Psalm 26:1–28:9

¹Vindicate me, Lord,

because I have lived with integrity

and have trusted in the Lord without wavering. ^x

²Test me, Lord, and try me;

examine my heart and mind. ^y

³For Your faithful love is before my eyes,

and I live by Your truth. ^z

⁴I do not sit with the worthless

or associate with hypocrites.

⁵I hate a crowd of evildoers,

and I do not sit with the wicked. ^a

⁶I wash my hands ^bin innocence ^c

and go around Your altar, Lord, ^d

⁷raising my voice in thanksgiving ^e

and telling about Your wonderful works. ^f

⁸Lord, I love the house where You dwell,

the place where Your glory resides. ^g

⁹Do not destroy me along with sinners,

or my life along with men of bloodshed ^h

¹⁰in whose hands are evil schemes

and whose right hands are filled with bribes. ⁱ

¹¹But I live with integrity;

redeem me and be gracious to me. ^j

¹²My foot stands on level ground; ^k

I will praise the Lord in the assemblies. ^l

Psalm 27

My Stronghold

Davidic.

¹The Lord is my light and my salvation—

whom should I fear? ^m

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—

of whom should I be afraid? ⁿ

²When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, ^o

my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell. ^p

³Though an army deploys against me,

my heart is not afraid;

though a war breaks out against me,

still I am confident. ^q

⁴I have asked one thing from the Lord;

it is what I desire:

to dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life, ^r

gazing on the beauty of the Lord ^s

and seeking Him in His temple. ^t

⁵For He will conceal me in His shelter

in the day of adversity;

He will hide me under the cover of His tent;

He will set me high on a rock. ^u

⁶Then my head will be high

above my enemies around me; ^v

I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy. ^w

I will sing and make music to the Lord. ^x

⁷Lord, hear my voice when I call;

be gracious to me and answer me. ^y

⁸My heart says this about You,

“You ^zare to seek My face.”

Lord, I will seek Your face. ^a

⁹Do not hide Your face from me; ^b

do not turn Your servant away in anger. ^c

You have been my helper; ^d

do not leave me or abandon me,

God of my salvation.

¹⁰Even if my father and mother abandon me,

the Lord cares for me. ^e

¹¹Because of my adversaries,

show me Your way, Lord,

and lead me on a level path. ^f

¹²Do not give me over to the will of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

breathing violence. ^g

¹³I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness

in the land of the living. ^h

¹⁴Wait for the Lord;

be strong ⁱand courageous. ^j

Wait for the Lord. ^k

Psalm 28

My Strength

Davidic.

¹Lord, I call to You;

my rock, do not be deaf to me. ^l

If You remain silent to me,

I will be like those going down to the Pit. ^m

²Listen to the sound of my pleading

when I cry to You for help,

when I lift up my hands

toward Your holy sanctuary. ⁿ

³Do not drag me away with the wicked,

with the evildoers,

who speak in friendly ways with their neighbors

while malice is in their hearts. ^o

⁴Repay them according to what they have done—

according to the evil of their deeds.

Repay them according to the work of their hands;

give them back what they deserve. ^p

⁵Because they do not consider

what the Lord has done

or the work of His hands,

He will tear them down and not rebuild them. ^q

⁶May the Lord be praised,

for He has heard the sound of my pleading. ^r

⁷The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. ^s

Therefore my heart rejoices,

and I praise Him with my song. ^t

⁸The Lord is the strength of His people; ^u

He is a stronghold of salvation for His anointed. ^v

⁹Save Your people, bless Your possession,

shepherd them, and carry them forever. ^w