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Psalm 21-25
Common English Bible
Psalm 21-25
Common English Bible
Psalm 21
For the music leader. A psalm of David.
21 The king celebrates your strength, Lord;
look how happy he is about your saving help!
2 You’ve given him what his heart desires;
you haven’t denied what his lips requested. Selah
3 You bring rich blessings right to him;
you put a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked you for life,
and you gave it to him, all right—
long days, forever and always!
5 The king’s reputation is great
because of your saving help;
you’ve conferred on him glory and grandeur.
6 You grant him blessings forever;
you make him happy
with the joy of your presence.
7 Because the king trusts the Lord,
and because of the Most High’s faithful love,
he will not stumble.
8 Your hand will catch all your enemies;
your strong hand will catch all who hate you.
9 When you appear, Lord,
you will light them up like an oven on fire.
God will eat them whole in his anger;
fire will devour them.
10 You will destroy their offspring from the land;
destroy their descendants from the human race.
11 Because they sought to do you harm,
they devised a wicked plan—but they will fail!
12 Because you will make them turn and run
when you aim your bow straight at their faces!
13 Be exalted, Lord, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power!
Psalm 22
For the music leader. According to the “Doe of Dawn.” A psalm of David.
22 My God! My God,
why have you left me all alone?
Why are you so far from saving me—
so far from my anguished groans?
2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you don’t answer;
even at nighttime I don’t stop.
3 You are the holy one, enthroned.
You are Israel’s praise.
4 Our ancestors trusted you—
they trusted you and you rescued them;
5 they cried out to you and they were saved;
they trusted you and they weren’t ashamed.
6 But I’m just a worm, less than human;
insulted by one person, despised by another.
7 All who see me make fun of me—
they gape, shaking their heads:
8 “He committed himself to the Lord,
so let God rescue him;
let God deliver him
because God likes him so much.”
9 But you are the one who pulled me from the womb,
placing me safely at my mother’s breasts.
10 I was thrown on you from birth;
you’ve been my God
since I was in my mother’s womb.
11 Please don’t be far from me,
because trouble is near
and there’s no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me;
mighty bulls from Bashan encircle me.
13 They open their mouths at me
like a lion ripping and roaring!
14 I’m poured out like water.
All my bones have fallen apart.
My heart is like wax;
it melts inside me.
15 My strength is dried up
like a piece of broken pottery.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you’ve set me down in the dirt of death.
16 Dogs surround me;
a pack of evil people circle me like a lion—
oh, my poor hands and feet!
17 I can count all my bones!
Meanwhile, they just stare at me, watching me.
18 They divvy up my garments among themselves;
they cast lots for my clothes.
19 But you, Lord! Don’t be far away!
You are my strength!
Come quick and help me!
20 Deliver me[a] from the sword.
Deliver my life from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion.
From the horns of the wild oxen
you have answered me!
22 I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
I will praise you in the very center of the congregation!
23 All of you who revere the Lord—praise him!
All of you who are Jacob’s descendants—honor him!
All of you who are all Israel’s offspring—
stand in awe of him!
24 Because he didn’t despise or detest
the suffering of the one who suffered—
he didn’t hide his face from me.
No, he listened when I cried out to him for help.
25 I offer praise in the great congregation
because of you;
I will fulfill my promises
in the presence of those who honor God.
26 Let all those who are suffering eat and be full!
Let all who seek the Lord praise him!
I pray your hearts live forever!
27 Every part of the earth
will remember and come back to the Lord;
every family among all the nations will worship you.
28 Because the right to rule belongs to the Lord,
he rules all nations.
29 Indeed, all the earth’s powerful
will worship him;[b]
all who are descending to the dust
will kneel before him;
my being also lives for him.[c]
30 Future descendants will serve him;
generations to come will be told about my Lord.
31 They will proclaim God’s righteousness
to those not yet born,
telling them what God has done.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd.
I lack nothing.
2 He lets me rest in grassy meadows;
he leads me to restful waters;
3 he keeps me [d] alive.
He guides me in proper paths
for the sake of his good name.
4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger because you are with me.
Your rod and your staff—
they protect me.
5 You set a table for me
right in front of my enemies.
You bathe my head in oil;
my cup is so full it spills over!
6 Yes, goodness and faithful love
will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live[e] in the Lord’s house
as long as I live.
Psalm 24
A psalm of David.
24 The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,
the world and its inhabitants too.
2 Because God is the one who established it on the seas;
God set it firmly on the waters.
3 Who can ascend the Lord’s mountain?
Who can stand in his holy sanctuary?
