The King of Glory Entering Zion.

A Psalm of David.

24 The (A)earth is the Lord’s, and [a]all it contains,
The (B)world, and those who dwell in it.
For He has (C)founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
Who may (D)ascend into the (E)hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy (F)place?
He who has (G)clean hands and a (H)pure heart,
Who has not (I)lifted up his soul [b]to falsehood
And has not (J)sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive a (K)blessing from the Lord
And [c](L)righteousness from the God of his salvation.
[d]This is the generation of those who (M)seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. [e]Selah.

(N)Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O [f]ancient doors,
That the King of (O)glory may come in!
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord (P)strong and mighty,
The Lord (Q)mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O [g]ancient doors,
That the King of (R)glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of (S)hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 24:1 Lit its fullness
  2. Psalm 24:4 Or in vain
  3. Psalm 24:5 I.e. as vindicated
  4. Psalm 24:6 Or Such
  5. Psalm 24:6 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
  6. Psalm 24:7 Lit everlasting
  7. Psalm 24:9 Lit everlasting

24 The earth belongs to God! Everything in all the world is his! He is the one who pushed the oceans back to let dry land appear.[a]

Who may climb the mountain of the Lord and enter where he lives? Who may stand before the Lord? Only those with pure hands and hearts, who do not practice dishonesty and lying. They will receive God’s own goodness[b] as their blessing from him, planted in their lives by God himself, their Savior. These are the ones who are allowed to stand before the Lord and worship the God of Jacob.

Open up, O ancient gates, and let the King of Glory in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, invincible in battle. Yes, open wide the gates and let the King of Glory in.

10 Who is this King of Glory? The Commander of all of heaven’s armies!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 24:2 He is the one who pushed the oceans back to let dry land appear, literally, “He has founded it upon the seas.”
  2. Psalm 24:5 God’s own goodness, literally, “righteousness,” right standing with God.

Psalm 24

A song of David.

The earth and all that’s upon it belong to the Eternal.
    The world is His, with every living creature on it.
With seas as foundations and rivers as boundaries,
    He shaped the continents, fashioned the earth.

Who can possibly ascend the mountain of the Eternal?
    Who can stand before Him in sacred spaces?
Only those whose hands have been washed and hearts made pure,
    men and women who are not given to lies or deception.
The Eternal will stand close to them with blessing and mercy at hand,
    and the God who redeems will right what has been wrong.
These are the people who chase after Him;
    [like Jacob, they look for the face of God].[a]

[pause][b]

City gates—open wide!
    Ancient doors—stand back!
    For the glorious King shall soon pass your way.
Who is the glorious King?
    The Eternal who is powerful
    and mightily equipped for battle.
City gates—open wide!
    Ancient doors—stand back!
    For the glorious King shall soon pass your way.
10 Who is the glorious King?
    The Eternal, Commander of heaven’s army,
    He is the glorious King.

[pause]

Footnotes

  1. 24:6 Most Hebrew manuscripts read, “they look for your face, Jacob.”
  2. 24:6 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”

24 1-2 God claims Earth and everything in it,
    God claims World and all who live on it.
He built it on Ocean foundations,
    laid it out on River girders.

3-4 Who can climb Mount God?
    Who can scale the holy north-face?
Only the clean-handed,
    only the pure-hearted;
Men who won’t cheat,
    women who won’t seduce.

5-6 God is at their side;
    with God’s help they make it.
This, Jacob, is what happens
    to God-seekers, God-questers.

Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
    King-Glory is ready to enter.

Who is this King-Glory?
    God, armed
    and battle-ready.

Wake up, you sleepyhead city!
Wake up, you sleepyhead people!
    King-Glory is ready to enter.

10 Who is this King-Glory?
    God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
    he is King-Glory.