Psalm 25–27

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.