Psalm 22:30–32:11

³⁰Those who are not yet born will serve him.

Those who are born later will be told about the Lord.

³¹And they will tell people who have not yet been born

that he has done what is right.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need.

²He lets me lie down in fields of green grass.

He leads me beside quiet waters.

³He gives me new strength.

He guides me in the right paths

for the honor of his name.

⁴Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid.

You are with me.

Your shepherd’s rod and staff

comfort me.

⁵You prepare a feast for me

right in front of my enemies.

You pour oil on my head.

My cup runs over.

⁶I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life.

And I will live in the house of the Lord

forever.

Psalm 24

A psalm of David.

¹The earth belongs to the Lord. And so does everything in it.

The world belongs to him. And so do all those who live in it.

²He set it firmly on the oceans.

He made it secure on the waters.

³Who can go up to the temple on the hill of the Lord?

Who can stand in his holy place?

⁴Anyone who has clean hands and a pure heart.

He does not worship the statue of a god.

He doesn’t use the name of that god when he makes a promise.

⁵People like that will receive the Lord’s blessing.

When God their Savior hands down his sentence, it will be in their favor.

⁶The people who look to God are like that.

God of Jacob, they look to you. Selah

⁷Open wide, you gates.

Open up, you age-old doors.

Then the King of glory will come in.

⁸Who is the King of glory?

The Lord, who is strong and mighty.

The Lord, who is mighty in battle.

⁹Open wide, you gates.

Open wide, you age-old doors.

Then the King of glory will come in.

¹⁰Who is he, this King of glory?

The Lord who rules over all.

He is the King of glory. Selah

Psalm 25

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, I worship you.

²My God, I trust in you.

Don’t let me be put to shame.

Don’t let my enemies win the battle over me.

³Those who put their hope in you

will never be put to shame.

But those who can’t be trusted

will be put to shame. They have no excuse.

⁴Lord, show me your ways.

Teach me how to follow you.

⁵Guide me in your truth. Teach me.

You are God my Savior.

I put my hope in you all day long.

⁶Lord, remember your great mercy and love.

You have shown them to your people for a long time.

⁷Don’t remember the sins I committed when I was young.

Don’t remember how often I refused to obey you.

Remember me because you love me.

Lord, you are good.

⁸The Lord is honest and good.

He teaches sinners to walk in his ways.

⁹He shows those who aren’t proud how to do what is right.

He teaches them his ways.

¹⁰All of the Lord’s ways are loving and faithful

for those who obey what his covenant commands.

¹¹Lord, be true to your name.

Forgive my sin, even though it is great.

¹²Who is the man who has respect for the Lord?

God will teach him the way he has chosen for him.

¹³Things will always go well for him.

His children will be given the land.

¹⁴The Lord shares his plans with those who have respect for him.

He makes his covenant known to them.

¹⁵My eyes always look to the Lord.

He alone can set my feet free from the trap.

¹⁶Turn to me and show me your favor.

I am lonely and hurting.

¹⁷The troubles of my heart have increased.

Set me free from my great pain.

¹⁸Look at how I’m hurting! See how much I suffer!

Take away all of my sins.

¹⁹Look at how many enemies I have!

See how terrible their hatred is for me!

²⁰Guard my life. Save me.

Don’t let me be put to shame.

I go to you for safety.

²¹May my honest and good life keep me safe.

I have put my hope in you.

²²God, set Israel free

from all of their troubles!

Psalm 26

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favor.

I have lived without blame.

I have trusted in the Lord.

I have never doubted him.

²Lord, test me. Try me out.

Look deep down into my heart and mind.

³Your love is always with me.

I have always lived by your truth.

⁴I don’t spend time with people who tell lies.

I don’t keep company with pretenders.

⁵I hate to be with a group of sinful people.

I refuse to spend time with those who are evil.

⁶I wash my hands to show that I’m not guilty.

Lord, I come near your altar.

⁷I shout my praise to you.

I tell about all the wonderful things you have done.

⁸Lord, I love the house where you live.

I love the place where your glory is.

⁹Don’t destroy me together with sinners.

Don’t take my life away along with murderers.

¹⁰Their hands are always planning to do evil.

Their right hands are full of money that bought them off.

¹¹But I live without blame.

Set me free and show me your favor.

¹²My feet stand on level ground.

In the whole community I will praise the Lord.

Psalm 27

A psalm of David.

¹The Lord gives me light and saves me.

Why should I fear anyone?

The Lord is my place of safety.

Why should I be afraid?

²My enemies are evil.

They will trip and fall

when they attack me

and try to eat me alive.

³Even if an army attacks me,

my heart will not be afraid.

