Psalm 84–86

Wishing to Be in the Temple

For the director of music. On the gittith. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

84Lord All-Powerful,

how lovely is your Temple!

²I want more than anything

to be in the courtyards of the Lord’s Temple.

My whole being wants

to be with the living God.

³The sparrows have found a home,

and the swallows have nests.

They raise their young near your altars,

Lord All-Powerful, my King and my God.

⁴Happy are the people who live at your Temple;

they are always praising you.

Selah

⁵Happy are those whose strength comes from you,

who want to travel to Jerusalem.

⁶As they pass through the Valley of Baca,

they make it like a spring.

The autumn rains fill it with pools of water.

⁷The people get stronger as they go,

and everyone meets with God in Jerusalem.

⁸Lord God All-Powerful, hear my prayer;

God of Jacob, listen to me.

Selah

⁹God, look at our shield;

be kind to your appointed king.

¹⁰One day in the courtyards of your Temple is better

than a thousand days anywhere else.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the Temple of my God

than live in the homes of the wicked.

¹¹The Lord God is like a sun and shield;

the Lord gives us kindness and honor.

He does not hold back anything good

from those whose lives are innocent.

¹²Lord All-Powerful,

happy are the people who trust you!

A Prayer for the Nation

For the director of music. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

85Lord, you have been kind to your land;

you brought back the people of Jacob.

²You forgave the guilt of the people

and covered all their sins.

Selah

³You stopped all your anger;

you turned back from your strong anger.

⁴God our Savior, bring us back again.

Stop being angry with us.

⁵Will you be angry with us forever?

Will you stay angry from now on?

⁶Won’t you give us life again?

Your people would rejoice in you.

⁷Lord, show us your love,

and save us.

⁸I will listen to God the Lord.

He has ordered peace for those who worship him.

Don’t let them go back to foolishness.

⁹God will soon save those who respect him,

and his glory will be seen in our land.

¹⁰Love and truth belong to God’s people;

goodness and peace will be theirs.

¹¹On earth people will be loyal to God,

and God’s goodness will shine down from heaven.

¹²The Lord will give his goodness,

and the land will give its crops.

¹³Goodness will go before God

and prepare the way for him.

A Cry for Help

A prayer of David.

86Lord, listen to me and answer me.

I am poor and helpless.

²Protect me, because I worship you.

My God, save me, your servant who trusts in you.

³Lord, have mercy on me,

because I have called to you all day.

⁴Give happiness to me, your servant,

because I give my life to you, Lord.

⁵Lord, you are kind and forgiving

and have great love for those who call to you.

⁶Lord, hear my prayer,

and listen when I ask for mercy.

⁷I call to you in times of trouble,

because you will answer me.

⁸Lord, there is no god like you

and no works like yours.

⁹Lord, all the nations you have made

will come and worship you.

They will honor you.

¹⁰You are great and you do miracles.

Only you are God.

¹¹Lord, teach me what you want me to do,

and I will live by your truth.

Teach me to respect you completely.

¹²Lord, my God, I will praise you with all my heart,

and I will honor your name forever.

¹³You have great love for me.

You have saved me from death.

¹⁴God, proud people are attacking me;

a gang of cruel people is trying to kill me.

They do not respect you.

¹⁵But, Lord, you are a God who shows mercy and is kind.

You don’t become angry quickly.

You have great love and faithfulness.

¹⁶Turn to me and have mercy.

Give me, your servant, strength.

Save me, the son of your female servant.

¹⁷Show me a sign of your goodness.

When my enemies look, they will be ashamed.

You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.