Psalm 22:30–32:11

³⁰Future generations will serve him;

they will speak of the Lord to the coming generation.

³¹People not yet born will be told:

“The Lord saved his people.”

The Our Shepherd^m

23 The Lord is my shepherd;

I have everything I need.

^2*He lets me rest in fields of green grass

and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.

³He gives me new strength.

He guides me in the right paths,

as he has promised.

⁴Even if I go through the deepest darkness,

I will not be afraid, Lord,

for you are with me.

Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me.

⁵You prepare a banquet for me,

where all my enemies can see me;

you welcome me as an honoured guest

and fill my cup to the brim.

⁶I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life;

and your house will be my home as long as I live.

The Great Kingⁿ

24^* The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord;

the earth and all who live on it are his.

²He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth

and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.

³Who has the right to go up the Lord’s hill?^o

Who may enter his holy Temple?

^4*Those who are pure in act and in thought,

who do not worship idols

or make false promises.

⁵The Lord will bless them and save them;

God will declare them innocent.

⁶Such are the people

who come to God, who come into the presence of the God of Jacob.

⁷Fling wide the gates,

open the ancient doors,

and the great king will come in.

⁸Who is this great king?

He is the Lord, strong and mighty,

the Lord, victorious in battle.

⁹Fling wide the gates,

open the ancient doors,

and the great king will come in.

¹⁰Who is this great king?

The triumphant Lord—he is the great king!

A Prayer for Guidance and Protection^p

25 To you, O Lord, I offer my prayer;

²in you, my God, I trust.

Save me from the shame of defeat;

don’t let my enemies gloat over me!

³Defeat does not come to those who trust in you,

but to those who are quick to rebel against you.

⁴Teach me your ways, O Lord;

make them known to me.

⁵Teach me to live according to your truth,

for you are my God, who saves me.

I always trust in you.

⁶Remember, O Lord, your kindness and constant love

which you have shown from long ago.

⁷Forgive the sins and errors of my youth.

In your constant love and goodness, remember me, Lord!

⁸Because the Lord is righteous and good,

he teaches sinners the path they should follow.

⁹He leads the humble in the right way

and teaches them his will.

¹⁰With faithfulness and love he leads

all who keep his covenant and obey his commands.

¹¹Keep your promise, Lord, and forgive my sins,

for they are many.

¹²Those who have reverence for the Lord

will learn from him the path they should follow.

¹³They will always be prosperous,

and their children will possess the land.

¹⁴The Lord is the friend of those who obey him

and he affirms his covenant with them.

¹⁵I look to the Lord for help at all times,

and he rescues me from danger.

¹⁶Turn to me, Lord, and be merciful to me,

because I am lonely and weak.

¹⁷Relieve me of my worries

and save me from all my troubles.

¹⁸Consider my distress and suffering

and forgive all my sins.

¹⁹See how many enemies I have;

see how much they hate me.

²⁰Protect me and save me;

keep me from defeat.

I come to you for safety.

²¹May my goodness and honesty preserve me,

because I trust in you.

²²From all their troubles, O God,

save your people Israel!

The Prayer of a Good Man^q

26 Declare me innocent, O Lord,

because I do what is right

and trust you completely.

²Examine me and test me, Lord;

judge my desires and thoughts.

³Your constant love is my guide;

your faithfulness always leads me.^r

⁴I do not keep company with worthless people;

I have nothing to do with hypocrites.

⁵I hate the company of the evil

and avoid the wicked.

⁶Lord, I wash my hands to show that I am innocent

and march in worship round your altar.

⁷I sing a hymn of thanksgiving

and tell of all your wonderful deeds.

⁸I love the house where you live, O Lord,

the place where your glory dwells.

⁹Do not destroy me with the sinners;

spare me from the fate of murderers-

¹⁰those who do evil all the time

and are always ready to take bribes.

¹¹As for me, I do what is right;

be merciful to me and save me!

¹²I am safe from all dangers;

in the assembly of his people I praise the Lord.

A Prayer of Praise^s

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;

I will fear no one. The Lord protects me from all danger;

I will never be afraid.

²When evil people attack me and try to kill me,

they stumble and fall.

³Even if a whole army surrounds me,

I will not be afraid;

even if enemies attack me,

I will still trust God.^t

⁴I have asked the Lord for one thing;

one thing only do I want: to live in the Lord’s house all my life,

to marvel there at his goodness,

and to ask for his guidance.

⁵In times of trouble he will shelter me;

he will keep me safe in his Temple

and make me secure on a high rock.

⁶So I will triumph over my enemies around me.

With shouts of joy I will offer sacrifices in his Temple;

I will sing, I will praise the Lord.

⁷Hear me, Lord, when I call to you!

Be merciful and answer me!

⁸When you said, “Come and worship me,”

I answered, “I will come, Lord;

⁹don’t hide yourself from me!”

