Psalm 25[a]

Of David.

In you, Lord my God,
    I put my trust.(A)

I trust in you;(B)
    do not let me be put to shame,
    nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one who hopes in you
    will ever be put to shame,(C)
but shame will come on those
    who are treacherous(D) without cause.

Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.(E)
Guide me in your truth(F) and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,(G)
    and my hope is in you(H) all day long.
Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,(I)
    for they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth(J)
    and my rebellious ways;(K)
according to your love(L) remember me,
    for you, Lord, are good.(M)

Good and upright(N) is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs(O) sinners in his ways.
He guides(P) the humble in what is right
    and teaches them(Q) his way.
10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful(R)
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.(S)
11 For the sake of your name,(T) Lord,
    forgive(U) my iniquity,(V) though it is great.

12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?(W)
    He will instruct them in the ways(X) they should choose.[b]
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,(Y)
    and their descendants will inherit the land.(Z)
14 The Lord confides(AA) in those who fear him;
    he makes his covenant known(AB) to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,(AC)
    for only he will release my feet from the snare.(AD)

16 Turn to me(AE) and be gracious to me,(AF)
    for I am lonely(AG) and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles(AH) of my heart
    and free me from my anguish.(AI)
18 Look on my affliction(AJ) and my distress(AK)
    and take away all my sins.(AL)
19 See how numerous are my enemies(AM)
    and how fiercely they hate me!(AN)

20 Guard my life(AO) and rescue me;(AP)
    do not let me be put to shame,(AQ)
    for I take refuge(AR) in you.
21 May integrity(AS) and uprightness(AT) protect me,
    because my hope, Lord,[c] is in you.(AU)

22 Deliver Israel,(AV) O God,
    from all their troubles!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 25:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 25:12 Or ways he chooses
  3. Psalm 25:21 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have Lord.

25 1 The Prophet touched with the consideration of his sins, and also grieved with the cruel malice of his enemies,  6 Prayeth to God most fervently to have his sins forgiven. 7 Especially such as he had committed in his youth.  He beginneth every verse according to the Hebrew letters, two or three except.

A Psalm of David.

Unto thee, [a]O Lord, lift I up my soul.

My God, I [b]trust in thee; let me not be confounded: let not mine enemies rejoice over me.

(A)So all that hope in thee, shall not be ashamed; but let them be confounded, that transgress without cause.

[c]Show me thy ways, O Lord, and teach me thy paths.

Lead me forth in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation: in thee do I trust [d]all the day.

Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies, and thy lovingkindness: for they have been forever.

Remember not the [e]sins of my youth, nor my rebellions, but according to thy kindness remember thou me, even for thy goodness sake, O Lord.

Gracious and righteous is the Lord: therefore will he [f]teach sinners in the way.

Them that be meek, will he [g]guide in judgment, and teach the humble his way.

10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies:

11 For thy [h]Name’s sake, O Lord, be merciful unto mine iniquity, for it is great.

12 What [i]man is he that feareth the Lord? him will he teach the way that he shall [j]choose.

13 His soul shall dwell at [k]ease, and his seed shall inherit the land.

14 The [l]secret of the Lord is revealed to them that fear him: and his Covenant to give them understanding.

15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord: for he will bring my feet out of the net.

16 Turn thy face unto me, and have mercy upon me: for I am desolate and poor.

17 The sorrows of mine heart [m]are enlarged: draw me out of my troubles.

18 Look upon mine affliction and my travail, and forgive all my sins.

19 Behold mine [n]enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with cruel hatred.

20 Keep my soul and deliver me: let me not be confounded: for I trust in thee.

21 Let [o]mine uprightness and equity preserve me; for mine hope is in thee.

22 Deliver Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 25:1 I put not my trust in any worldly thing.
  2. Psalm 25:2 That thou wilt take away mine enemies, which are thy rods.
  3. Psalm 25:4 Retain me in the faith of thy promise, that I swerve not on any side.
  4. Psalm 25:5 Constantly, and against all tentations.
  5. Psalm 25:7 He confesseth that his manifold sins were the cause that his enemies did thus persecute him, desiring that the cause of the evil may be taken away, to the intent that the effect may cease.
  6. Psalm 25:8 That is, call them to repentance.
  7. Psalm 25:9 He will govern and comfort them that are truly humbled for their sins.
  8. Psalm 25:11 And for none other respect.
  9. Psalm 25:12 Meaning, the number is very small.
  10. Psalm 25:12 He will direct such with his spirit to follow the right way.
  11. Psalm 25:13 He shall prosper both in spiritual and corporal things.
  12. Psalm 25:14 His counsel contained in his word, whereby he declareth that he is the protector of the faithful.
  13. Psalm 25:17 My grief is increased because of mine enemies’ cruelty.
  14. Psalm 25:19 The greater that his afflictions were and the more that his enemies increased, the more near felt he God’s help.
  15. Psalm 25:21 Forasmuch as I have behaved myself uprightly toward mine enemies, let them know that thou art the defender of my just cause.

