Psalm 23:1-37:35

English Standard Version

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my ^(A)shepherd; I shall not ^(B)want.
²    He makes me lie down in green ^(C)pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.^[a]
³    He ^(D)restores my soul.
He ^(E)leads me in ^(F)paths of righteousness^[b]
    for his ^(G)name's sake.

⁴Even though I ^(H)walk through the valley of ^(I)the shadow of death,^[c]
    I will ^(J)fear no evil,
for ^(K)you are with me;
    your ^(L)rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵You ^(M)prepare a table before me
    in ^(N)the presence of my enemies;
you ^(O)anoint my head with oil;
    my ^(P)cup overflows.
⁶Surely^[d] goodness and mercy^[e] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall ^(Q)dwell^[f] in the house of the Lord
    ^(R)forever.^[g]

The King of Glory

A Psalm of David.

24 ^(S)The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,^[h]
the world and those who dwell therein,
²for he has ^(T)founded it upon ^(U)the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

³^(V)Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his ^(W)holy place?
⁴^(X)He who has ^(Y)clean hands and ^(Z)a pure heart,
    who does not ^(AA)lift up his soul to ^(AB)what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
⁵He will receive ^(AC)blessing from the Lord
    and ^(AD)righteousness from ^(AE)the God of his salvation.
⁶Such is ^(AF)the generation of those who seek him,
    who ^(AG)seek the face of the God of Jacob.^[i] Selah

⁷^(AH)Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that ^(AI)the King of glory may come in.
⁸Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, ^(AJ)mighty in battle!
⁹Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
¹⁰Who is this King of glory?
    ^(AK)The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory! Selah

Teach Me Your Paths

^[j] Of David.

25 To you, O Lord, I ^(AL)lift up my soul.
²O my God, in you I ^(AM)trust;
    ^(AN)let me not be put to shame;
    ^(AO)let not my enemies exult over me.
³Indeed, ^(AP)none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
    they shall be ashamed who are ^(AQ)wantonly ^(AR)treacherous.

⁴^(AS)Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
⁵Lead me in your ^(AT)truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.

⁶Remember your ^(AU)mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    ^(AV)for they have been from of old.
⁷Remember not ^(AW)the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your ^(AX)steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

⁸^(AY)Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he ^(AZ)instructs sinners in the way.
⁹He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰All the paths of the Lord are ^(BA)steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

¹¹For your ^(BB)name's sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is ^(BC)great.
¹²Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him ^(BD)will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
¹³His soul shall ^(BE)abide in well-being,
    and his ^(BF)offspring ^(BG)shall inherit the land.
¹⁴^(BH)The friendship^[k] of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
¹⁵My ^(BI)eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will ^(BJ)pluck my feet out of the net.

¹⁶^(BK)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.
¹⁸^(BL)Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.

¹⁹Consider how many are my foes,
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.
²⁰Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
    ^(BM)Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
²¹May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.

²²^(BN)Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.

I Will Bless the Lord

Of David.

26 ^(BO)Vindicate me, O Lord,
    for I have ^(BP)walked in my integrity,
    and I have ^(BQ)trusted in the Lord without wavering.
²^(BR)Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
    test my heart and ^(BS)my mind.^[l]
³For your ^(BT)steadfast love is before my eyes,
    and I ^(BU)walk in your ^(BV)faithfulness.

⁴I do not ^(BW)sit with men of ^(BX)falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
⁵I ^(BY)hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.

⁶I ^(BZ)wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, O Lord,
⁷proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
and telling all your ^(CA)wondrous deeds.

⁸O Lord, I ^(CB)love the habitation of your house
    and the place where your glory dwells.
⁹^(CC)Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
    nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
¹⁰in whose hands are evil devices,
    and whose right hands are full of ^(CD)bribes.

¹¹But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
¹²My foot stands on ^(CE)level ground;
in ^(CF)the great assembly I will bless the Lord.

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

27 The Lord is my ^(CG)light and my ^(CH)salvation;
^(CI)whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold^[m] of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

²When evildoers assail me
to ^(CJ)eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

³^(CK)Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet^[n] I will be confident.

⁴^(CL)One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may ^(CM)dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon ^(CN)the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire^[o] in his temple.

⁵For he will ^(CO)hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will ^(CP)lift me high upon a rock.

⁶And now my ^(CQ)head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of ^(CR)joy;
^(CS)I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

⁷^(CT)Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸You have said, ^(CU)“Seek^[p] my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”^[q]
⁹    ^(CV)Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    ^(CW)O God of my salvation!
¹⁰For ^(CX)my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will ^(CY)take me in.

¹¹^(CZ)Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on ^(DA)a level path
    because of my enemies.
¹²^(DB)Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for ^(DC)false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they ^(DD)breathe out violence.

¹³I believe that I shall look^[r] upon ^(DE)the goodness of the Lord
    in ^(DF)the land of the living!
¹⁴^(DG)Wait for the Lord;
    ^(DH)be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

The Lord Is My Strength and My Shield

Of David.