Don’t be angry with me;

don’t turn your servant away.

You have been my help;

don’t leave me, don’t abandon me,

O God, my saviour.

¹⁰My father and mother may abandon me,

but the Lord will take care of me.

¹¹Teach me, Lord, what you want me to do,

and lead me along a safe path,

because I have many enemies.

¹²Don’t abandon me to my enemies,

who attack me with lies and threats.

¹³I know that I will live to see

the Lord’s goodness in this present life.

¹⁴Trust in the Lord.

Have faith, do not despair.

Trust in the Lord.

A Prayer for Help^u

28 O Lord, my defender, I call to you.

Listen to my cry!

If you do not answer me,

I will be among those who go down to the world of the dead.

²Hear me when I cry to you for help,

when I lift my hands towards your holy Temple.

³Do not condemn me with the wicked,

with those who do evil—

those whose words are friendly,

but who have hatred in their hearts.

^4*Punish them for what they have done,

for the evil they have committed.

Punish them for all their deeds;

give them what they deserve!

⁵They take no notice of what the Lord has done

or of what he has made;

so he will punish them

and destroy them for ever.

⁶Give praise to the Lord;

he has heard my cry for help.

⁷The Lord protects and defends me;

I trust in him.

He gives me help and makes me glad;

I praise him with joyful songs.

⁸The Lord protects his people;

he defends and saves his chosen king.

⁹Save your people, Lord,

and bless those who are yours.

Be their shepherd,

and take care of them for ever.

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm^v

29^* Praise the Lord, you heavenly beings;

praise his glory and power.

^2*Praise the Lord’s glorious name;

bow down before the Holy One when he appears.^w

³The voice of the Lord is heard on the seas;

the glorious God thunders,

and his voice echoes over the ocean.

⁴The voice of the Lord is heard

in all its might and majesty.

⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,

even the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶He makes the mountains of Lebanon jump like calves

and makes Mount Hermon leap like a young bull.

⁷The voice of the Lord makes the lightning flash.

⁸His voice makes the desert shake;

he shakes the desert of Kadesh.

⁹The Lord’s voice shakes the oaks^x

and strips the leaves from the trees

while everyone in his Temple shouts, “Glory to God!”

¹⁰The Lord rules over the deep waters;

he rules as king for ever.

¹¹The Lord gives strength to his people

and blesses them with peace.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving^y

30 I praise you, Lord, because you have saved me

and kept my enemies from gloating over me.

²I cried to you for help, O Lord my God,

and you healed me;

³you kept me from the grave.

I was on my way to the depths below,^z

but you restored my life.

⁴Sing praise to the Lord,

all his faithful people!

Remember what the Holy One has done,

and give him thanks!

⁵His anger lasts only a moment,

his goodness for a lifetime.

Tears may flow in the night,

but joy comes in the morning.

⁶I felt secure and said to myself,

“I will never be defeated.”

⁷You were good to me, Lord;

you protected me like a mountain fortress.

But then you hid yourself from me,

and I was afraid.

⁸I called to you, Lord;

I begged for your help:

⁹“What will you gain from my death?

What profit from my going to the grave?

Are dead people able to praise you?

Can they proclaim your unfailing goodness?

¹⁰Hear me, Lord, and be merciful!

Help me, Lord!”

¹¹You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance;

you have taken away my sorrow

and surrounded me with joy.

¹²So I will not be silent;

I will sing praise to you.

I will give you thanks for ever.

A Prayer of Trust in God^a

31 I come to you, Lord, for protection;

never let me be defeated.

You are a righteous God;

save me, I pray!

²Hear me! Save me now!

Be my refuge to protect me;

my defence to save me.

³You are my refuge and defence;

guide me and lead me as you have promised.

⁴Keep me safe from the trap that has been set for me;

shelter me from danger.

^5*I place myself in your care.

You will save me, Lord;

you are a faithful God.

⁶You hate those who worship false gods,

but I trust in you.

⁷I will be glad and rejoice

because of your constant love.

You see my suffering;

you know my trouble.

⁸You have not let my enemies capture me;

you have given me freedom to go where I wish.

⁹Be merciful to me, Lord,

for I am in trouble;

my eyes are tired from so much crying;

I am completely worn out.

¹⁰I am exhausted by sorrow,

and weeping has shortened my life.

I am weak from all my troubles;^b

even my bones are wasting away.

¹¹All my enemies, and especially my neighbours,

treat me with contempt;

those who know me are afraid of me;

when they see me in the street, they run away.

¹²Everyone has forgotten me, as though I were dead;

I am like something thrown away.

¹³I hear many enemies whispering;

terror is all round me.

They are making plans against me,

plotting to kill me.

¹⁴But my trust is in you, O Lord;

you are my…