Even if war breaks out against me,

I will still trust in God.

⁴I’m asking the Lord for only one thing.

Here is what I want.

I want to live in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life.

I want to look at the beauty of the Lord.

I want to worship him in his temple.

⁵When I’m in trouble,

he will keep me safe in his house.

He will hide me in the safety of his holy tent.

He will put me on a rock that is very high.

⁶Then I will win the battle

over my enemies who are all around me.

At his holy tent I will offer my sacrifice with shouts of joy.

I will sing and make music to the Lord.

⁷Lord, hear my voice when I call out to you.

Show me your favor and answer me.

⁸My heart says, “Look to him!”

Lord, I will look to you.

⁹Don’t turn your face away from me.

Don’t turn me away because you are angry.

You have helped me.

God my Savior, don’t say no to me.

Don’t desert me.

¹⁰My father and mother may desert me,

but the Lord will accept me.

¹¹Lord, teach me your ways.

Lead me along a straight path.

There are many people who beat me down.

¹²My enemies want to harm me. So don’t turn me over to them.

Witnesses who tell lies are rising up against me.

They are trying to destroy me.

¹³Here is something I am still sure of.

I will see the Lord’s goodness

while I’m still alive.

¹⁴Wait for the Lord.

Be strong and don’t lose hope.

Wait for the Lord.

Psalm 28

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, my Rock, I call out to you.

Pay attention to me.

If you remain silent, I will die.

I will be like those who have gone down into the grave.

²Hear my cry for your favor

when I call out to you for help.

Hear me when I lift up my hands in prayer

toward your Most Holy Room.

³Don’t drag me away with sinners.

Don’t drag me away with those who do evil.

They speak in a friendly way to their neighbors.

But their hearts are full of hatred.

⁴Pay them back for their evil actions.

Pay them back for what their hands have done.

Give them exactly what they should get.

⁵They don’t care about the Lord’s mighty acts.

They don’t care about what his hands have done.

So he will tear them down.

He will never build them up again.

⁶Give praise to the Lord.

He has heard my cry for his favor.

⁷The Lord gives me strength. He is like a shield that keeps me safe.

My heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

My heart jumps for joy.

I will sing and give thanks to him.

⁸The Lord gives strength to his people.

He guards and saves his anointed king.

⁹Save your people. Bless those who belong to you.

Be their shepherd. Take care of them forever.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

¹Praise the Lord, you mighty angels.

Praise the Lord for his glory and strength.

²Praise the Lord for the glory that belongs to him.

Worship the Lord because of his beauty and holiness.

³The voice of the Lord is heard over the waters.

The God of glory thunders.

The Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

⁴The voice of the Lord is powerful.

The voice of the Lord is majestic.

⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees.

The Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon into pieces.

⁶He makes the mountains of Lebanon skip like a calf.

He makes Mount Hermon jump like a young wild ox.

⁷The voice of the Lord strikes

with flashes of lightning.

⁸The voice of the Lord shakes the desert.

The Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

⁹The voice of the Lord twists the oak trees.

It strips the forests bare.

And in his temple everyone cries out, “Glory!”

¹⁰The Lord on his throne rules over the flood.

The Lord rules from his throne as King forever.

¹¹The Lord gives strength to his people.

The Lord blesses his people with peace.

Psalm 30

A psalm of David. A song for committing the completed temple to God.

¹Lord, I will give you honor.

You brought me out of deep trouble.

You didn’t give my enemies the joy of seeing me die.

²Lord my God, I called out to you for help.

And you healed me.

³Lord, you brought me up from the edge of the grave.

You kept me from going down into the pit.

⁴Sing to the Lord, you who are faithful to him.

Praise him, because his name is holy.

⁵His anger lasts for only a moment.

But his favor lasts for a person’s whole life.

Sobbing can remain through the night.

But joy comes in the morning.

⁶When I felt safe, I said,

“I will always be secure.”

⁷Lord, when you showed me your favor,

you made my mountain stand firm.

But when you turned your face away from me,

I was terrified.

⁸Lord, I called out to you.

I cried to you for your favor.

⁹I said, “What good will come if I die?

What good will come if I go down into the grave?

Can the dust of my dead body praise you?

Can it tell how faithful you are?

¹⁰Lord, hear me. Show me your favor.

Lord, help me.”

¹¹You turned my loud crying into dancing.

You removed my black clothes and dressed me with joy.

¹²So my heart will sing to you. I can’t keep silent.

Lord, my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Psalm 31

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹Lord, I have gone to you for safety.

Don’t let me ever be put to shame.

Save me, because you do what is right.

²Pay attention to me.

Come…