4 Only the one with clean hands and a pure heart;
the one who hasn’t made false promises,
the one who hasn’t sworn dishonestly.
5 That kind of person receives blessings from the Lord
and righteousness from the God who saves.
6 And that’s how things are
with the generation that seeks him—
that seeks the face of Jacob’s God.[f] Selah
7 Mighty gates: lift up your heads!
Ancient doors: rise up high!
So the glorious king can enter!
8 Who is this glorious king?
The Lord—strong and powerful!
The Lord—powerful in battle!
9 Mighty gates: lift up your heads!
Ancient doors: rise up high!
So the glorious king can enter!
10 Who is this glorious king?
The Lord of heavenly forces—
he is the glorious king! Selah
Psalm 25[g]
Of David.
25 I offer my life[h] to you, Lord.
2 My God, I trust you.
Please don’t let me be put to shame!
Don’t let my enemies rejoice over me!
3 For that matter,
don’t let anyone who hopes in you
be put to shame;
instead, let those who are treacherous without excuse be put to shame.
4 Make your ways known to me, Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth—teach it to me—
because you are the God who saves me.
I put my hope in you all day long.
6 Lord, remember your compassion and faithful love—
they are forever!
7 But don’t remember the sins of my youth or my wrongdoing.
Remember me only according to your faithful love
for the sake of your goodness, Lord.
8 The Lord is good and does the right thing;
he teaches sinners which way they should go.
9 God guides the weak to justice,
teaching them his way.
10 All the Lord’s paths are loving and faithful
for those who keep his covenant and laws.
11 Please, for the sake of your good name, Lord, forgive my sins, which are many!
12 Where are the ones who honor the Lord?
God will teach them which path to take.
13 They will live a good life,
and their descendants will possess the land.
14 The Lord counsels those who honor him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are always looking to the Lord
because he will free my feet from the net.
16 Turn to me, God, and have mercy on me
because I’m alone and suffering.
17 My heart’s troubles keep getting bigger—
set me free from my distress!
18 Look at my suffering and trouble—
forgive all my sins!
19 Look at how many enemies I have
and how violently they hate me!
20 Please protect my life! Deliver me!
Don’t let me be put to shame
because I take refuge in you.
21 Let integrity and virtue guard me
because I hope in you.
22 Please, God, save Israel from all its troubles!
Footnotes
- Psalm 22:20 Or my soul; also in 22:29
- Psalm 22:29 Correction; MT All the earth’s powerful have eaten and will worship.
- Psalm 22:29 Correction with LXX; Heb uncertain
- Psalm 23:3 Or my soul
- Psalm 23:6 LXX; MT I will return
- Psalm 24:6 LXX, Syr; MT seek your face, Jacob
- Psalm 25:1 Ps 25 is an alphabetic acrostic poem; see the note at Pss 9–10.
- Psalm 25:1 Or soul; also in 25:13, 20
Psalm 21-25
New International Version
Psalm 21-25
New International Version
Psalm 21[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
2 You have granted him his heart’s desire(C)
and have not withheld the request of his lips.[b]
3 You came to greet him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold(D) on his head.(E)
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days, for ever and ever.(F)
5 Through the victories(G) you gave, his glory is great;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.(H)
6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings
and made him glad with the joy(I) of your presence.(J)
7 For the king trusts in the Lord;(K)
through the unfailing love(L) of the Most High(M)
he will not be shaken.(N)
8 Your hand will lay hold(O) on all your enemies;
your right hand will seize your foes.
9 When you appear for battle,
you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
and his fire will consume them.(P)
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
their posterity from mankind.(Q)
11 Though they plot evil(R) against you
and devise wicked schemes,(S) they cannot succeed.
12 You will make them turn their backs(T)
when you aim at them with drawn bow.
Psalm 22[c]
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?(W)
Why are you so far(X) from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?(Y)
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,(Z)
by night,(AA) but I find no rest.[d]
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;(AB)
you are the one Israel praises.[e](AC)
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.(AD)
5 To you they cried out(AE) and were saved;
in you they trusted(AF) and were not put to shame.(AG)
6 But I am a worm(AH) and not a man,
scorned by everyone,(AI) despised(AJ) by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;(AK)
they hurl insults,(AL) shaking their heads.(AM)
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.(AN)
Let him deliver him,(AO)
since he delights(AP) in him.”
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;(AQ)
you made me trust(AR) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth(AS) I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
12 Many bulls(AW) surround me;(AX)
strong bulls of Bashan(AY) encircle me.
