Psalm 26

Of David.

Vindicate me,(A) Lord,
    for I have led a blameless life;(B)
I have trusted(C) in the Lord
    and have not faltered.(D)
Test me,(E) Lord, and try me,
    examine my heart and my mind;(F)
for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love(G)
    and have lived(H) in reliance on your faithfulness.(I)

I do not sit(J) with the deceitful,
    nor do I associate with hypocrites.(K)
I abhor(L) the assembly of evildoers
    and refuse to sit with the wicked.
I wash my hands in innocence,(M)
    and go about your altar, Lord,
proclaiming aloud your praise(N)
    and telling of all your wonderful deeds.(O)

Lord, I love(P) the house where you live,
    the place where your glory dwells.(Q)
Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
    my life with those who are bloodthirsty,(R)
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,(S)
    whose right hands are full of bribes.(T)
11 I lead a blameless life;
    deliver me(U) and be merciful to me.

12 My feet stand on level ground;(V)
    in the great congregation(W) I will praise the Lord.

Psalm 27

Of David.

The Lord is my light(X) and my salvation(Y)
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold(Z) of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?(AA)

When the wicked advance against me
    to devour[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.(AB)
Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;(AC)
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.(AD)

One thing(AE) I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,(AF)
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble(AG)
    he will keep me safe(AH) in his dwelling;
he will hide me(AI) in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.(AJ)

Then my head will be exalted(AK)
    above the enemies who surround me;(AL)
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice(AM) with shouts of joy;(AN)
    I will sing(AO) and make music(AP) to the Lord.

Hear my voice(AQ) when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.(AR)
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!(AS)
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Do not hide your face(AT) from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;(AU)
    you have been my helper.(AV)
Do not reject me or forsake(AW) me,
    God my Savior.(AX)
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way,(AY) Lord;
    lead me in a straight path(AZ)
    because of my oppressors.(BA)
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses(BB) rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord(BC)
    in the land of the living.(BD)
14 Wait(BE) for the Lord;
    be strong(BF) and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 28

Of David.

To you, Lord, I call;
    you are my Rock,
    do not turn a deaf ear(BG) to me.
For if you remain silent,(BH)
    I will be like those who go down to the pit.(BI)
Hear my cry for mercy(BJ)
    as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands(BK)
    toward your Most Holy Place.(BL)

Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
    but harbor malice in their hearts.(BM)
Repay them for their deeds
    and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done(BN)
    and bring back on them what they deserve.(BO)

Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
    and what his hands have done,(BP)
he will tear them down
    and never build them up again.

Praise be to the Lord,(BQ)
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.(BR)
The Lord is my strength(BS) and my shield;
    my heart trusts(BT) in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,(BU)
    and with my song I praise him.(BV)

The Lord is the strength(BW) of his people,
    a fortress of salvation(BX) for his anointed one.(BY)
Save your people(BZ) and bless your inheritance;(CA)
    be their shepherd(CB) and carry them(CC) forever.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

Ascribe to the Lord,(CD) you heavenly beings,(CE)
    ascribe to the Lord glory(CF) and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of his[b] holiness.(CG)

The voice(CH) of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory(CI) thunders,(CJ)
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.(CK)
The voice of the Lord is powerful;(CL)
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.(CM)
He makes Lebanon leap(CN) like a calf,
    Sirion[c](CO) like a young wild ox.(CP)
The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.(CQ)
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.(CR)
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks[d](CS)
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”(CT)

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;(CU)
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.(CV)
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;(CW)
    the Lord blesses his people with peace.(CX)

Psalm 30[e]

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple.[f] Of David.

I will exalt(CY) you, Lord,
    for you lifted me out of the depths(CZ)
    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.(DA)
Lord my God, I called to you for help,(DB)
    and you healed me.(DC)
You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;(DD)
    you spared me from going down to the pit.(DE)

Sing(DF) the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;(DG)
    praise his holy name.(DH)
For his anger(DI) lasts only a moment,(DJ)
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;(DK)
weeping(DL) may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.(DM)

When I felt secure, I said,
    “I will never be shaken.”(DN)
Lord, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain[g] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,(DO)
    I was dismayed.

To you, Lord, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
“What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?(DP)
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?(DQ)
10 Hear,(DR) Lord, and be merciful to me;(DS)
    Lord, be my help.(DT)

11 You turned my wailing(DU) into dancing;(DV)
    you removed my sackcloth(DW) and clothed me with joy,(DX)
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise(DY) you forever.(DZ)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 27:2 Or slander
  2. Psalm 29:2 Or Lord with the splendor of
  3. Psalm 29:6 That is, Mount Hermon
  4. Psalm 29:9 Or Lord makes the deer give birth
  5. Psalm 30:1 In Hebrew texts 30:1-12 is numbered 30:2-13.
  6. Psalm 30:1 Title: Or palace
  7. Psalm 30:7 That is, Mount Zion

26 Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide.