28 To you, O Lord, I call;
    ^(DI)my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you ^(DJ)be silent to me,
    I become like those who ^(DK)go down to the pit.
²^(DL)Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
    when I cry to you for help,
when I ^(DM)lift up my hands
    ^(DN)toward your most holy sanctuary.^[s]

³Do not ^(DO)drag me off with the wicked,
    with the workers of evil,
^(DP)who speak peace with their neighbors
    while evil is in their hearts.
⁴^(DQ)Give to them according to their work
    and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
    ^(DR)render them their due reward.
⁵Because they ^(DS)do not regard the works of the Lord
    or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.

⁶Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has ^(DT)heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
⁷The Lord is my strength and ^(DU)my shield;
    in him my heart ^(DV)trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
    and with my ^(DW)song I give thanks to him.

⁸The Lord is the strength of his people;^[t]
he is ^(DX)the saving refuge of his anointed.
⁹Oh, save your people and bless ^(DY)your heritage!
^(DZ)Be their shepherd and ^(EA)carry them forever.

Ascribe to the Lord Glory

A Psalm of David.

29 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,^[u]
^(EB)ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
²Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in ^(EC)the splendor of holiness.^[v]

³The voice of the Lord is over ^(ED)the waters;
    the God of glory ^(EE)thunders,
    the Lord, over many waters.
⁴The voice of the Lord is ^(EF)powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks ^(EG)the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶He makes Lebanon to ^(EH)skip like a calf,
and ^(EI)Sirion like a young ^(EJ)wild ox.

⁷The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
⁸The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of ^(EK)Kadesh.

⁹The voice of the Lord makes ^(EL)the deer give birth^[w]
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned over ^(EM)the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned ^(EN)as king forever.
¹¹May the Lord give ^(EO)strength to his people!
May the Lord bless^[x] his people with ^(EP)peace!

Joy Comes with the Morning

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of ^(EQ)the temple.

30 I will ^(ER)extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes ^(ES)rejoice over me.
²O Lord my God, I ^(ET)cried to you for help,
    and you have ^(EU)healed me.
³O Lord, you have brought up my soul from ^(EV)Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who ^(EW)go down to the pit.^[y]

⁴Sing praises to the Lord, O you ^(EX)his saints,
    and ^(EY)give thanks to his holy name.^[z]
⁵^(EZ)For his anger is but for a moment,
    and ^(FA)his favor is for a lifetime.^[aa]
^(FB)Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but ^(FC)joy comes with the morning.

⁶As for me, I said in my ^(FD)prosperity,
    “I shall never be ^(FE)moved.”
⁷By your favor, O Lord,
    you made my ^(FF)mountain stand strong;
you ^(FG)hid your face;
    I was ^(FH)dismayed.

⁸To you, O Lord, I cry,
    and ^(FI)to the Lord I plead for mercy:
⁹“What profit is there in my death,^[ab]
    if I go down to the pit?^[ac]
Will ^(FJ)the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
¹⁰^(FK)Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
    O Lord, be my helper!”

¹¹You have turned for me my mourning into ^(FL)dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
¹²that my ^(FM)glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

31 ^(FN)In you, O Lord, do I ^(FO)take refuge;
    ^(FP)let me never be put to shame;
    in your ^(FQ)righteousness deliver me!
²Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be ^(FR)a rock of ^(FS)refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!

³For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your ^(FT)name's sake you lead me and guide me;
⁴you ^(FU)take me out of ^(FV)the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my ^(FW)refuge.
⁵^(FX)Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, ^(FY)faithful God.

⁶I ^(FZ)hate^[ad] those who pay ^(GA)regard to worthless ^(GB)idols,
    but I trust in the Lord.
⁷I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
    because you have seen my affliction;
    you have ^(GC)known the distress of my soul,
⁸and you have not ^(GD)delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
    you have set my feet in ^(GE)a broad place.

⁹Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am ^(GF)in distress;
    ^(GG)my eye is wasted from grief;
    my soul and my body also.
¹⁰For my life is spent with sorrow,
    and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
    and ^(GH)my bones waste away.

¹¹Because of all my adversaries I have become ^(GI)a reproach,
    especially to my ^(GJ)neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
    those who see me in the street ^(GK)flee from me.
¹²I have been ^(GL)forgotten like one who is dead;
    I have become like ^(GM)a broken vessel.
¹³For I ^(GN)hear the whispering of many—
    terror on every side!—
^(GO)as they scheme together against me,
    as they plot to take my life.

¹⁴But I ^(GP)trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵My ^(GQ)times are in your hand;
    ^(GR)rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
¹⁶^(GS)Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!
¹⁷O Lord, ^(GT)let me not be put to shame,
    for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
    let them go ^(GU)silently to Sheol.
¹⁸Let the lying lips be mute,
    which ^(GV)speak ^(GW)insolently against the righteous
    in pride and contempt.

