(CA)cry out by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but ^[u]I have no rest.
³Yet ^(CB)You are holy,
You who ^[v]are enthroned upon ^(CC)the praises of Israel.
⁴In You our fathers ^(CD)trusted;
They trusted and You ^(CE)rescued them.
⁵To You they cried out and they fled to safety;
^(CF)In You they trusted and were not ^[w]disappointed.

⁶But I am a ^(CG)worm and not a person,
A ^(CH)disgrace of mankind and ^(CI)despised by the people.
⁷All who see me ^(CJ)deride me;
They ^[x]sneer, they ^(CK)shake their heads, saying,
⁸“^[y]Turn ^[z]him over to the Lord; ^(CL)let Him save him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

⁹Yet You are He who ^(CM)brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰I was cast upon You ^(CN)from ^[aa]birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

¹¹^(CO)Do not be far from me, for ^[ab]trouble is near;
For there is ^(CP)no one to help.
¹²Many ^(CQ)bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of ^(CR)Bashan have encircled me.
¹³They ^(CS)open their mouths wide at me,
As a ravening and roaring ^(CT)lion.
¹⁴I am ^(CU)poured out like water,
And all my ^(CV)bones are out of joint;
My ^(CW)heart is like wax;
It is melted within ^[ac]me.
¹⁵My ^(CX)strength is dried up like a piece of pottery,
And ^(CY)my tongue clings to my jaws;
And You ^(CZ)lay me ^[ad]in the dust of death.
¹⁶For ^(DA)dogs have surrounded me;
^[ae]A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
^[af]They ^(DB)pierced my hands and my feet.
¹⁷I can count all my bones.
^(DC)They look, they stare at me;
¹⁸They ^(DD)divide my garments among them,
And they cast lots for my clothing.

¹⁹But You, Lord, ^(DE)do not be far away;
You who are my help, ^(DF)hurry to my assistance.
²⁰Save my ^[ag]soul from ^(DG)the sword,
My ^(DH)only life from the ^[ah]power of the dog.
²¹Save me from the ^(DI)lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the ^(DJ)wild oxen You ^(DK)answer me.

²²I will ^(DL)proclaim Your name to my brothers;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
²³^(DM)You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
All you ^[ai]descendants of Jacob, ^(DN)glorify Him,
And ^(DO)stand in awe of Him, all you ^[aj]descendants of Israel.
²⁴For He has ^(DP)not despised nor scorned the suffering of the afflicted;
Nor has He ^(DQ)hidden His face from him;
But ^(DR)when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

²⁵From You comes ^(DS)my praise in the great assembly;
I shall ^(DT)pay my vows before those who fear Him.
²⁶The ^[ak]afflicted will eat and ^(DU)be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will ^(DV)praise the Lord.
May your ^(DW)heart live forever!
²⁷All the ^(DX)ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the ^(DY)families of the nations will worship before ^[al]You.
²⁸For the ^(DZ)kingdom is the Lord’s
And He ^(EA)rules over the nations.
²⁹All the ^[am]^(EB)prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who ^(EC)go down to the dust will kneel before Him,
Even he who ^[an]^(ED)cannot keep his soul alive.
³⁰A ^[ao]^(EE)posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to ^(EF)the coming generation.
³¹They will come and ^(EG)will declare His righteousness
To a people ^(EH)who will be born, that He has performed it.

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my ^(EI)shepherd,
I will ^(EJ)not be in need.
²He lets me lie down in ^(EK)green pastures;
He ^(EL)leads me beside ^[ap]^(EM)quiet waters.
³He ^(EN)restores my soul;
He ^(EO)guides me in the ^[aq]^(EP)paths of righteousness
For the sake of His name.

⁴Even though I ^(EQ)walk through the ^[ar]valley of the shadow of death,
I ^(ER)fear no ^[as]evil, for ^(ES)You are with me;
Your ^(ET)rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
⁵You ^(EU)prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You ^[at]have ^(EV)anointed my head with oil;
My ^(EW)cup overflows.
⁶^[au]Certainly ^(EX)goodness and ^[av]faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,
And my ^(EY)dwelling will be in the house of the Lord ^[aw]forever.

The King of Glory Entering Zion.

A Psalm of David.

24 The ^(EZ)earth is the Lord’s, and ^[ax]all it contains,
The ^(FA)world, and those who live in it.
²For He has ^(FB)founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
³Who may ^(FC)ascend onto the ^(FD)hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy ^(FE)place?
⁴One who has ^(FF)clean hands and a ^(FG)pure heart,
Who has not ^(FH)lifted up his soul to deceit
And has not ^(FI)sworn deceitfully.
⁵He will receive a ^(FJ)blessing from the Lord
And ^[ay]^(FK)righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶^[az]This is the generation of those who ^(FL)seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah

⁷^(FM)Lift up your heads, you gates,
And be lifted up, you ^[ba]ancient doors,
That the King of ^(FN)glory may come in!
⁸Who is the King of glory?
The Lord ^(FO)strong and mighty,
The Lord ^(FP)mighty in battle.
⁹Lift up your heads, you gates,
And lift them up, you ^[bb]ancient doors,
That the King of ^(FQ)glory may come in!
¹⁰Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of ^(FR)armies,
He is the King of glory. Selah

Prayer for Protection, Guidance, and Pardon.

A Psalm of David.