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.

I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.

I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.

I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord:

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:

10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

28 Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.

Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

29 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

10 The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.

11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

30 I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.

What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.

11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

A Prayer for Divine Scrutiny and Redemption

A Psalm of David.

26 Vindicate (A)me, O Lord,
For I have (B)walked in my integrity.
(C)I have also trusted in the Lord;
I shall not slip.
(D)Examine me, O Lord, and [a]prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And (E)I have walked in Your truth.
I have not (F)sat with idolatrous mortals,
Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
I have (G)hated the assembly of evildoers,
And will not sit with the wicked.

I will wash my hands in innocence;
So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.
Lord, (H)I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place [b]where Your glory dwells.

(I)Do[c] not gather my soul with sinners,
Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme,
And whose right hand is full of (J)bribes.

11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
12 (K)My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the Lord.

An Exuberant Declaration of Faith

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my (L)light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The (M)Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To (N)eat[d] up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
(O)Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

(P)One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may (Q)dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the [e]beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For (R)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 (S)set me high upon a rock.

And now (T)my head shall be [f]lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of [g]joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
(U)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 (V)When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me.

11 (W)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 (X)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
(Y)In the land of the living.

14 (Z)Wait[h] on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Rejoicing in Answered Prayer

A Psalm of David.

28 To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock:
(AA)Do not be silent to me,
(AB)Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
(AC)When I lift up my hands (AD)toward Your holy sanctuary.

Do not [i]take me away with the wicked
And with the workers of iniquity,
(AE)Who speak peace to their neighbors,
But evil is in their hearts.
(AF)Give them according to their deeds,
And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;
Give them according to the work of their hands;
Render to them what they deserve.
Because (AG)they do not regard the works of the Lord,
Nor the operation of His hands,
He shall destroy them
And not build them up.

Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
The Lord is (AH)my strength and my shield;
My heart (AI)trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him.

The Lord is [j]their strength,
And He is the (AJ)saving refuge of His [k]anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless (AK)Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
(AL)And bear them up forever.

Praise to God in His Holiness and Majesty

A Psalm of David.

29 Give[l] (AM)unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the Lord glory and strength.
[m]Give unto the Lord the glory [n]due to His name;
Worship the Lord in (AN)the [o]beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
(AO)The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks (AP)the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
(AQ)He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and (AR)Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord [p]divides the flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of (AS)Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the (AT)deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”

10 The (AU)Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And (AV)the Lord sits as King forever.
11 (AW)The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.

The Blessedness of Answered Prayer

A Psalm. A Song (AX)at the dedication of the house of David.

30 I will extol You, O Lord, for You have (AY)lifted me up,
And have not let my foes (AZ)rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried out to You,
And You (BA)healed me.
O Lord, (BB)You brought my soul up from the grave;
You have kept me alive, [q]that I should not go down to the pit.

(BC)Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of [r]His holy name.
For (BD)His anger is but for a moment,
(BE)His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But [s]joy comes in the morning.

Now in my prosperity I said,
“I shall never be [t]moved.”
Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
(BF)You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

I cried out to You, O Lord;
And to the Lord I made supplication:
“What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
(BG)Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your truth?
10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me;
Lord, be my helper!”

11 (BH)You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off [u]my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12 To the end that my [v]glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 26:2 test me
  2. Psalm 26:8 Lit. of the tabernacle of Your glory
  3. Psalm 26:9 Do not take away
  4. Psalm 27:2 devour
  5. Psalm 27:4 delightfulness
  6. Psalm 27:6 Lifted up in honor
  7. Psalm 27:6 joyous shouts
  8. Psalm 27:14 Wait in faith
  9. Psalm 28:3 drag
  10. Psalm 28:8 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. the strength of His people
  11. Psalm 28:8 Commissioned one, Heb. messiah
  12. Psalm 29:1 Ascribe
  13. Psalm 29:2 Ascribe
  14. Psalm 29:2 Lit. of His name
  15. Psalm 29:2 majesty
  16. Psalm 29:7 stirs up, lit. hews out
  17. Psalm 30:3 So with Qr., Tg.; Kt., LXX, Syr., Vg. from those who descend to the pit
  18. Psalm 30:4 Or His holiness
  19. Psalm 30:5 a shout of joy
  20. Psalm 30:6 shaken
  21. Psalm 30:11 The sackcloth of my mourning
  22. Psalm 30:12 soul