Psalm 24-31

New American Standard Bible

The King of Glory Entering Zion.

A Psalm of David.

24 The ^(A)earth is the Lord’s, and ^[a]all it contains,
The ^(B)world, and those who live in it.
²For He has ^(C)founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
³Who may ^(D)ascend onto the ^(E)hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy ^(F)place?
⁴One who has ^(G)clean hands and a ^(H)pure heart,
Who has not ^(I)lifted up his soul to deceit
And has not ^(J)sworn deceitfully.
⁵He will receive a ^(K)blessing from the Lord
And ^[b]^(L)righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶^[c]This is the generation of those who ^(M)seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah

⁷^(N)Lift up your heads, you gates,
And be lifted up, you ^[d]ancient doors,
That the King of ^(O)glory may come in!
⁸Who is the King of glory?
The Lord ^(P)strong and mighty,
The Lord ^(Q)mighty in battle.
⁹Lift up your heads, you gates,
And lift them up, you ^[e]ancient doors,
That the King of ^(R)glory may come in!
¹⁰Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of ^(S)armies,
He is the King of glory. Selah

Prayer for Protection, Guidance, and Pardon.

A Psalm of David.

25 To You, Lord, I ^(T)lift up my soul.
²My God, in You ^(U)I trust,
Do not let me ^(V)be ashamed;
Do not let my ^(W)enemies rejoice over me.
³Indeed, ^(X)none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
^[f]Those who ^(Y)deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

⁴^(Z)Make me know Your ways, Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
⁵Lead me in ^(AA)Your truth and teach me,
For You are the ^(AB)God of my salvation;
For You I ^(AC)wait all the day.
⁶^(AD)Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithfulness,
For they have been ^[g]^(AE)from of old.
⁷Do not remember the ^(AF)sins of my youth or my wrongdoings;
^(AG)Remember me according to Your faithfulness,
For Your ^(AH)goodness’ sake, Lord.

⁸^(AI)The Lord is good and ^(AJ)upright;
Therefore He ^(AK)instructs sinners in the way.
⁹He ^(AL)leads the ^[h]humble in justice,
And He ^(AM)teaches the ^[i]humble His way.
¹⁰All the paths of the Lord are ^(AN)faithfulness and truth
To ^(AO)those who comply with His covenant and His testimonies.
¹¹For the ^(AP)sake of Your name, Lord,
^(AQ)Forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great.

¹²Who is the person who ^(AR)fears the Lord?
He will ^(AS)instruct him in the way he should choose.
¹³His soul will ^(AT)dwell in ^[j]prosperity,
And his ^[k]descendants will ^(AU)inherit the ^[l]land.
¹⁴The ^[m]^(AV)secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
^[n]And He will ^(AW)make them know His covenant.
¹⁵My ^(AX)eyes are continually toward the Lord,
For He will ^[o]^(AY)rescue my feet from the net.

¹⁶^(AZ)Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am ^(BA)lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷^[p]The ^(BB)troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me ^(BC)out of my distresses.
¹⁸^(BD)Look at my misery and my trouble,
And ^(BE)forgive all my sins.
¹⁹Look at my enemies, for they ^(BF)are many,
And they ^(BG)hate me with violent hatred.
²⁰^(BH)Guard my soul and save me;
Do not let me ^(BI)be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
²¹Let ^(BJ)integrity and uprightness protect me,
For ^(BK)I wait for You.
²²^(BL)Redeem Israel, God,
From all his distress.

Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.

A Psalm of David.

26 ^[q]^(BM)Vindicate me, Lord, for I have ^(BN)walked in my integrity,
And I have ^(BO)trusted in the Lord ^[r]^(BP)without wavering.
²^(BQ)Examine me, Lord, and put me to the test;
^(BR)Refine my ^[s]mind and my heart.
³For Your ^(BS)^[t]goodness is before my eyes,
And I have ^(BT)walked in Your truth.
⁴I do not ^(BU)sit with ^[u]deceitful people,
Nor will I go with ^[v]^(BV)pretenders.
⁵I ^(BW)hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
⁶I will ^(BX)wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go around ^(BY)Your altar, Lord,
⁷That I may proclaim with the voice of ^(BZ)thanksgiving
And declare all Your ^[w]wonders.

