Psalm 26–28

PSALM 26

Give Justice to Me, O Yahweh

Of David.

^1aGive justice to me, O Yahweh, for I have ^bwalked in my integrity,

And I have ^ctrusted in Yahweh; ^dI will not waver.

^2aTest me, O Yahweh, and try me;

^bRefine my ¹mind and my heart.

³For Your ^alovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I have ^bwalked in Your ¹truth.

⁴I do not ^asit with worthless men,

And I will not go with ^1bpretenders.

⁵I ^ahate the assembly of evildoers,

And I will not sit with the wicked.

⁶I shall ^awash my hands in innocence,

So I will go around ^bYour altar, O Yahweh,

⁷In order to proclaim with the voice of ^athanksgiving

And to recount all Your ¹wondrous deeds.

⁸O Yahweh, I ^alove the habitation of Your house

And the place ¹where Your ^bglory dwells.

^9aDo not ¹take my soul away along with sinners,

Nor my life with ^bmen of bloodshed,

¹⁰In whose hands is a ^awicked scheme,

And whose right hand is full of ^bbribes.

¹¹But as for me, I shall ^awalk in my integrity;

^bRedeem me, and be gracious to me.

^12aMy foot stands on ^blevel ground;

In the ^ccongregations I shall bless Yahweh.

PSALM 27

Yahweh Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

¹Yahweh is my ^alight and my ^bsalvation;

Whom shall I fear?

Yahweh is the ^1cstrong defense of my life;

^dWhom shall I dread?

²When evildoers came upon me to ^adevour my flesh,

My adversaries and my enemies, they ^bstumbled and fell.

³Though a ^ahost encamp against me,

My heart will not fear;

Though war arise against me,

In this I ^btrust.

^4aOne thing I have asked from Yahweh, that I shall seek:

That I may ^bdwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life,

To behold ^cthe ¹beauty of Yahweh

And to ^dinquire in His temple.

⁵For in the ^aday of calamity He will ^bconceal me in His shelter;

In the secret place of His tent He will ^chide me;

He will ^dlift me up on a rock.

⁶And now ^amy head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,

And I will offer in His tent ^bsacrifices with loud shouts of joy;

I will ^csing, and I will sing praises to Yahweh.

^7aHear, O Yahweh, when I call with my voice,

And be gracious to me and ^banswer me.

⁸On Your behalf my heart says, “^aSeek My face,”

“Your face, O Yahweh, ^bI shall seek.”

^9aDo not hide Your face from me,

Do not turn Your slave away in ^banger;

You have been ^cmy help;

^dDo not abandon me and do not ^eforsake me,

O God of my salvation!

¹⁰¹For my father and ^amy mother have forsaken me,

But ^bYahweh will take me up.

^11aInstruct me in Your way, O Yahweh,

And lead me in a ^blevel path

Because of ¹my foes.

¹²Do not give me over to the ^1adesire of my adversaries,

For ^bfalse witnesses have risen against me,

And such as ^cbreathe out violence.

¹³¹I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the ^agoodness of Yahweh

In the ^bland of the living.

^14aHope in Yahweh;

Be ^bstrong and let your heart take courage;

Hope in Yahweh.

PSALM 28

Yahweh Is My Strength and My Shield

Of David.

¹To You, O Yahweh, I call;

My ^arock, do not be silent to me,

Lest if You ^bare hesitant toward me,

I will become like those who ^cgo down to the pit.

²Hear the ^avoice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,

When I ^blift up my hands ^ctoward ¹Your holy ^dsanctuary.

^3aDo not drag me away with the wicked

And with workers of iniquity,

Who ^bspeak peace with their neighbors,

While evil is in their hearts.

⁴Give to them ^aaccording to their work and according to the evil of their actions;

Give to them according to the deeds of their hands;

Return their dealings upon them.

⁵Because they ^ado not regard the works of Yahweh

Nor the deeds of His hands,

He will tear them down and not build them up.

⁶Blessed be Yahweh,

Because He ^ahas heard the voice of my supplications.

⁷Yahweh is my ^astrength and my ^bshield;

My heart ^ctrusts in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore ^dmy heart exults,

And with ^emy song I shall thank Him.

⁸Yahweh is ¹their ^astrength,

And He is a ^2bstrong defense of salvation to His anointed.

^9aSave Your people and bless ^bYour inheritance;

Be their ^cshepherd also, and ^dcarry them forever.