Psalm 84:1–85:13

¹Lord who rules over all,

how lovely is the place where you live!

²I long to be in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple.

I deeply long to be there.

My whole being cries out

for the living God.

³Lord who rules over all,

even the sparrow has found a home near your altar.

My King and my God,

the swallow also has a nest there,

where she may have her young.

⁴Blessed are those who live in your house.

They are always praising you. Selah

⁵Blessed are those whose strength comes from you.

They have decided to travel to your temple.

⁶As they pass through the dry Valley of Baca,

they make it a place where water flows.

The rain in the fall covers it with pools.

⁷Those people get stronger as they go along,

until each of them appears in Zion, where God lives.

⁸Lord God who rules over all, hear my prayer.

God of the people of Jacob, listen to me. Selah

⁹God, look with favor on your anointed king.

You appointed him to be like a shield that keeps us safe.

¹⁰A single day in your courtyards is better

than a thousand anywhere else.

I would rather guard the door of the house of my God

than live in the tents of sinful people.

¹¹The Lord God is like the sun that gives us light.

He is like a shield that keeps us safe.

The Lord blesses us with favor and honor.

He doesn’t hold back anything good

from those whose lives are without blame.

¹²Lord who rules over all,

blessed is everyone who trusts in you.

Psalm 85

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

¹Lord, you showed favor to your land.

You blessed the people of Jacob with great success again.

²You forgave the evil things your people did.

You took away all of their sins. Selah

³You stopped being angry with them.

You turned your burning anger away from them.

⁴God our Savior, make us new again.

Stop being unhappy with us.

⁵Will you be angry with us forever?

Will you be angry for all time to come?

⁶Won’t you give us new life again?

Then we’ll be joyful because of what you have done.

⁷Lord, show us your faithful love.

Save us.

⁸I will listen to what God the Lord will say.

He promises peace to his faithful people.

But they must not return to their foolish ways.

⁹I know he’s ready to save those who have respect for him.

Then his glory can be seen in our land.

¹⁰God’s truth and faithful love join together.

His peace and holiness kiss each other.

¹¹His truth springs up from the earth.

His holiness looks down from heaven.

¹²The Lord will certainly give what is good.

Our land will produce its crops.

¹³God’s holiness leads the way in front of him.

It prepares the way for his coming.