13 Roaring lions(AZ) that tear their prey(BA)
open their mouths wide(BB) against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.(BC)
My heart has turned to wax;(BD)
it has melted(BE) within me.
15 My mouth[f] is dried up like a potsherd,(BF)
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;(BG)
you lay me in the dust(BH) of death.
16 Dogs(BI) surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce[g](BJ) my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
people stare(BK) and gloat over me.(BL)
18 They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots(BM) for my garment.(BN)
19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.(BO)
You are my strength;(BP) come quickly(BQ) to help me.(BR)
20 Deliver me from the sword,(BS)
my precious life(BT) from the power of the dogs.(BU)
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;(BV)
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.(BW)
22 I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly(BX) I will praise you.(BY)
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!(BZ)
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!(CA)
Revere him,(CB) all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised(CC) or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;(CD)
he has not hidden his face(CE) from him
but has listened to his cry for help.(CF)
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;(CG)
before those who fear you[h] I will fulfill my vows.(CH)
26 The poor will eat(CI) and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him—(CJ)
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth(CK)
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,(CL)
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord(CM)
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich(CN) of the earth will feast and worship;(CO)
all who go down to the dust(CP) will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.(CQ)
30 Posterity(CR) will serve him;
future generations(CS) will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,(CT)
declaring to a people yet unborn:(CU)
He has done it!(CV)
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd,(CW) I lack nothing.(CX)
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,(CY)
3 he refreshes my soul.(CZ)
He guides me(DA) along the right paths(DB)
for his name’s sake.(DC)
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[i](DD)
I will fear no evil,(DE)
for you are with me;(DF)
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table(DG) before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;(DH)
my cup(DI) overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love(DJ) will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 24
Of David. A psalm.
1 The earth is the Lord’s,(DK) and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;(DL)
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.(DM)
3 Who may ascend the mountain(DN) of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?(DO)
4 The one who has clean hands(DP) and a pure heart,(DQ)
who does not trust in an idol(DR)
or swear by a false god.[j]
5 They will receive blessing(DS) from the Lord
and vindication(DT) from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face,(DU) God of Jacob.[k][l]
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;(DV)
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King(DW) of glory(DX) may come in.(DY)
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,(DZ)
the Lord mighty in battle.(EA)
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty(EB)—
he is the King of glory.
Psalm 25[m]
Of David.
1 In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.(EC)
2 I trust in you;(ED)
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,(EE)
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous(EF) without cause.
4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.(EG)
5 Guide me in your truth(EH) and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,(EI)
and my hope is in you(EJ) all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,(EK)
for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth(EL)
and my rebellious ways;(EM)
according to your love(EN) remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.(EO)
8 Good and upright(EP) is the Lord;
therefore he instructs(EQ) sinners in his ways.
9 He guides(ER) the humble in what is right
and teaches them(ES) his way.
10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful(ET)
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.(EU)
11 For the sake of your name,(EV) Lord,
forgive(EW) my iniquity,(EX) though it is great.
12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?(EY)
He will instruct them in the ways(EZ) they should choose.[n]
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,(FA)
and their descendants will inherit the land.(FB)
14 The Lord confides(FC) in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known(FD) to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,(FE)
for only he will release my feet from the snare.(FF)
16 Turn to me(FG) and be gracious to me,(FH)
for I am lonely(FI) and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles(FJ) of my heart
and free me from my anguish.(FK)
18 Look on my affliction(FL) and my distress(FM)
and take away all my sins.(FN)
19 See how numerous are my enemies(FO)
and how fiercely they hate me!(FP)
20 Guard my life(FQ) and rescue me;(FR)
do not let me be put to shame,(FS)
for I take refuge(FT) in you.
21 May integrity(FU) and uprightness(FV) protect me,
because my hope, Lord,[o] is in you.(FW)
22 Deliver Israel,(FX) O God,
from all their troubles!
Footnotes
- Psalm 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-13 is numbered 21:2-14.
- Psalm 21:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1-31 is numbered 22:2-32.
- Psalm 22:2 Or night, and am not silent
- Psalm 22:3 Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel
- Psalm 22:15 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text strength
- Psalm 22:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text me, / like a lion
- Psalm 22:25 Hebrew him
- Psalm 23:4 Or the valley of the shadow of death
- Psalm 24:4 Or swear falsely
- Psalm 24:6 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts face, Jacob
- Psalm 24:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 10.
- Psalm 25:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Psalm 25:12 Or ways he chooses
- Psalm 25:21 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have Lord.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.