The King of Glory and His Kingdom

A Psalm of David.

24 The (A)earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has (B)founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the [a]waters.

(C)Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has (D)clean hands and (E)a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor (F)sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is Jacob, the generation of those who (G)seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah

(H)Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
(I)And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in (J)battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 24:2 Lit. rivers

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.

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.