Psalm 25–27

A Prayer for Guidance, Deliverance, and Forgiveness

25Of David.^a

¹To you, O Yahweh, I lift up my soul.

²O my God, I trust you; let me not be put to shame.

Do not let my enemies exult over me.

³Indeed, none who wait for you should be put to shame.

Those who betray without cause should be put to shame.

⁴Make me know your ways, O Yahweh.

Teach me your paths.

⁵Cause me to walk in your truth and teach me,

because you are the God of my salvation.

I await you all day long.^b

⁶Remember your compassion, O Yahweh,

and your acts of loyal love,

because they are from of old.

⁷Do not remember

the sins of my youth or my transgressions.

According to your loyal love remember me if you will,

for the sake of your goodness, O Yahweh.

⁸Good and right is Yahweh;

therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

⁹He causes the humble to walk in justice,

and teaches the humble his way.

¹⁰All the paths of Yahweh are loyal love and faithfulness

for those who keep his covenant and statutes.^c

¹¹Also, for the sake of your name, O Yahweh,

forgive my sin, because it is great.

¹²Who is the man fearing Yahweh?

He will instruct him in the way he should choose.

¹³His soul will lodge in prosperity,

and his offspring will possess the land.

¹⁴Intimate fellowship with Yahweh is for those who fear him,

and he makes known his covenant to them.

¹⁵My eyes are continually toward Yahweh,

because he will take my feet from the net.

¹⁶Turn to me and have mercy on me

because I am lonely and afflicted.

¹⁷Remove the troubles of my heart;

bring me out from my distresses.

¹⁸Consider my affliction and trouble,

and forgive^d all my sins.

¹⁹Consider that my enemies are many,

and they hate me with violent hatred.

²⁰Protect my life and deliver me.

Let me not be put to shame, because I take shelter in you.

²¹Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,

because I wait for you.

²²O God, redeem Israel

from all its troubles.

A Prayer for Vindication

26Of David.^a

¹Judge me, O Yahweh, because I have walked in my integrity,

and I have trusted Yahweh and not wavered.

²Prove me, O Yahweh, and test me.

Try my innermost being^b and my mind.^c

³Because your loyal love is before my eyes,

and I walk about in your faithfulness.

⁴I do not sit with deceitful people,

nor will I go about with hypocrites.

⁵I hate the crowd of evildoers,

and with the wicked I will not sit.

⁶I will wash my hands in innocence,

and I will walk about your altar, O Yahweh,

⁷to declare with a voice of thanksgiving,

and tell of all your wondrous deeds.

⁸O Yahweh, I love the dwelling of your house,^d

and the place where your glory abides.^e

⁹Do not destroy me^f with the sinners,

nor my life with men of bloodshed,

¹⁰in whose hands is an evil plan,

and whose right hand is full of bribes.^g

¹¹But as for me, I will walk in my integrity.

Redeem me and be gracious to me.

¹²My foot stands on level ground.

In assemblies I will bless Yahweh.

A Declaration of Trust

27Of David.^a

¹Yahweh is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

Yahweh is the refuge of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

²When evildoers drew near against me to eat my flesh—

my adversaries and my enemies who drew near to me—

they themselves stumbled and fell.

³Though an army encamp against me,

my heart will not fear.

Though war arise against me,

even in this I will remain confident.

⁴One thing I have asked from Yahweh;

it I will seek:

that I may dwell in the house^b of Yahweh all the days of my life,

to behold the beauty of Yahweh,

and to consider^c his temple.

⁵Because he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble.

He will conceal me in the hiding place of his tent.

He will set me high upon a rock.

⁶And now my head will be high over my enemies round about me.

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

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh.

⁷Hear, O Yahweh, my voice when I call,

and be gracious to me and answer me.

⁸On your behalf my heart says, “Seek my face.”

Your face, O Yahweh, I do seek.

⁹Do not hide your face from me;

do not turn your servant away in anger.

You have been my help; do not abandon nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation.

¹⁰If my father or my mother forsake me,

then Yahweh will receive me.

¹¹Teach me, O Yahweh, your way,

and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

¹²Do not give me over to the desire of my enemies,

because false witnesses have arisen against me,

and each breathing out violence.^d

¹³Surely^e I believe that I will see the goodness of Yahweh

in the land of the living.

¹⁴Wait for Yahweh.

Be strong and let your heart show strength,

and wait for Yahweh.