Psalm 24-29

Common English Bible

Psalm 24

A psalm of David.

24 The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,
the world and its inhabitants too.
²Because God is the one who established it on the seas;
God set it firmly on the waters.

³Who can ascend the Lord’s mountain?
    Who can stand in his holy sanctuary?
⁴Only the one with clean hands and a pure heart;
    the one who hasn’t made false promises,
    the one who hasn’t sworn dishonestly.
⁵That kind of person receives blessings from the Lord
    and righteousness from the God who saves.
⁶And that’s how things are
    with the generation that seeks him—
    that seeks the face of Jacob’s God.^[a] Selah

⁷Mighty gates: lift up your heads!
    Ancient doors: rise up high!
        So the glorious king can enter!
⁸Who is this glorious king?
    The Lord—strong and powerful!
    The Lord—powerful in battle!
⁹Mighty gates: lift up your heads!
    Ancient doors: rise up high!
        So the glorious king can enter!
¹⁰Who is this glorious king?
    The Lord of heavenly forces—
        he is the glorious king! Selah

Psalm 25^[b]

Of David.

25 I offer my life^[c] to you, Lord.
²    My God, I trust you.
Please don’t let me be put to shame!
    Don’t let my enemies rejoice over me!
³For that matter,
    don’t let anyone who hopes in you
        be put to shame;
    instead, let those who are treacherous without excuse be put to shame.

⁴Make your ways known to me, Lord;
    teach me your paths.
⁵Lead me in your truth—teach it to me—
    because you are the God who saves me.
        I put my hope in you all day long.
⁶Lord, remember your compassion and faithful love—
    they are forever!
⁷But don’t remember the sins of my youth or my wrongdoing.
    Remember me only according to your faithful love
        for the sake of your goodness, Lord.

⁸The Lord is good and does the right thing;
    he teaches sinners which way they should go.
⁹God guides the weak to justice,
    teaching them his way.
¹⁰All the Lord’s paths are loving and faithful
    for those who keep his covenant and laws.
¹¹Please, for the sake of your good name, Lord, forgive my sins, which are many!

¹²Where are the ones who honor the Lord?
    God will teach them which path to take.
¹³They will live a good life,
    and their descendants will possess the land.
¹⁴The Lord counsels those who honor him;
    he makes his covenant known to them.
¹⁵My eyes are always looking to the Lord
    because he will free my feet from the net.

¹⁶Turn to me, God, and have mercy on me
    because I’m alone and suffering.
¹⁷My heart’s troubles keep getting bigger—
    set me free from my distress!
¹⁸Look at my suffering and trouble—
    forgive all my sins!
¹⁹Look at how many enemies I have
    and how violently they hate me!
²⁰Please protect my life! Deliver me!
    Don’t let me be put to shame
    because I take refuge in you.
²¹Let integrity and virtue guard me
    because I hope in you.

²²Please, God, save Israel from all its troubles!

Psalm 26

Of David.

26 Establish justice for me, Lord,
    because I have walked with integrity.
    I’ve trusted the Lord without wavering.
²Examine me, Lord; put me to the test!
    Purify^[d] my mind^[e] and my heart.
³Because your faithful love is right in front of me—
    I walk in your truth!
⁴I don’t spend time with people up to no good;
    I don’t keep company with liars.
⁵I detest the company of evildoers,
    and I don’t sit with wicked people.
⁶I wash my hands—they are innocent!
    I walk all around your altar, Lord,
⁷        proclaiming out loud my thanks,
        declaring all your wonderful deeds!
⁸I love the beauty^[f] of your house, Lord;
    I love the place where your glory resides.

⁹Don’t gather me^[g] up with the sinners,
    taking my life along with violent people
¹⁰    in whose hands are evil schemes,
    whose strong hands are full of bribes.
¹¹But me? I walk with integrity.
    Save me! Have mercy on me!

¹²My feet now stand on level ground.
I will bless the Lord in the great congregation.

Psalm 27

Of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation.
        Should I fear anyone?
    The Lord is a fortress protecting my life.
        Should I be frightened of anything?
²When evildoers come at me trying to eat me up—
    it’s they, my foes and my enemies,
    who stumble and fall!
³If an army camps against me,
        my heart won’t be afraid.
    If war comes up against me,
        I will continue to trust in this:
⁴    I have asked one thing from the Lord—
    it’s all I seek:
        to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life,
        seeing the Lord’s beauty
        and constantly adoring his temple.
⁵Because he will shelter me in his own dwelling
    during troubling times;
    he will hide me in a secret place in his own tent;
        he will set me up high, safe on a rock.

⁶Now my head is higher than the enemies surrounding me,
    and I will offer sacrifices in God’s tent—
        sacrifices with shouts of joy!
    I will sing and praise the Lord.

⁷Lord, listen to my voice when I cry out—
    have mercy on me and answer me!
⁸Come, my heart says, seek God’s face.^[h]
    Lord, I do seek your face!
⁹Please don’t hide it from me!
    Don’t push your servant aside angrily—
        you have been my help!
    God who saves me,
        don’t neglect me!
        Don’t leave me all alone!
¹⁰Even if my father and mother left me all alone,
    the Lord would take me in.
¹¹Lord, teach me your way;
    because of my opponents, lead me on a good path.
¹²Don’t give me over to the desires of my enemies,
    because false witnesses and violent accusers
    have taken their stand against me.
¹³But I have sure faith
    that I will experience the Lord’s goodness
    in the land of the living!

¹⁴Hope in the Lord!
Be strong! Let your heart take courage!
Hope in the Lord!

Psalm 28

Of David.

28 I cry out to you, Lord.
    You are my rock; don’t refuse to hear me.
    If you won’t talk to me,
        I’ll be just like those going down to the pit.
²Listen to my request for mercy when I cry out to you,
    when I lift up my hands to your holy inner sanctuary.
³Don’t drag me off with the wicked and those who do evil;
    the type who talk nice to their friends
    while evil thoughts are in their hearts!
⁴Pay them back for what they’ve done!
    Pay them back for their evil deeds!
    Pay them back for their handiwork!
    Give back to them exactly what they deserve!
⁵Because they have no regard for what the Lord has done,
    no regard for his handiwork,
    God will tear them down and never rebuild!

⁶Bless the Lord
    because he has listened to my request for mercy!
⁷The Lord is my strength and my shield.
    My heart trusts him.
        I was helped, my heart rejoiced,
            and I thank him with my song.
⁸The Lord is his people’s strength;
    he is a fortress of protection for his anointed one.
⁹Save your people, God!
    Bless your possession!
    Shepherd them and carry them for all time!

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

29 You, divine beings! Give to the Lord—
give to the Lord glory and power!
²Give to the Lord the glory due his name!
Bow down to the Lord in holy splendor!

³The Lord’s voice is over the waters;
    the glorious God thunders;
        the Lord is over the mighty waters.
⁴The Lord’s voice is strong;
    the Lord’s voice is majestic.
⁵The Lord’s voice breaks cedar trees—
    yes, the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶He makes Lebanon jump around like a young bull,
    makes Sirion jump around like a young wild ox.
⁷The Lord’s voice unleashes fiery flames;
⁸    the Lord’s voice shakes the wilderness—
        yes, the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
⁹The Lord’s voice convulses the oaks,
    strips the forests bare,
        but in his temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”
¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned over the floodwaters;
    the Lord sits enthroned—king forever!