Psalm 22:30–32:11

³⁰There will be descendants who serve him, 

a generation that will be told about the Lord. 

³¹They will tell people yet to be born about his righteousness— 

that he has finished it. 

Psalm 23

A psalm by David. 

¹The Lord is my shepherd. 

I am never in need. 

²He makes me lie down in green pastures. 

He leads me beside peaceful waters. 

³He renews my soul. 

He guides me along the paths of righteousness 

for the sake of his name. 

⁴Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, 

because you are with me, I fear no harm. 

Your rod and your staff give me courage. 

⁵You prepare a banquet for me while my enemies watch. 

You anoint my head with oil. 

My cup overflows. 

⁶Certainly, goodness and mercy will stay close to me all the days of my life, 

and I will remain in the Lord’s house for days without end. 

Psalm 24

A psalm by David. 

¹The earth and everything it contains are the Lord’s. 

The world and all who live in it are his. 

²He laid its foundation on the seas 

and set it firmly on the rivers. 

³Who may go up the Lord’s mountain? 

Who may stand in his holy place? 

⁴⸤The one who⸥ has clean hands and a pure heart 

and does not long for what is false 

or lie when he is under oath. 

⁵⸤This person⸥ will receive a blessing from the Lord 

and righteousness from God, his savior. 

⁶This is the person who seeks him, 

who searches for the face of the God of Jacob.^b

Selah 

⁷Lift your heads, you gates. 

Be lifted, you ancient doors, 

so that the king of glory may come in. 

⁸Who is this king of glory? 

The Lord, strong and mighty! 

The Lord, heroic in battle! 

⁹Lift your heads, you gates. 

Be lifted, you ancient doors, 

so that the king of glory may come in. 

¹⁰Who, then, is this king of glory? 

The Lord of Armies is the king of glory! 

Selah 

Psalm 25^a

By David. 

¹To you, O Lord, I lift my soul. 

²I trust you, O my God. 

Do not let me be put to shame. 

Do not let my enemies triumph over me. 

³No one who waits for you will ever be put to shame, 

but all who are unfaithful will be put to shame. 

⁴Make your ways known to me, O Lord, 

and teach me your paths. 

⁵Lead me in your truth and teach me 

because you are God, my savior. 

I wait all day long for you. 

⁶Remember, O Lord, your compassionate and merciful deeds. 

They have existed from eternity. 

⁷Do not remember the sins of my youth or my rebellious ways. 

Remember me, O Lord, in keeping with your mercy and your goodness. 

⁸The Lord is good and decent. 

That is why he teaches sinners the way they should live. 

⁹He leads humble people to do what is right, 

and he teaches them his way. 

¹⁰Every path of the Lord is ⸤one of⸥ mercy and truth 

for those who cling to his promise^band written instructions. 

¹¹For the sake of your name, O Lord, 

remove my guilt, because it is great. 

¹²Who, then, is this person that fears the Lord? 

He is the one whom the Lord will teach which path to choose. 

¹³He will enjoy good things in life, 

and his descendants will inherit the land. 

¹⁴The Lord advises those who fear him. 

He reveals to them the intent of his promise. 

¹⁵My eyes are always on the Lord. 

He removes my feet from traps. 

¹⁶Turn to me, and have pity on me. 

I am lonely and oppressed. 

¹⁷Relieve my troubled heart, 

and bring me out of my distress. 

¹⁸Look at my misery and suffering, 

and forgive all my sins. 

¹⁹See how my enemies have increased in number, 

how they have hated me with vicious hatred! 

²⁰Protect my life, and rescue me! 

Do not let me be put to shame. 

I have taken refuge in you. 

²¹Integrity and honesty will protect me because I wait for you. 

²²Rescue Israel, O God, from all its troubles! 

Psalm 26

By David. 

¹Judge me favorably, O Lord, 

because I have walked with integrity 

and I have trusted you without wavering. 

²Examine me, O Lord, and test me. 

Look closely into my heart and mind. 

³I see your mercy in front of me. 

I walk in the light of your truth. 

⁴I did not sit with liars, 

and I will not be found among hypocrites. 

⁵I have hated the mob of evildoers 

and will not sit with wicked people. 

⁶I will wash my hands in innocence. 

I will walk around your altar, O Lord, 

⁷so that I may loudly sing a hymn of thanksgiving 

and tell about all your miracles. 

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

the place where your glory dwells. 

⁹Do not sweep away my soul along with hardened sinners 

or my life along with bloodthirsty people. 

¹⁰Evil schemes are in their hands. 

Their right hands are full of bribes. 

¹¹But I walk with integrity. 

Rescue me, and have pity on me. 

¹²My feet stand on level ground. 

I will praise the Lord with the choirs in worship. 

Psalm 27

By David. 

¹The Lord is my light and my salvation. 

Who is there to fear? 

The Lord is my life’s fortress. 

Who is there to be afraid of? 

²Evildoers closed in on me to tear me to pieces. 

My opponents and enemies stumbled and fell. 

³Even though an army sets up camp against me, 

my heart will not be afraid. 

Even though a war breaks out against me, 

I will still have confidence ⸤in the Lord⸥. 