¹⁹Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
    which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
    ^(GX)in the sight of the children of mankind!
²⁰In ^(GY)the cover of your presence you hide them
    from the plots of men;
you ^(GZ)store them in your shelter
    from the strife of tongues.

²¹Blessed be the Lord,
    for he has wondrously ^(HA)shown his steadfast love to me
    when I was in ^(HB)a besieged city.
²²I had said in my ^(HC)alarm,^[ae]
    “I am ^(HD)cut off from ^(HE)your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
    when I cried to you for help.

²³Love the Lord, all you his ^(HF)saints!
    The Lord preserves the faithful
    but abundantly ^(HG)repays the one who acts in pride.
²⁴^(HH)Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the Lord!

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil^[af] of David.

32 ^(HI)Blessed is the one whose ^(HJ)transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
²Blessed is the man against whom the Lord ^(HK)counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit ^(HL)there is no deceit.

³For when I kept silent, my ^(HM)bones wasted away
through my ^(HN)groaning all day long.
⁴For day and night your ^(HO)hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up^[ag] as by the heat of summer. Selah

⁵I ^(HP)acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I ^(HQ)will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

⁶Therefore let everyone who is ^(HR)godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you ^(HS)may be found;
surely in the rush of ^(HT)great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
⁷You are a ^(HU)hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from ^(HV)trouble;
    you surround me with ^(HW)shouts of deliverance. Selah

⁸I will ^(HX)instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will ^(HY)counsel you with my eye upon you.
⁹^(HZ)Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with ^(IA)bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

¹⁰^(IB)Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who ^(IC)trusts in the Lord.
¹¹^(ID)Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and ^(IE)shout for joy, all you ^(IF)upright in heart!

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

33 ^(IG)Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    ^(IH)Praise befits the upright.
²Give thanks to the Lord with the ^(II)lyre;
    make melody to him with ^(IJ)the harp of ^(IK)ten strings!
³Sing to him ^(IL)a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

⁴For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in ^(IM)faithfulness.
⁵He ^(IN)loves righteousness and justice;
^(IO)the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

⁶By ^(IP)the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by ^(IQ)the breath of his mouth all ^(IR)their host.
⁷He gathers the waters of the sea as ^(IS)a heap;
he ^(IT)puts the deeps in storehouses.

⁸Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
⁹For ^(IU)he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰The Lord ^(IV)brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
¹¹^(IW)The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
¹²^(IX)Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has ^(IY)chosen as his heritage!

¹³The Lord ^(IZ)looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
¹⁴from ^(JA)where he sits enthroned he ^(JB)looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
¹⁵he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
¹⁶^(JC)The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
¹⁷^(JD)The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.

¹⁸Behold, ^(JE)the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
^(JF)on those who hope in his steadfast love,
¹⁹that he may ^(JG)deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in ^(JH)famine.

²⁰Our soul ^(JI)waits for the Lord;
    he is our ^(JJ)help and ^(JK)our shield.
²¹For our heart is ^(JL)glad in him,
    because we ^(JM)trust in his holy name.
²²Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.

Taste and See That the Lord Is Good

^[ah] Of David, when he ^(JN)changed his behavior before ^(JO)Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34 I will bless the Lord ^(JP)at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
²My soul ^(JQ)makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and ^(JR)be glad.
³Oh, ^(JS)magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

⁴I ^(JT)sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵Those who look to him are ^(JU)radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
⁶^(JV)This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and ^(JW)saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷^(JX)The angel of the Lord ^(JY)encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

⁸Oh, ^(JZ)taste and see that ^(KA)the Lord is good!
    ^(KB)Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
⁹Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
¹⁰^(KC)The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who ^(KD)seek the Lord lack no good thing.

¹¹^(KE)Come, O children, listen to me;
    ^(KF)I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
¹²^(KG)What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may ^(KH)see good?
¹³^(KI)Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from ^(KJ)speaking deceit.
¹⁴^(KK)Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and ^(KL)pursue it.

¹⁵^(KM)The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    ^(KN)and his ears toward their cry.
¹⁶^(KO)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to ^(KP)cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷^(KQ)When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸The Lord is near to ^(KR)the brokenhearted
    and saves ^(KS)the crushed in spirit.

¹⁹^(KT)Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    ^(KU)but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
²⁰He keeps all his bones;
    ^(KV)not one of them is broken.
²¹^(KW)Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²²The Lord ^(KX)redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be ^(KY)condemned.

Great Is the Lord

Of David.

35 Contend, O Lord, with those who ^(KZ)contend with me;
    ^(LA)fight against those who fight against me!
²Take hold of ^(LB)shield and buckler
    and rise for my help!
³Draw the spear and javelin^[ai]
    against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
    “I am your salvation!”

⁴^(LC)Let them be ^(LD)put to shame and dishonor
    who seek after my life!
Let them be ^(LE)turned back and disappointed
    who devise evil against me!
⁵Let them be like ^(LF)chaff before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
⁶Let their way be dark and ^(LG)slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!

