Psalm 23-31
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 23
The Good Shepherd
A Davidic psalm.
1 The Lord is my shepherd;(A)
there is nothing I lack.(B)
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;(C)
He leads me beside quiet waters.(D)
3 He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths[a]
for His name’s sake.(E)
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,[b]
I fear no danger,
for You are with me;(F)
Your rod and Your staff[c]—they comfort me.(G)
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;(H)
my cup overflows.(I)
6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,(J)
and I will dwell in[d] the house of the Lord
as long as I live.[e](K)
Psalm 24
The King of Glory
A Davidic psalm.
1 The earth and everything in it,
the world and its inhabitants,
belong to the Lord;(L)
2 for He laid its foundation on the seas
and established it on the rivers.(M)
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in His holy place?(N)
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,(O)
who has not set his mind[f] on what is false,(P)
and who has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord,(Q)
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.(R)
6 Such is the generation of those who seek Him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.[g](S)
7 Lift up your heads, you gates!
Rise up, ancient doors!
Then the King of glory will come in.(T)
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.(U)
9 Lift up your heads, you gates!
Rise up, ancient doors!
Then the King of glory will come in.
10 Who is He, this King of glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
He is the King of glory.(V)
Psalm 25
Dependence on the Lord
Davidic.
1 Lord,[h] I turn to You.[i](W)
2 My God, I trust in You.
Do not let me be disgraced;(X)
do not let my enemies gloat over me.(Y)
3 No one who waits for You
will be disgraced;(Z)
those who act treacherously without cause
will be disgraced.(AA)
4 Make Your ways known to me, Lord;
teach me Your paths.(AB)
5 Guide me in Your truth and teach me,(AC)
for You are the God of my salvation;(AD)
I wait for You all day long.(AE)
6 Remember, Lord, Your compassion
and Your faithful love,
for they have existed from antiquity.[j](AF)
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth(AG)
or my acts of rebellion;(AH)
in keeping with Your faithful love, remember me
because of Your goodness, Lord.(AI)
8 The Lord is good and upright;(AJ)
therefore He shows sinners the way.(AK)
9 He leads the humble in what is right(AL)
and teaches them His way.(AM)
10 All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth
to those who keep His covenant and decrees.(AN)
11 Because of Your name, Yahweh,
forgive my sin, for it is great.(AO)
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?(AP)
He will show him the way he should choose.(AQ)
13 He will live a good life,
and his descendants will inherit the land.[k](AR)
14 The secret counsel of the Lord
is for those who fear Him,
and He reveals His covenant to them.(AS)
15 My eyes are always on the Lord,
for He will pull my feet out of the net.(AT)
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am alone and afflicted.(AU)
17 The distresses of my heart increase;[l](AV)
bring me out of my sufferings.(AW)
18 Consider my affliction and trouble,(AX)
and take away all my sins.(AY)
19 Consider my enemies; they are numerous,(AZ)
and they hate me violently.(BA)
20 Guard me and deliver me;(BB)
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in You.(BC)
21 May integrity and what is right
watch over me,
for I wait for You.(BD)
22 God, redeem Israel, from all its distresses.(BE)
Psalm 26
Prayer for Vindication
Davidic.
1 Vindicate me, Lord,
because I have lived with integrity
and have trusted in the Lord without wavering.(BF)
2 Test me, Lord, and try me;
examine my heart and mind.(BG)
3 For Your faithful love is before my eyes,
and I live by Your truth.(BH)
4 I do not sit with the worthless
or associate with hypocrites.
