Psalm 26:1–28:9

^11aVindicate me, O Lord, for I have ^bwalked in my integrity,

And I have ^ctrusted in the Lord ^2dwithout wavering.

^2aExamine me, O Lord, and try me;

^bTest my ¹mind and my heart.

³For Your ^alovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I have ^bwalked in Your ¹truth.

⁴I do not ^asit with ¹deceitful men,

Nor will I go with ^2bpretenders.

⁵I ^ahate the assembly of evildoers,

And I will not sit with the wicked.

⁶I shall ^awash my hands in innocence,

And I will go about ^bYour altar, O Lord,

⁷That I may proclaim with the voice of ^athanksgiving

And declare all Your ¹wonders.

⁸O Lord, 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 a ^blevel place;

In the ^ccongregations I shall bless the Lord.

PSALM 27

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

¹The Lord is my ^alight and my ^bsalvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the ^1cdefense 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 spite of this I ¹shall be ^bconfident.

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

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

To behold ^cthe ¹beauty of the Lord

And to ^2dmeditate in His temple.

⁵For in the ^aday of trouble He will ^bconceal me in His ¹tabernacle;

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 ¹with shouts of joy;

I will ^csing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

^7aHear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,

And be gracious to me and ^banswer me.

⁸When You said, “^aSeek My face,” my heart said to You,

“Your face, O Lord, ^bI shall seek.”

^9aDo not hide Your face from me,

Do not turn Your servant away in ^banger;

You have been ^cmy help;

^dDo not abandon me nor ^eforsake me,

O God of my salvation!

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

But ^bthe Lord will take me up.

^11aTeach me Your way, O Lord,

And lead me in a ^blevel path

Because of ¹my foes.

¹²Do not deliver 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 the Lord

In the ^bland of the living.

^14aWait for the Lord;

Be ^bstrong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for the Lord.

PSALM 28

A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.

A Psalm of David.

¹To You, O Lord, I call;

My ^arock, do not be deaf to me,

For if You ^bare silent to 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 those who work iniquity,

Who ^bspeak peace with their neighbors,

While evil is in their hearts.

⁴Requite them ^aaccording to their work and according to the evil of their practices;

Requite them according to the deeds of their hands;

Repay them their ¹recompense.

⁵Because they ^ado not regard the works of the Lord

Nor the deeds of His hands,

He will tear them down and not build them up.

⁶Blessed be the Lord,

Because He ^ahas heard the voice of my supplication.

⁷The Lord 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.

⁸The Lord is ¹their ^astrength,

And He is a ^2bsaving defense to His anointed.

^9aSave Your people and bless ^bYour inheritance;

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