Psalm 27
EasyEnglish Bible
This is a song that David wrote.
I trust God to keep me safe
27 The Lord gives me light in my life
and he makes me safe.
So I am not afraid of anyone!
The Lord takes care of my life.
Nobody can make me afraid!
2 Evil men are ready to attack me.
They want to destroy my body.
But when my enemies attack me,
they trip and fall to the ground!
3 Even if a whole army comes to fight against me,
I will not be afraid.
Even if they attack me in war,
I will continue to trust God.
4 There is one thing that I have asked the Lord to do for me.
This is the one thing that I really want:
I want to live in the Lord's house
all the days of my life.
Then I will clearly see the Lord's beauty.
I will pray to him in his temple.
5 When danger is near,
the Lord will keep me safe.
He will take care of me in his home.
He will put me in a safe place,
on the top of a high rock.
6 My enemies may be all round me,
but I will win against them.
They will see how strong I am!
I will offer sacrifices to the Lord in his temple.
I will be so happy that I will shout aloud!
Yes, I will sing to praise the Lord.
7 Lord, hear me when I call to you for help.[a]
Be kind to me and answer me.
8 I have heard you say to me, ‘Come near to me.’
So I will come and pray to you, Lord.
9 Please do not turn away from me.
I am your servant,
so do not be angry with me.
You have always helped me in the past,
so do not push me away now.
You are the one who saves me, God,
so do not turn away from me.
10 Even if my father and my mother leave me,
the Lord will still take care of me.
11 Lord, please teach me to follow your way.
Lead me along a good, safe path,
because my enemies are waiting to attack me.
12 Do not give me to my enemies.
They say false things against me,
so that they can destroy me.
13 But I surely believe
that I will see how good the Lord is!
I will know his love while I still live in this world.
14 Wait for the Lord to help you!
Be strong and brave.
Yes, wait for the Lord to help you!
Footnotes
- 27:7 Here the psalm changes. In verses 1-6, life was good for David. Now life is difficult. David thinks that God has forgotten him. But David continues to pray. He says, ‘You gave me help in the past, so do not forget me now.’
Psalm 27
New King James Version
An Exuberant Declaration of Faith
A Psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my (A)light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The (B)Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me
To (C)eat[a] up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3 (D)Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
4 (E)One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may (F)dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the [b]beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
5 For (G)in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall (H)set me high upon a rock.
6 And now (I)my head shall be [c]lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of [d]joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
9 (J)Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
10 (K)When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me.
11 (L)Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For (M)false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
(N)In the land of the living.
14 (O)Wait[e] on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 27:2 devour
- Psalm 27:4 delightfulness
- Psalm 27:6 Lifted up in honor
- Psalm 27:6 joyous shouts
- Psalm 27:14 Wait in faith
Psalm 27
English Standard Version
The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Of David.
27 The Lord is my (A)light and my (B)salvation;
(C)whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
to (D)eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 (E)Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet[b] I will be confident.
4 (F)One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may (G)dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon (H)the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire[c] in his temple.
5 For he will (I)hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will (J)lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my (K)head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of (L)joy;
(M)I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 (N)Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, (O)“Seek[d] my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”[e]
9 (P)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,
(Q)O God of my salvation!
10 For (R)my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will (S)take me in.
11 (T)Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on (U)a level path
because of my enemies.
12 (V)Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for (W)false witnesses have risen against me,
and they (X)breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look[f] upon (Y)the goodness of the Lord
in (Z)the land of the living!
14 (AA)Wait for the Lord;
(AB)be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
Footnotes
- 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
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