5 I hate a crowd of evildoers,
and I do not sit with the wicked.(BI)
6 I wash my hands[m] in innocence(BJ)
and go around Your altar, Lord,(BK)
7 raising my voice in thanksgiving(BL)
and telling about Your wonderful works.(BM)
8 Lord, I love the house where You dwell,
the place where Your glory resides.(BN)
9 Do not destroy me along with sinners,
or my life along with men of bloodshed(BO)
10 in whose hands are evil schemes
and whose right hands are filled with bribes.(BP)
11 But I live with integrity;
redeem me and be gracious to me.(BQ)
12 My foot stands on level ground;(BR)
I will praise the Lord in the assemblies.(BS)
Psalm 27
My Stronghold
Davidic.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom should I fear?(BT)
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom should I be afraid?(BU)
2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh,(BV)
my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.(BW)
3 Though an army deploys against me,
my heart is not afraid;
though a war breaks out against me,
still I am confident.(BX)
4 I have asked one thing from the Lord;
it is what I desire:
to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,(BY)
gazing on the beauty of the Lord(BZ)
and seeking Him in His temple.(CA)
5 For He will conceal me in His shelter
in the day of adversity;
He will hide me under the cover of His tent;
He will set me high on a rock.(CB)
6 Then my head will be high
above my enemies around me;(CC)
I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy.(CD)
I will sing and make music to the Lord.(CE)
7 Lord, hear my voice when I call;
be gracious to me and answer me.(CF)
8 My heart says this about You,
“You[n] are to seek My face.”
Lord, I will seek Your face.(CG)
9 Do not hide Your face from me;(CH)
do not turn Your servant away in anger.(CI)
You have been my helper;(CJ)
do not leave me or abandon me,
God of my salvation.
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord cares for me.(CK)
11 Because of my adversaries,
show me Your way, Lord,
and lead me on a level path.(CL)
12 Do not give me over to the will of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing violence.(CM)
13 I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.(CN)
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong[o] and courageous.(CO)
Wait for the Lord.(CP)
Psalm 28
My Strength
Davidic.
1 Lord, I call to You;
my rock, do not be deaf to me.(CQ)
If You remain silent to me,
I will be like those going down to the Pit.(CR)
2 Listen to the sound of my pleading
when I cry to You for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward Your holy sanctuary.(CS)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with the evildoers,
who speak in friendly ways with their neighbors
while malice is in their hearts.(CT)
4 Repay them according to what they have done—
according to the evil of their deeds.
Repay them according to the work of their hands;
give them back what they deserve.(CU)
5 Because they do not consider
what the Lord has done
or the work of His hands,
He will tear them down and not rebuild them.(CV)
6 May the Lord be praised,
for He has heard the sound of my pleading.(CW)
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.(CX)
Therefore my heart rejoices,
and I praise Him with my song.(CY)
8 The Lord is the strength of His people;[p]
He is a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.(CZ)
9 Save Your people, bless Your possession,
shepherd them, and carry them forever.(DA)
Psalm 29
The Voice of the Lord
A Davidic psalm.
1 Ascribe to Yahweh, you heavenly beings,[q]
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due His name;
worship Yahweh
in the splendor of His holiness.[r](DB)
3 The voice of the Lord is above the waters.
The God of glory thunders—
the Lord, above vast waters,(DC)
4 the voice of the Lord in power,
the voice of the Lord in splendor.(DD)
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.(DE)
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,(DF)
and Sirion,[s] like a young wild ox.(DG)
7 The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.(DH)
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.(DI)
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth[t](DJ)
and strips the woodlands bare.(DK)
In His temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sat enthroned at the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.(DL)
11 The Lord gives His people strength;(DM)
the Lord blesses His people with peace.(DN)
Psalm 30
Joy in the Morning
A psalm; a dedication song for the house. Davidic.
1 I will exalt You, Lord,
because You have lifted me up(DO)
and have not allowed my enemies
to triumph over me.(DP)
2 Lord my God,
I cried to You for help, and You healed me.(DQ)
3 Lord, You brought me up from Sheol;(DR)
You spared me from among those
going down[u] to the Pit.(DS)
4 Sing to Yahweh, you His faithful ones,
and praise His holy name.(DT)
5 For His anger lasts only a moment,
but His favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may spend the night,
but there is joy in the morning.(DU)
6 When I was secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”(DV)
7 Lord, when You showed Your favor,
You made me stand like a strong mountain;(DW)
when You hid Your face, I was terrified.(DX)
8 Lord, I called to You;
I sought favor from my Lord:(DY)
9 “What gain is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it proclaim Your truth?(DZ)
10 Lord, listen and be gracious to me;
Lord, be my helper.”(EA)
11 You turned my lament into dancing;
You removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,(EB)
12 so that I can sing to You and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise You forever.(EC)
Psalm 31
A Plea for Protection
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 Lord, I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.(ED)
Save me by Your righteousness.
