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Psalm 23

The Divine Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.(A)
    He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;[a](B)
    he restores my soul.[b]
He leads me in right paths[c]
    for his name’s sake.(C)

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[d]
    I fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.(D)

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.(E)
Surely[e] goodness and mercy[f] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    my whole life long.[g](F)

Footnotes

  1. 23.2 Heb waters of rest
  2. 23.3 Or life
  3. 23.3 Or paths of righteousness
  4. 23.4 Or the valley of the shadow of death
  5. 23.6 Or Only
  6. 23.6 Or kindness
  7. 23.6 Heb for length of days

for once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Walk as children of light,(A) for the fruit of the light[a] is found in all that is good and right and true. 10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness; rather, expose them.(B) 12 For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly, 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Sleeper, awake!
    Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 5.9 Other ancient authorities read of the Spirit