⁷For ^(LH)without cause ^(LI)they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug ^(LJ)a pit for my life.^[aj]
⁸Let ^(LK)destruction come upon him ^(LL)when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his destruction!

⁹Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord,
    ^(LM)exulting in his salvation.
¹⁰All my ^(LN)bones shall say,
    “O Lord, ^(LO)who is like you,
delivering the poor
    from him who is too strong for him,
    the poor and needy from him who robs him?”

¹¹^(LP)Malicious^[ak] witnesses rise up;
    they ask me of things that I do not know.
¹²^(LQ)They repay me evil for good;
    my soul is bereft.^[al]
¹³But I, ^(LR)when they were sick—
    I ^(LS)wore sackcloth;
    I ^(LT)afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed ^(LU)with head bowed^[am] on my chest.
¹⁴    I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
    I ^(LV)bowed down in mourning.

¹⁵But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
    they gathered together against me;
^(LW)wretches whom I did not know
    tore at me without ceasing;
¹⁶like profane mockers at a feast,^[an]
    they ^(LX)gnash at me with their teeth.

¹⁷How long, O Lord, will you ^(LY)look on?
    Rescue me from their destruction,
    ^(LZ)my precious life from the lions!
¹⁸I will thank you in ^(MA)the great congregation;
    in the mighty throng I will praise you.

¹⁹^(MB)Let not those rejoice over me
    who are ^(MC)wrongfully my foes,
and let not those ^(MD)wink the eye
    who ^(ME)hate me ^(MF)without cause.
²⁰For they do not speak peace,
    but against those who are quiet in the land
    they devise words of deceit.
²¹They ^(MG)open wide their mouths against me;
    they say, ^(MH)“Aha, Aha!
    Our eyes have seen it!”

²²^(MI)You have seen, O Lord; ^(MJ)be not silent!
    O Lord, ^(MK)be not far from me!
²³Awake and ^(ML)rouse yourself for ^(MM)my vindication,
    for my cause, my God and my Lord!
²⁴^(MN)Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
    according to your righteousness,
    and ^(MO)let them not rejoice over me!
²⁵Let them not say in their hearts,
    ^(MP)“Aha, our heart's desire!”
Let them not say, ^(MQ)“We have swallowed him up.”

²⁶Let them be ^(MR)put to shame and disappointed altogether
who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be ^(MS)clothed with shame and dishonor
who ^(MT)magnify themselves against me!

²⁷Let those who delight in my righteousness
    shout for joy and be glad
    ^(MU)and say evermore,
^(MV)“Great is the Lord,
    who ^(MW)delights in the welfare of his servant!”
²⁸Then my ^(MX)tongue shall tell of your righteousness
    and of your praise all the day long.

How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love

To the choirmaster. Of David, the ^(MY)servant of the Lord.

36 Transgression speaks to the wicked
    deep in his heart;^[ao]
^(MZ)there is no fear of God
    before his eyes.
²^(NA)For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
³The words of his mouth are ^(NB)trouble and deceit;
    ^(NC)he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
⁴He ^(ND)plots ^(NE)trouble while on his bed;
    he sets himself in ^(NF)a way that is not good;
    ^(NG)he does not reject evil.

⁵Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
⁶^(NH)Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    ^(NI)your judgments are like the great deep;
    man and beast you ^(NJ)save, O Lord.

⁷^(NK)How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge ^(NL)in the shadow of your wings.
⁸They feast on ^(NM)the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from ^(NN)the river of ^(NO)your delights.
⁹For with you is ^(NP)the fountain of life;
    ^(NQ)in your light do we see light.

¹⁰Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who ^(NR)know you,
    and your righteousness to ^(NS)the upright of heart!
¹¹Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
    nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
¹²There ^(NT)the evildoers lie fallen;
    they are thrust down, ^(NU)unable to rise.

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

^[ap] Of David.

37 ^(NV)Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not ^(NW)envious of wrongdoers!
²For they will soon ^(NX)fade like ^(NY)the grass
and wither ^(NZ)like the green herb.

³^(OA)Trust in the Lord, and do good;
^(OB)dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.^[aq]
⁴^(OC)Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will ^(OD)give you the desires of your heart.

⁵^(OE)Commit your way to the Lord;
^(OF)trust in him, and he will act.
⁶^(OG)He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as ^(OH)the noonday.

⁷^(OI)Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
^(OJ)fret not yourself over the one who ^(OK)prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

⁸^(OL)Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
^(OM)Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
⁹^(ON)For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall ^(OO)inherit the land.

¹⁰In ^(OP)just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at ^(OQ)his place, he will not be there.
¹¹But ^(OR)the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in ^(OS)abundant peace.

¹²The wicked ^(OT)plots against the righteous
and ^(OU)gnashes his teeth at him,
¹³but the Lord ^(OV)laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his ^(OW)day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword and ^(OX)bend their bows
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose ^(OY)way is upright;
¹⁵their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their ^(OZ)bows shall be broken.