2 Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mountain fortress to save me.(EE)
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;(EF)
You lead and guide me
because of Your name.(EG)
4 You will free me from the net
that is secretly set for me,
for You are my refuge.(EH)
5 Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;(EI)
You redeem[v] me, Lord, God of truth.(EJ)
6 I[w] hate those who are devoted to worthless idols,
but I trust in the Lord.(EK)
7 I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithful love
because You have seen my affliction.
You have known the troubles of my life(EL)
8 and have not handed me over to the enemy.(EM)
You have set my feet in a spacious place.(EN)
9 Be gracious to me, Lord,
because I am in distress;(EO)
my eyes are worn out from angry sorrow—
my whole being[x] as well.(EP)
10 Indeed, my life is consumed with grief
and my years with groaning;(EQ)
my strength has failed
because of my sinfulness,[y]
and my bones waste away.(ER)
11 I am ridiculed by all my adversaries
and even by my neighbors.
I am dreaded by my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street run from me.(ES)
12 I am forgotten: gone from memory
like a dead person—like broken pottery.(ET)
13 I have heard the gossip of many;
terror is on every side.(EU)
When they conspired against me,
they plotted to take my life.(EV)
14 But I trust in You, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”(EW)
15 The course of my life is in Your power;(EX)
deliver me from the power of my enemies
and from my persecutors.(EY)
16 Show Your favor to Your servant;
save me by Your faithful love.(EZ)
17 Lord, do not let me be disgraced when I call on You.(FA)
Let the wicked be disgraced;
let them be silent[z][aa] in Sheol.(FB)
18 Let lying lips be quieted;(FC)
they speak arrogantly against the righteous
with pride and contempt.(FD)
19 How great is Your goodness
that You have stored up for those who fear You
and accomplished in the sight of everyone
for those who take refuge in You.(FE)
20 You hide them in the protection of Your presence;
You conceal them in a shelter[ab]
from the schemes of men,
from quarrelsome tongues.(FF)
21 May the Lord be praised,
for He has wonderfully shown His faithful love to me
in a city under siege.[ac](FG)
22 In my alarm I had said,
“I am cut off from Your sight.”(FH)
But You heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried to You for help.(FI)
23 Love the Lord, all His faithful ones.(FJ)
The Lord protects the loyal,
but fully repays the arrogant.(FK)
24 Be strong[ad] and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord.(FL)
Footnotes
- Psalm 23:3 Or me in paths of righteousness
- Psalm 23:4 Or the valley of the shadow of death
- Psalm 23:4 A shepherd’s equipment
- Psalm 23:6 LXX, Sym, Syr, Tg, Vg, Jer; MT reads will return to
- Psalm 23:6 Lit Lord for length of days; traditionally Lord forever
- Psalm 24:4 Or not lifted up his soul
- Psalm 24:6 LXX; some Hb mss, Syr read seek Your face, God of Jacob; other Hb mss read seek Your face, Jacob
- Psalm 25:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
- Psalm 25:1 Or To You, Lord, I lift up my soul
- Psalm 25:6 Or everlasting
- Psalm 25:13 Or earth
- Psalm 25:17 Or Relieve the distresses of my heart
- Psalm 26:6 A ritual or ceremonial washing to express innocence
- Psalm 27:8 You is plural in Hb
- Psalm 27:14 Lit Lord; let your heart be strong
- Psalm 28:8 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss read strength for them
- Psalm 29:1 Or you angels, or you sons of the mighty; lit Lord sons of [the] gods
- Psalm 29:2 Or in holy attire, or in holy appearance
- Psalm 29:6 = Mount Hermon
- Psalm 29:9 Or the oaks shake
- Psalm 30:3 Some Hb mss, LXX, Theod, Orig, Syr; other Hb mss, Aq, Sym, Tg, Jer read from going down
- Psalm 31:5 Or You have redeemed, or You will redeem, or spirit. Redeem
- Psalm 31:6 One Hb ms, LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer read You
- Psalm 31:9 Lit my soul and my belly
- Psalm 31:10 LXX, Syr, Sym read affliction
- Psalm 31:17 LXX reads brought down
- Psalm 31:17 Or them perish, or them wail
- Psalm 31:20 Lit canopy
- Psalm 31:21 Or a fortified city
- Psalm 31:24 Lit Let your heart be strong
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