25 To You, Lord, I ^(FS)lift up my soul.
²My God, in You ^(FT)I trust,
Do not let me ^(FU)be ashamed;
Do not let my ^(FV)enemies rejoice over me.
³Indeed, ^(FW)none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
^[bc]Those who ^(FX)deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

⁴^(FY)Make me know Your ways, Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
⁵Lead me in ^(FZ)Your truth and teach me,
For You are the ^(GA)God of my salvation;
For You I ^(GB)wait all the day.
⁶^(GC)Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithfulness,
For they have been ^[bd]^(GD)from of old.
⁷Do not remember the ^(GE)sins of my youth or my wrongdoings;
^(GF)Remember me according to Your faithfulness,
For Your ^(GG)goodness’ sake, Lord.

⁸^(GH)The Lord is good and ^(GI)upright;
Therefore He ^(GJ)instructs sinners in the way.
⁹He ^(GK)leads the ^[be]humble in justice,
And He ^(GL)teaches the ^[bf]humble His way.
¹⁰All the paths of the Lord are ^(GM)faithfulness and truth
To ^(GN)those who comply with His covenant and His testimonies.
¹¹For the ^(GO)sake of Your name, Lord,
^(GP)Forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great.

¹²Who is the person who ^(GQ)fears the Lord?
He will ^(GR)instruct him in the way he should choose.
¹³His soul will ^(GS)dwell in ^[bg]prosperity,
And his ^[bh]descendants will ^(GT)inherit the ^[bi]land.
¹⁴The ^[bj]^(GU)secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
^[bk]And He will ^(GV)make them know His covenant.
¹⁵My ^(GW)eyes are continually toward the Lord,
For He will ^[bl]^(GX)rescue my feet from the net.

¹⁶^(GY)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am ^(GZ)lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷^[bm]The ^(HA)troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me ^(HB)out of my distresses.
¹⁸^(HC)Look at my misery and my trouble,
And ^(HD)forgive all my sins.
¹⁹Look at my enemies, for they ^(HE)are many,
And they ^(HF)hate me with violent hatred.
²⁰^(HG)Guard my soul and save me;
Do not let me ^(HH)be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
²¹Let ^(HI)integrity and uprightness protect me,
For ^(HJ)I wait for You.
²²^(HK)Redeem Israel, God,
From all his distress.

Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.

A Psalm of David.

26 ^[bn]^(HL)Vindicate me, Lord, for I have ^(HM)walked in my integrity,
And I have ^(HN)trusted in the Lord ^[bo]^(HO)without wavering.
²^(HP)Examine me, Lord, and put me to the test;
^(HQ)Refine my ^[bp]mind and my heart.
³For Your ^(HR)^[bq]goodness is before my eyes,
And I have ^(HS)walked in Your truth.
⁴I do not ^(HT)sit with ^[br]deceitful people,
Nor will I go with ^[bs]^(HU)pretenders.
⁵I ^(HV)hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
⁶I will ^(HW)wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go around ^(HX)Your altar, Lord,
⁷That I may proclaim with the voice of ^(HY)thanksgiving
And declare all Your ^[bt]wonders.

⁸Lord, I ^(HZ)love the dwelling of Your house,
And the place ^[bu]where Your ^(IA)glory remains.
⁹^(IB)Do not ^[bv]take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with ^(IC)men of bloodshed,
¹⁰In whose hands is a ^(ID)wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of ^(IE)bribes.
¹¹But as for me, I will ^(IF)walk in my integrity;
^(IG)Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
¹²^(IH)My foot stands on ^(II)level ground;
In the ^(IJ)congregations I will bless the Lord.

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my ^(IK)light and my ^(IL)salvation;
Whom should I fear?
The Lord is the ^[bw]^(IM)defense of my life;
^(IN)Whom should I dread?
²When evildoers came upon me to ^(IO)devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they ^(IP)stumbled and fell.
³If an ^(IQ)army encamps against me,
My heart will not fear;
If war arises against me,
In spite of this I am ^(IR)confident.

⁴^(IS)One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may ^(IT)dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold ^(IU)the ^[bx]beauty of the Lord
And to ^[by]^(IV)meditate in His temple.
⁵For on the ^(IW)day of trouble He will ^(IX)conceal me in His ^[bz]tabernacle;
He will ^(IY)hide me in the secret place of His tent;
He will ^(IZ)lift me up on a rock.
⁶And now ^(JA)my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer ^(JB)sacrifices in His tent ^[ca]with shouts of joy;
I will ^(JC)sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

⁷^(JD)Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and ^(JE)answer me.
⁸When You said, “^(JF)Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“^(JG)I shall seek Your face, Lord.”
⁹^(JH)Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in ^(JI)anger;
You have been ^(JJ)my help;
^(JK)Do not abandon me nor ^(JL)forsake me,
God of my salvation!
¹⁰^[cb]For my father and ^(JM)my mother have forsaken me,
But ^(JN)the Lord will take me up.

¹¹^(JO)Teach me Your way, Lord,
And lead me on a ^(JP)level path
Because of my enemies.
¹²Do not turn me over to the ^[cc]^(JQ)desire of my enemies,
For ^(JR)false witnesses have risen against me,
And the violent ^(JS)witness.
¹³I certainly believed that I would see the ^(JT)goodness of the Lord
In the ^(JU)land of the living.
¹⁴^(JV)Wait for the Lord;
Be ^(JW)strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.