¹⁶^(PA)Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
¹⁷For ^(PB)the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord ^(PC)upholds the righteous.

¹⁸The Lord ^(PD)knows the days of the blameless,
and their ^(PE)heritage will remain forever;
¹⁹they are not put to shame in evil times;
in ^(PF)the days of famine they have abundance.

²⁰But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like ^(PG)the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like ^(PH)smoke they vanish away.

²¹The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous ^(PI)is generous and gives;
²²for those blessed by the Lord^[ar] shall ^(PJ)inherit the land,
but those cursed by him ^(PK)shall be cut off.

²³The ^(PL)steps of a man are ^(PM)established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
²⁴^(PN)though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord ^(PO)upholds his hand.

²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children ^(PP)begging for bread.
²⁶He is ever ^(PQ)lending generously,
    and his children become a blessing.

²⁷^(PR)Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you ^(PS)dwell forever.
²⁸For the Lord ^(PT)loves justice;
    he will not forsake his ^(PU)saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be ^(PV)cut off.
²⁹The righteous shall inherit the land
    and ^(PW)dwell upon it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
³¹^(PX)The law of his God is in his heart;
his ^(PY)steps do not slip.

³²The wicked ^(PZ)watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
³³The Lord will not ^(QA)abandon him to his power
or let him ^(QB)be condemned when he is brought to trial.

³⁴^(QC)Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on ^(QD)when the wicked are cut off.

³⁵^(QE)I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like ^(QF)a green laurel tree.^[as]

Footnotes

Psalm 23:2 Hebrew beside waters of rest
Psalm 23:3 Or in right paths
Psalm 23:4 Or the valley of deep darkness
Psalm 23:6 Or Only
Psalm 23:6 Or steadfast love
Psalm 23:6 Or shall return to dwell
Psalm 23:6 Hebrew for length of days
Psalm 24:1 Or and all that fills it
Psalm 24:6 Septuagint, Syriac, and two Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text who seek your face, Jacob
Psalm 25:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
Psalm 25:14 Or The secret counsel
Psalm 26:2 Hebrew test my kidneys and my heart
Psalm 27:1 Or refuge
Psalm 27:3 Or in this
Psalm 27:4 Or meditate
Psalm 27:8 The command (seek) is addressed to more than one person
Psalm 27:8 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
Psalm 27:13 Other Hebrew manuscripts Oh! Had I not believed that I would look
Psalm 28:2 Hebrew your innermost sanctuary
Psalm 28:8 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts is their strength
Psalm 29:1 Hebrew sons of God, or sons of might
Psalm 29:2 Or in holy attire
Psalm 29:9 Revocalization yields makes the oaks to shake
Psalm 29:11 Or The Lord will give… The Lord will bless
Psalm 30:3 Or to life, that I should not go down to the pit
Psalm 30:4 Hebrew to the memorial of his holiness (see Exodus 3:15)
Psalm 30:5 Or and in his favor is life
Psalm 30:9 Hebrew in my blood
Psalm 30:9 Or to corruption
Psalm 31:6 Masoretic Text; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome You hate
Psalm 31:22 Or in my haste
Psalm 32:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 32:4 Hebrew my vitality was changed
Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
Psalm 35:3 Or and close the way
Psalm 35:7 The word pit is transposed from the preceding line; Hebrew For without cause they hid the pit of their net for me; without cause they dug for my life
Psalm 35:11 Or Violent
Psalm 35:12 Hebrew it is bereavement to my soul
Psalm 35:13 Or my prayer shall turn back
Psalm 35:16 The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
Psalm 36:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Jerome (compare Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts in my heart
Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
Psalm 37:3 Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture
Psalm 37:22 Hebrew by him
Psalm 37:35 The identity of this tree is uncertain

Psalm 23:1-37:35

New Living Translation

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
²He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
³    He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
⁴Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
⁵You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
⁶Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Psalm 24

A psalm of David.

¹The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
²For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.

³Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
⁴Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
    who do not worship idols
    and never tell lies.
⁵They will receive the Lord’s blessing
    and have a right relationship with God their savior.
⁶Such people may seek you
    and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.^[b] Interlude

⁷Open up, ancient gates!
    Open up, ancient doors,
    and let the King of glory enter.
⁸Who is the King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty;
    the Lord, invincible in battle.
⁹Open up, ancient gates!
    Open up, ancient doors,
    and let the King of glory enter.
¹⁰Who is the King of glory?
    The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—
    he is the King of glory. Interlude

Psalm 25^[c]

A psalm of David.

¹O Lord, I give my life to you.
²    I trust in you, my God!
Do not let me be disgraced,
    or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
³No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
    but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

⁴Show me the right path, O Lord;
    point out the road for me to follow.
⁵Lead me by your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God who saves me.
    All day long I put my hope in you.
⁶Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
    which you have shown from long ages past.
⁷Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
    Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
    for you are merciful, O Lord.