⁴I have asked one thing from the Lord. 

This I will seek: 

to remain in the Lord’s house all the days of my life 

in order to gaze at the Lord’s beauty 

and to search for an answer in his temple. 

⁵He hides me in his shelter when there is trouble. 

He keeps me hidden in his tent. 

He sets me high on a rock. 

⁶Now my head will be raised above my enemies who surround me. 

I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy in his tent. 

I will sing and make music to praise the Lord. 

⁷Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud. 

Have pity on me, and answer me. 

⁸⸤When you said,⸥ 

“Seek my face,” 

my heart said to you, 

“O Lord, I will seek your face.”^a

⁹Do not hide your face from me. 

Do not angrily turn me away. 

You have been my help. 

Do not leave me! 

Do not abandon me, O God, my savior! 

¹⁰Even if my father and mother abandon me, 

the Lord will take care of me. 

¹¹Teach me your way, O Lord. 

Lead me on a level path 

because I have enemies who spy on me. 

¹²Do not surrender me to the will of my opponents. 

False witnesses have risen against me. 

They breathe out violence. 

¹³I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord 

in this world of the living. 

¹⁴Wait with hope for the Lord. 

Be strong, and let your heart be courageous. 

Yes, wait with hope for the Lord. 

Psalm 28

By David. 

¹O Lord, I call to you. 

O my rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. 

If you remain silent, 

I will be like those who go into the pit. 

²Hear my prayer for mercy when I call to you for help, 

when I lift my hands toward your most holy place. 

³Do not drag me away with wicked people, 

with troublemakers who speak of peace with their neighbors 

but have evil in their hearts. 

⁴Pay them back for what they have done, 

for their evil deeds. 

Pay them back for what their hands have done, 

and give them what they deserve. 

⁵The Lord will tear them down and never build them up again, 

because they never consider what he has done 

or what his hands have made. 

⁶Thank the Lord! 

He has heard my prayer for mercy! 

⁷The Lord is my strength and my shield. 

My heart trusted him, so I received help. 

My heart is triumphant; I give thanks to him with my song. 

⁸The Lord is the strength of his people 

and a fortress for the victory of his Messiah.^a

⁹Save your people, and bless those who belong to you. 

Be their shepherd, and carry them forever. 

Psalm 29

A psalm by David. 

¹Give to the Lord, you heavenly beings. 

Give to the Lord glory and power. 

²Give to the Lord the glory his name deserves. 

Worship the Lord in ⸤his⸥ holy splendor. 

³The voice of the Lord rolls over the water. 

The God of glory thunders. 

The Lord shouts over raging water. 

⁴The voice of the Lord is powerful. 

The voice of the Lord is majestic. 

⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. 

The Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. 

⁶He makes Lebanon skip along like a calf 

and Mount Sirion like a wild ox. 

⁷The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. 

⁸The voice of the Lord makes the wilderness tremble. 

The Lord makes the wilderness of Kadesh tremble. 

⁹The voice of the Lord splits the oaks 

and strips ⸤the trees of⸥ the forests bare. 

Everyone in his temple is saying, “Glory!” 

¹⁰The Lord sat enthroned over the flood. 

The Lord sits enthroned as king forever. 

¹¹The Lord will give power to his people. 

The Lord will bless his people with peace. 

Psalm 30

A psalm by David sung at the dedication of the temple. 

¹I will honor you highly, O Lord, 

because you have pulled me out ⸤of the pit⸥ 

and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. 

²O Lord my God, 

I cried out to you for help, 

and you healed me. 

³O Lord, you brought me up from the grave. 

You called me back to life 

from among those who had gone into the pit. 

⁴Make music to praise the Lord, you faithful people who belong to him. 

Remember his holiness by giving thanks. 

⁵His anger lasts only a moment. 

His favor lasts a lifetime. 

Weeping may last for the night, 

but there is a song of joy in the morning. 

⁶When all was well with me, I said, 

“I will never be shaken.” 

⁷O Lord, by your favor you have made my mountain stand firm. 

When you hid your face, I was terrified. 

⁸I will cry out to you, O Lord. 

I will plead to the Lord for mercy: 

⁹“How will you profit if my blood is shed, 

if I go into the pit? 

Will the dust ⸤of my body⸥ give thanks to you? 

Will it tell about your truth?” 

¹⁰Hear, O Lord, and have pity on me! 

O Lord, be my helper! 

¹¹You have changed my sobbing into dancing. 

You have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy 

¹²so that my soul^amay praise you with music and not be silent. 

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever. 

Psalm 31

For the choir director; a psalm by David. 

¹I have taken refuge in you, O Lord. 

Never let me be put to shame. 

Save me because of your righteousness. 

²Turn your ear toward me. 

Rescue me quickly. 

Be a rock of refuge for me, 

a strong fortress to save me. 

³Indeed, you are my rock and my fortress. 

For the sake of your name, lead me and guide me. 

⁴You are my refuge, 

so pull me out of the net that they have secretly laid for me. 

⁵Into your hands I entrust my spirit. 

You have rescued me, O Lord, God of truth. 

⁶I hate those who…