Psalm 25[a]

Confident Prayer for Forgiveness and Guidance

Of David.

I

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul,
    (A)my God, in you I trust;
    do not let me be disgraced;(B)
    do not let my enemies gloat over me.
No one is disgraced who waits for you,(C)
    but only those who are treacherous without cause.
Make known to me your ways, Lord;
    teach me your paths.(D)
Guide me by your fidelity and teach me,
    for you are God my savior,
    for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your compassion and your mercy, O Lord,
    for they are ages old.(E)
Remember no more the sins of my youth;(F)
    remember me according to your mercy,
    because of your goodness, Lord.

II

Good and upright is the Lord,
    therefore he shows sinners the way,
He guides the humble in righteousness,
    and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth
    toward those who honor his covenant and decrees.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
    pardon my guilt, though it is great.
12 Who is the one who fears the Lord?
    God shows him the way he should choose.(G)
13 He will abide in prosperity,
    and his descendants will inherit the land.(H)
14 The counsel of the Lord belongs to those who fear him;
    and his covenant instructs them.
15 My eyes are ever upon the Lord,
    who frees my feet from the snare.(I)

III

16 Look upon me, have pity on me,
    for I am alone and afflicted.(J)
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart;
    bring me out of my distress.
18 Look upon my affliction and suffering;
    take away all my sins.
19 See how many are my enemies,
    see how fiercely they hate me.
20 Preserve my soul and rescue me;
    do not let me be disgraced, for in you I seek refuge.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me;
    I wait for you, O Lord.
22 [b]Redeem Israel, O God,
    from all its distress!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 25 A lament. Each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Such acrostic Psalms are often a series of statements only loosely connected. The psalmist mixes ardent pleas (Ps 25:1–2, 16–22) with expressions of confidence in God who forgives and guides.
  2. 25:22 A final verse beginning with the Hebrew letter pe is added to the normal twenty-two-letter alphabet. Thus the letters aleph, lamed, and pe open the first, middle (Ps 25:11), and last lines of the Psalm. Together, they spell aleph, the first letter of the alphabet, from a Hebrew root that means “to learn.”

A Prayer for Guidance, Deliverance, and Forgiveness

Of David.[a]

25 To you, O Yahweh, I lift up my soul.
O my God, I trust you; let me not be put to shame.
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you should be put to shame.
Those who betray without cause should be put to shame.
Make me know your ways, O Yahweh.
Teach me your paths.
Cause me to walk in your truth and teach me,
because you are the God of my salvation.
I await you all day long.[b]
Remember your compassion, O Yahweh,
and your acts of loyal love,
because they are from of old.
Do not remember
the sins of my youth or my transgressions.
According to your loyal love remember me if you will,
for the sake of your goodness, O Yahweh.
Good and right is Yahweh;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He causes the humble to walk in justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of Yahweh are loyal love and faithfulness
for those who keep his covenant and statutes.[c]
11 Also, for the sake of your name, O Yahweh,
forgive my sin, because it is great.
12 Who is the man fearing Yahweh?
He will instruct him in the way he should choose.
13 His soul will lodge in prosperity,
and his offspring will possess the land.
14 Intimate fellowship with Yahweh is for those who fear him,
and he makes known his covenant to them.
15 My eyes are continually toward Yahweh,
because he will take my feet from the net.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me
because I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Remove the troubles of my heart;
bring me out from my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and trouble,
and forgive[d] all my sins.
19 Consider that my enemies are many,
and they hate me with violent hatred.
20 Protect my life and deliver me.
Let me not be put to shame, because I take shelter in you.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
because I wait for you.
22 O God, redeem Israel
from all its troubles.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 25:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
  2. Psalm 25:5 Literally “all of the day”
  3. Psalm 25:10 Or “covenant statutes”
  4. Psalm 25:18 Or “take away”