⁸The Lord is good and does what is right;
    he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
⁹He leads the humble in doing right,
    teaching them his way.
¹⁰The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
    all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

¹¹For the honor of your name, O Lord,
    forgive my many, many sins.
¹²Who are those who fear the Lord?
    He will show them the path they should choose.
¹³They will live in prosperity,
    and their children will inherit the land.
¹⁴The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
    He teaches them his covenant.
¹⁵My eyes are always on the Lord,
    for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.

¹⁶Turn to me and have mercy,
    for I am alone and in deep distress.
¹⁷My problems go from bad to worse.
    Oh, save me from them all!
¹⁸Feel my pain and see my trouble.
    Forgive all my sins.
¹⁹See how many enemies I have
    and how viciously they hate me!
²⁰Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
    Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.
²¹May integrity and honesty protect me,
    for I put my hope in you.

²²O God, ransom Israel
from all its troubles.

Psalm 26

A psalm of David.

¹Declare me innocent, O Lord,
    for I have acted with integrity;
    I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
²Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me.
    Test my motives and my heart.
³For I am always aware of your unfailing love,
    and I have lived according to your truth.
⁴I do not spend time with liars
    or go along with hypocrites.
⁵I hate the gatherings of those who do evil,
    and I refuse to join in with the wicked.
⁶I wash my hands to declare my innocence.
    I come to your altar, O Lord,
⁷singing a song of thanksgiving
    and telling of all your wonders.
⁸I love your sanctuary, Lord,
    the place where your glorious presence dwells.

⁹Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners.
    Don’t condemn me along with murderers.
¹⁰Their hands are dirty with evil schemes,
    and they constantly take bribes.
¹¹But I am not like that; I live with integrity.
    So redeem me and show me mercy.
¹²Now I stand on solid ground,
    and I will publicly praise the Lord.

Psalm 27

A psalm of David.

¹The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
    so why should I tremble?
²When evil people come to devour me,
    when my enemies and foes attack me,
    they will stumble and fall.
³Though a mighty army surrounds me,
    my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
    I will remain confident.

⁴The one thing I ask of the Lord—
    the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
    delighting in the Lord’s perfections
    and meditating in his Temple.
⁵For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
    he will hide me in his sanctuary.
    He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
⁶Then I will hold my head high
    above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
    singing and praising the Lord with music.

⁷Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
    Be merciful and answer me!
⁸My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
    And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
⁹Do not turn your back on me.
    Do not reject your servant in anger.
    You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
    O God of my salvation!
¹⁰Even if my father and mother abandon me,
    the Lord will hold me close.

¹¹Teach me how to live, O Lord.
    Lead me along the right path,
    for my enemies are waiting for me.
¹²Do not let me fall into their hands.
    For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
    with every breath they threaten me with violence.
¹³Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
    while I am here in the land of the living.

¹⁴Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 28

A psalm of David.

¹I pray to you, O Lord, my rock.
    Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you are silent,
    I might as well give up and die.
²Listen to my prayer for mercy
    as I cry out to you for help,
    as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.

³Do not drag me away with the wicked—
    with those who do evil—
those who speak friendly words to their neighbors
    while planning evil in their hearts.
⁴Give them the punishment they so richly deserve!
    Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness.
Pay them back for all their evil deeds!
    Give them a taste of what they have done to others.
⁵They care nothing for what the Lord has done
    or for what his hands have made.
So he will tear them down,
    and they will never be rebuilt!

⁶Praise the Lord!
    For he has heard my cry for mercy.
⁷The Lord is my strength and shield.
    I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
    I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

⁸The Lord gives his people strength.
    He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.
⁹Save your people!
    Bless Israel, your special possession.^[d]
Lead them like a shepherd,
    and carry them in your arms forever.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

¹Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings^[e];
honor the Lord for his glory and strength.
²Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

³The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea.
    The God of glory thunders.
    The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
⁴The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
⁵The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars;
    the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf;
    he makes Mount Hermon^[f] leap like a young wild ox.
⁷The voice of the Lord strikes
    with bolts of lightning.
⁸The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
⁹The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks^[g]
    and strips the forests bare.
In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

¹⁰The Lord rules over the floodwaters.
The Lord reigns as king forever.
¹¹The Lord gives his people strength.
The Lord blesses them with peace.

Psalm 30

A psalm of David. A song for the dedication of the Temple.

¹I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.
    You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
²O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you restored my health.
³You brought me up from the grave,^[h] O Lord.
    You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

⁴Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!
    Praise his holy name.
⁵For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

⁶When I was prosperous, I said,
“Nothing can stop me now!”
⁷Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.
Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

⁸I cried out to you, O Lord.
    I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,
⁹“What will you gain if I die,
    if I sink into the grave?
Can my dust praise you?
    Can it tell of your faithfulness?
¹⁰Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.
    Help me, O Lord.”