⁸Lord, I ^(CA)love the dwelling of Your house,
And the place ^[x]where Your ^(CB)glory remains.
⁹^(CC)Do not ^[y]take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with ^(CD)men of bloodshed,
¹⁰In whose hands is a ^(CE)wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of ^(CF)bribes.
¹¹But as for me, I will ^(CG)walk in my integrity;
^(CH)Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
¹²^(CI)My foot stands on ^(CJ)level ground;
In the ^(CK)congregations I will bless the Lord.

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my ^(CL)light and my ^(CM)salvation;
Whom should I fear?
The Lord is the ^[z]^(CN)defense of my life;
^(CO)Whom should I dread?
²When evildoers came upon me to ^(CP)devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they ^(CQ)stumbled and fell.
³If an ^(CR)army encamps against me,
My heart will not fear;
If war arises against me,
In spite of this I am ^(CS)confident.

⁴^(CT)One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may ^(CU)dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold ^(CV)the ^[aa]beauty of the Lord
And to ^[ab]^(CW)meditate in His temple.
⁵For on the ^(CX)day of trouble He will ^(CY)conceal me in His ^[ac]tabernacle;
He will ^(CZ)hide me in the secret place of His tent;
He will ^(DA)lift me up on a rock.
⁶And now ^(DB)my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer ^(DC)sacrifices in His tent ^[ad]with shouts of joy;
I will ^(DD)sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

⁷^(DE)Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and ^(DF)answer me.
⁸When You said, “^(DG)Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“^(DH)I shall seek Your face, Lord.”
⁹^(DI)Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in ^(DJ)anger;
You have been ^(DK)my help;
^(DL)Do not abandon me nor ^(DM)forsake me,
God of my salvation!
¹⁰^[ae]For my father and ^(DN)my mother have forsaken me,
But ^(DO)the Lord will take me up.

¹¹^(DP)Teach me Your way, Lord,
And lead me on a ^(DQ)level path
Because of my enemies.
¹²Do not turn me over to the ^[af]^(DR)desire of my enemies,
For ^(DS)false witnesses have risen against me,
And the violent ^(DT)witness.
¹³I certainly believed that I would see the ^(DU)goodness of the Lord
In the ^(DV)land of the living.
¹⁴^(DW)Wait for the Lord;
Be ^(DX)strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.

A Psalm of David.

28 To You, Lord, I call;
My ^(DY)rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You ^(DZ)are silent to me,
I will become like those who ^(EA)go down to the pit.
²Hear the ^(EB)sound of my pleadings when I cry to You for help,
When I ^(EC)raise my hands ^(ED)toward ^[ag]Your holy ^(EE)sanctuary.
³^(EF)Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who practice injustice,
Who ^(EG)speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
⁴Give back to them ^(EH)according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Give back to them according to the work of their hands;
Repay them what is due them.
⁵Because they ^(EI)do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.

⁶Blessed be the Lord,
Because He ^(EJ)has heard the sound of my pleading.
⁷The Lord is my ^(EK)strength and my ^(EL)shield;
My heart ^(EM)trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore ^(EN)my heart triumphs,
And with ^(EO)my song I shall thank Him.
⁸The Lord is ^[ah]their ^(EP)strength,
And He is a refuge of ^(EQ)salvation to His anointed.
⁹^(ER)Save Your people and bless ^(ES)Your inheritance;
Be their ^(ET)shepherd also, and ^(EU)carry them forever.

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

29 ^(EV)Ascribe to the Lord, ^[ai]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
²Ascribe to the Lord the glory ^[aj]due His name;
Worship the Lord ^(EW)in holy attire.

³The ^(EX)voice of the Lord is on the waters;
The God of glory ^(EY)thunders,
The Lord is over ^[ak]^(EZ)many waters.
⁴The voice of the Lord is ^(FA)powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks ^(FB)the cedars of Lebanon in pieces.
⁶He makes Lebanon ^(FC)skip like a calf,
And ^(FD)Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷The voice of the Lord divides ^[al]flames of fire.
⁸The voice of the Lord ^[am]shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of ^(FE)Kadesh.
⁹The voice of the Lord makes ^(FF)the deer give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And ^(FG)in His temple everything says, “Glory!”

¹⁰The Lord sat as King at the ^(FH)flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as ^(FI)King forever.
¹¹^[an]The Lord will give ^(FJ)strength to His people;
^[ao]The Lord will bless His people with ^(FK)peace.