¹¹You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
¹²that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Psalm 31

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

¹O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
    don’t let me be disgraced.
    Save me, for you do what is right.
²Turn your ear to listen to me;
    rescue me quickly.
Be my rock of protection,
    a fortress where I will be safe.
³You are my rock and my fortress.
    For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger.
⁴Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me,
    for I find protection in you alone.
⁵I entrust my spirit into your hand.
    Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.

⁶I hate those who worship worthless idols.
    I trust in the Lord.
⁷I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,
    for you have seen my troubles,
    and you care about the anguish of my soul.
⁸You have not handed me over to my enemies
    but have set me in a safe place.

⁹Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.
    Tears blur my eyes.
    My body and soul are withering away.
¹⁰I am dying from grief;
    my years are shortened by sadness.
Sin has drained my strength;
    I am wasting away from within.
¹¹I am scorned by all my enemies
    and despised by my neighbors—
    even my friends are afraid to come near me.
When they see me on the street,
    they run the other way.
¹²I am ignored as if I were dead,
    as if I were a broken pot.
¹³I have heard the many rumors about me,
    and I am surrounded by terror.
My enemies conspire against me,
    plotting to take my life.

¹⁴But I am trusting you, O Lord,
    saying, “You are my God!”
¹⁵My future is in your hands.
    Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
¹⁶Let your favor shine on your servant.
    In your unfailing love, rescue me.
¹⁷Don’t let me be disgraced, O Lord,
    for I call out to you for help.
Let the wicked be disgraced;
    let them lie silent in the grave.^[i]
¹⁸Silence their lying lips—
    those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.

¹⁹How great is the goodness
    you have stored up for those who fear you.
You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,
    blessing them before the watching world.
²⁰You hide them in the shelter of your presence,
    safe from those who conspire against them.
You shelter them in your presence,
    far from accusing tongues.

²¹Praise the Lord,
    for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love.
    He kept me safe when my city was under attack.
²²In panic I cried out,
    “I am cut off from the Lord!”
But you heard my cry for mercy
    and answered my call for help.

²³Love the Lord, all you godly ones!
    For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him,
    but he harshly punishes the arrogant.
²⁴So be strong and courageous,
    all you who put your hope in the Lord!

Psalm 32

A psalm^[j] of David.

¹Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight!
²Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,^[k]
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
³When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
⁴Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude

⁵Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude

⁶Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
⁷For you are my hiding place;
    you protect me from trouble.
    You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude

⁸The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
⁹Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

¹⁰Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
¹¹So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Psalm 33

¹Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord;
    it is fitting for the pure to praise him.
²Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre;
    make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.
³Sing a new song of praise to him;
    play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.
⁴For the word of the Lord holds true,
    and we can trust everything he does.
⁵He loves whatever is just and good;
    the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

⁶The Lord merely spoke,
    and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
    and all the stars were born.
⁷He assigned the sea its boundaries
    and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
⁸Let the whole world fear the Lord,
    and let everyone stand in awe of him.
⁹For when he spoke, the world began!
    It appeared at his command.

¹⁰The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations
and thwarts all their schemes.
¹¹But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;
his intentions can never be shaken.

¹²What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,
whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.

¹³The Lord looks down from heaven
    and sees the whole human race.
¹⁴From his throne he observes
    all who live on the earth.
¹⁵He made their hearts,
    so he understands everything they do.
¹⁶The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
    nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
¹⁷Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—
    for all its strength, it cannot save you.

¹⁸But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
those who rely on his unfailing love.
¹⁹He rescues them from death
and keeps them alive in times of famine.

²⁰We put our hope in the Lord.
    He is our help and our shield.
²¹In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
²²Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
    for our hope is in you alone.

Psalm 34^[l]

A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away.

¹I will praise the Lord at all times.
    I will constantly speak his praises.
²I will boast only in the Lord;
    let all who are helpless take heart.
³Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
    let us exalt his name together.

⁴I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
    He freed me from all my fears.
⁵Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
    no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
⁶In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
    he saved me from all my troubles.
⁷For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
    he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

⁸Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
⁹Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
    for those who fear him will have all they need.
¹⁰Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
    but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

¹¹Come, my children, and listen to me,
    and I will teach you to fear the Lord.
¹²Does anyone want to live a life
    that is long and prosperous?
¹³Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies!
¹⁴Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

¹⁵The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;
    his ears are open to their cries for help.
¹⁶But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil;
    he will erase their memory from the earth.
¹⁷The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
    He rescues them from all their troubles.
¹⁸The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
    he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

¹⁹The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
²⁰For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken!

²¹Calamity will surely destroy the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
²²But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.
No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalm 35

A psalm of David.

¹O Lord, oppose those who oppose me.
    Fight those who fight against me.
²Put on your armor, and take up your shield.
    Prepare for battle, and come to my aid.
³Lift up your spear and javelin
    against those who pursue me.
Let me hear you say,
    “I will give you victory!”
⁴Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me;
    turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm me.
⁵Blow them away like chaff in the wind—
    a wind sent by the angel of the Lord.
⁶Make their path dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
⁷I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me.
    I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me.
⁸So let sudden ruin come upon them!
    Let them be caught in the trap they set for me!
    Let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me.