Thanksgiving for Rescue from Death.

A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House. A Psalm of David.

30 I will ^(FL)exalt You, Lord, for You have ^(FM)lifted me up,
And have not let my ^(FN)enemies rejoice over me.
²Lord my God,
I ^(FO)cried to You for help, and You ^(FP)healed me.
³Lord, You have ^(FQ)brought up my soul from ^[ap]Sheol;
You have kept me alive, ^[aq]that I would not ^(FR)go down to the pit.
⁴^(FS)Sing praise to the Lord, you ^(FT)His godly ones,
And ^(FU)praise the mention of His holiness.
⁵For ^(FV)His anger is but for a moment,
His ^(FW)favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may ^(FX)last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

⁶Now as for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I will ^(FY)never be moved.”
⁷Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong;
You ^(FZ)hid Your face, I was dismayed.
⁸To You, Lord, I called,
And to the Lord I pleaded for compassion:
⁹“What gain is there in my blood, if I ^(GA)go down to the pit?
Will the ^(GB)dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?

¹⁰“^(GC)Hear, Lord, and be gracious to me;
Lord, be my ^(GD)helper.”
¹¹You have turned ^(GE)my mourning into dancing for me;
You have ^(GF)untied my sackcloth and encircled me with ^(GG)joy,
¹²That my ^[ar]^(GH)soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will ^(GI)give thanks to You forever.

A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

31 ^(GJ)In You, Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never ^(GK)be ^[as]put to shame;
^(GL)In Your righteousness rescue me.
²^(GM)Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be a ^(GN)rock of ^[at]strength for me,
A ^[au]stronghold to save me.
³For You are my rock and ^(GO)my fortress;
For the ^(GP)sake of Your name You will lead me and guide me.
⁴You will ^(GQ)pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my ^(GR)strength.
⁵^(GS)Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
You have ^(GT)redeemed me, Lord, ^(GU)God of ^[av]truth.

⁶I hate those who ^(GV)devote themselves to worthless ^[aw]idols,
But I ^(GW)trust in the Lord.
⁷I will ^(GX)rejoice and be glad in Your faithfulness,
Because You have ^(GY)seen my misery;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
⁸And You have not ^(GZ)handed me over to the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.

⁹Be gracious to me, Lord, for ^(HA)I am in distress;
My ^(HB)eye is wasted away from grief, ^(HC)my soul and my body too.
¹⁰For my life is spent with ^(HD)sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My ^(HE)strength has failed because of my guilt,
And ^(HF)my ^[ax]body has wasted away.
¹¹Because of all my adversaries, I have become a ^(HG)disgrace,
Especially to my ^(HH)neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
¹²I am ^(HI)forgotten like a dead person, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
¹³For I have heard the ^[ay]^(HJ)slander of many,
^(HK)Terror is on every side;
While they ^(HL)took counsel together against me,
They ^(HM)schemed to take away my life.

¹⁴But as for me, I trust in You, Lord,
I say, “^(HN)You are my God.”
¹⁵My ^(HO)times are in Your hand;
^(HP)Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
¹⁶Make Your ^(HQ)face shine upon Your servant;
^(HR)Save me in Your faithfulness.
¹⁷Let me not be ^(HS)put to shame, Lord, for I call upon You;
Let the ^(HT)wicked be put to shame, let them ^(HU)be silent in ^[az]Sheol.
¹⁸Let the ^(HV)lying lips be speechless,
Which ^(HW)speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.

¹⁹How great is Your ^(HX)goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have performed for those who ^(HY)take refuge in You,
^(HZ)Before the sons of mankind!
²⁰You hide them in the ^(IA)secret place of Your presence from the ^(IB)conspiracies of mankind;
You keep them secretly in a ^[ba]shelter from the ^(IC)strife of tongues.
²¹^(ID)Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown His ^(IE)marvelous faithfulness to me in a besieged ^(IF)city.
²²As for me, ^(IG)I said in my alarm,
“I am ^(IH)cut off from Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You ^(II)heard the sound of my pleadings
When I called to You for help.

²³Love the Lord, all ^(IJ)His godly ones!
The Lord ^(IK)watches over the faithful
But fully ^(IL)repays the one who acts arrogantly.
²⁴^(IM)Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who wait for the Lord.