⁹Then I will rejoice in the Lord.
    I will be glad because he rescues me.
¹⁰With every bone in my body I will praise him:
    “Lord, who can compare with you?
Who else rescues the helpless from the strong?
    Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?”

¹¹Malicious witnesses testify against me.
    They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
¹²They repay me evil for good.
    I am sick with despair.
¹³Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them.
    I denied myself by fasting for them,
    but my prayers returned unanswered.
¹⁴I was sad, as though they were my friends or family,
    as if I were grieving for my own mother.
¹⁵But they are glad now that I am in trouble;
    they gleefully join together against me.
I am attacked by people I don’t even know;
    they slander me constantly.
¹⁶They mock me and call me names;
    they snarl at me.

¹⁷How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing?
    Rescue me from their fierce attacks.
    Protect my life from these lions!
¹⁸Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly.
    I will praise you before all the people.
¹⁹Don’t let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat.
    Don’t let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow.
²⁰They don’t talk of peace;
    they plot against innocent people who mind their own business.
²¹They shout, “Aha! Aha!
    With our own eyes we saw him do it!”

²²O Lord, you know all about this.
    Do not stay silent.
    Do not abandon me now, O Lord.
²³Wake up! Rise to my defense!
    Take up my case, my God and my Lord.
²⁴Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice.
    Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.
²⁵Don’t let them say, “Look, we got what we wanted!
    Now we will eat him alive!”

²⁶May those who rejoice at my troubles
    be humiliated and disgraced.
May those who triumph over me
    be covered with shame and dishonor.
²⁷But give great joy to those who came to my defense.
    Let them continually say, “Great is the Lord,
    who delights in blessing his servant with peace!”
²⁸Then I will proclaim your justice,
    and I will praise you all day long.

Psalm 36

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.

¹Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.^[m]
    They have no fear of God at all.
²In their blind conceit,
    they cannot see how wicked they really are.
³Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
    They refuse to act wisely or do good.
⁴They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
    Their actions are never good.
    They make no attempt to turn from evil.

⁵Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
⁶Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
⁷    How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
    in the shadow of your wings.
⁸You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
    letting them drink from your river of delights.
⁹For you are the fountain of life,
    the light by which we see.

¹⁰Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
    give justice to those with honest hearts.
¹¹Don’t let the proud trample me
    or the wicked push me around.
¹²Look! Those who do evil have fallen!
    They are thrown down, never to rise again.

Psalm 37^[n]

A psalm of David.

¹Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
²For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

³Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
⁴Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.

⁵Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
⁶He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.

⁸Stop being angry!
    Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
    it only leads to harm.
⁹For the wicked will be destroyed,
    but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.

¹⁰Soon the wicked will disappear.
Though you look for them, they will be gone.
¹¹The lowly will possess the land
and will live in peace and prosperity.

¹²The wicked plot against the godly;
they snarl at them in defiance.
¹³But the Lord just laughs,
for he sees their day of judgment coming.

¹⁴The wicked draw their swords
    and string their bows
to kill the poor and the oppressed,
    to slaughter those who do right.
¹⁵But their swords will stab their own hearts,
    and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.
¹⁷For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly.

¹⁸Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
¹⁹They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.

²⁰But the wicked will die.
The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—
they will disappear like smoke.

²¹The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.
²²Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those he curses will die.

²³The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
²⁴Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.

²⁵Once I was young, and now I am old.
    Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
    or their children begging for bread.
²⁶The godly always give generous loans to others,
    and their children are a blessing.

²⁷Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.
²⁸For the Lord loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.

He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will die.
²⁹The godly will possess the land
and will live there forever.

³⁰The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.
³¹They have made God’s law their own,
so they will never slip from his path.

³²The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
looking for an excuse to kill them.
³³But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

³⁴Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.

³⁵I have seen wicked and ruthless people
flourishing like a tree in its native soil.

Footnotes

23:4 Or the dark valley of death.
24:6 As in two Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions; most Hebrew manuscripts read O Jacob.
25 This psalm is a Hebrew acrostic poem; each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
28:9 Hebrew Bless your inheritance.
29:1 Hebrew you sons of God.
29:6 Hebrew Sirion, another name for Mount Hermon.
29:9 Or causes the deer to writhe in labor.
30:3 Hebrew from Sheol.
31:17 Hebrew in Sheol.
32:Title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.
32:2 Greek version reads of sin. Compare Rom 4:8.
34 This psalm is a Hebrew acrostic poem; each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
36:1 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac version, which read in his heart. Masoretic Text reads in my heart.
37 This psalm is a Hebrew acrostic poem; each stanza begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

'Psalm 23-38' not found for the version: English Standard Version.

Psalm 23-38

New Living Translation