Psalm 22:30–32:11

³⁰Our children will also serve him.

Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.

³¹His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.

They will hear about everything he has done.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

²He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

³He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

bringing honor to his name.

⁴Even when I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.

⁵You prepare a feast for me

in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

My cup overflows with blessings.

⁶Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue 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 is the Lord’s, and everything in it.

The world and all its people belong to him.

²For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas

and built it on the ocean depths.

³Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who may stand in his holy place?

⁴Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,

who do not worship idols

and never tell lies.

⁵They will receive the Lord’s blessing

and have a right relationship with God their savior.

⁶Such people may seek you

and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.

Interlude

⁷Open up, ancient gates!

Open up, ancient doors,

and let the King of glory enter.

⁸Who is the King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty;

the Lord, invincible in battle.

⁹Open up, ancient gates!

Open up, ancient doors,

and let the King of glory enter.

¹⁰Who is the King of glory?

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—

he is the King of glory.

Interlude

Psalm 25

A psalm of David.

¹O Lord, I give my life to you.

²I trust in you, my God!

Do not let me be disgraced,

or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.

³No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,

but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

⁴Show me the right path, O Lord;

point out the road for me to follow.

⁵Lead me by your truth and teach me,

for you are the God who saves me.

All day long I put my hope in you.

⁶Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,

which you have shown from long ages past.

⁷Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.

Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,

for you are merciful, O Lord.

⁸The Lord is good and does what is right;

he shows the proper path to those who go astray.

⁹He leads the humble in doing right,

teaching them his way.

¹⁰The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness

all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

¹¹For the honor of your name, O Lord,

forgive my many, many sins.

¹²Who are those who fear the Lord?

He will show them the path they should choose.

¹³They will live in prosperity,

and their children will inherit the land.

¹⁴The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.

He teaches them his covenant.

¹⁵My eyes are always on the Lord,

for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.

¹⁶Turn to me and have mercy,

for I am alone and in deep distress.

¹⁷My problems go from bad to worse.

Oh, save me from them all!

¹⁸Feel my pain and see my trouble.

Forgive all my sins.

¹⁹See how many enemies I have

and how viciously they hate me!

²⁰Protect me! Rescue my life from them!

Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.

²¹May integrity and honesty protect me,

for I put my hope in you.

²²O God, ransom Israel

from all its troubles.

Psalm 26

A psalm of David.

¹Declare me innocent, O Lord,

for I have acted with integrity;

I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

²Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me.

Test my motives and my heart.

³For I am always aware of your unfailing love,

and I have lived according to your truth.

⁴I do not spend time with liars

or go along with hypocrites.

⁵I hate the gatherings of those who do evil,

and I refuse to join in with the wicked.

⁶I wash my hands to declare my innocence.

I come to your altar, O Lord,

⁷singing a song of thanksgiving

and telling of all your wonders.

⁸I love your sanctuary, Lord,

the place where your glorious presence dwells.

⁹Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners.

Don’t condemn me along with murderers.

¹⁰Their hands are dirty with evil schemes,

and they constantly take bribes.

¹¹But I am not like that; I live with integrity.

So redeem me and show me mercy.

¹²Now I stand on solid ground,

and I will publicly praise the Lord.

Psalm 27

A psalm of David.

¹The Lord is my light and my salvation—

so why should I be afraid?

The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,

so why should I tremble?

²When evil people come to devour me,

when my enemies and foes attack me,

they will stumble and fall.

³Though a mighty army surrounds me,

my heart will not be afraid.

Even if I am attacked,

I will remain confident.

⁴The one thing I ask of the Lord—

the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

delighting in the Lord’s perfections

and meditating in his Temple.

⁵For he will conceal me there when troubles come;

he will hide me in his sanctuary.

He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

⁶Then I will hold my head high

above my enemies who surround me.

At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,

singing and praising the Lord with music.

⁷Hear me as I pray, O Lord.

Be merciful and answer me!

⁸My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”

And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

⁹Do not turn your back on me.

Do not reject your servant in anger.

You have always been my helper.

Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,

O God of my salvation!

¹⁰Even if my father and mother abandon me,

the Lord will hold me close.

¹¹Teach me how to live, O Lord.

Lead me along the right path,

for my enemies are waiting for me.

¹²Do not let me fall into their hands.

For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;

with every breath they threaten me with violence.

¹³Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness

while I am here in the land of the living.

¹⁴Wait patiently for the Lord.

Be brave and courageous.

Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 28

A psalm of David.

¹I pray to you, O Lord, my rock.

Do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you are silent,

I might as well give up and die.

²Listen to my prayer for mercy

as I cry out to you for help,

as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.

³Do not drag me away with the wicked—

with those who do evil—

those who speak friendly words to their neighbors

while planning evil in their hearts.

⁴Give them the punishment they so richly deserve!

Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness.

Pay them back for all their evil deeds!

Give them a taste of what they have done to others.

⁵They care nothing for what the Lord has done

or for what his hands have made.

So he will tear them down,

and they will never be rebuilt!

⁶Praise the Lord!

For he has heard my cry for mercy.

⁷The Lord is my strength and shield.

I trust him with all my heart.

He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.

I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

⁸The Lord gives his people strength.

He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.

⁹Save your people!

Bless Israel, your special possession.

Lead them like a shepherd,

and carry them in your arms forever.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

¹Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings;

honor the Lord for his glory and strength.

²Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.

Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

³The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea.

The God of glory thunders.

The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.

⁴The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is majestic.

⁵The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars;

the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf;

he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox.

⁷The voice of the Lord strikes

with bolts of lightning.

⁸The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake;

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks

and strips the forests bare.

In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

¹⁰The Lord rules over the floodwaters.

The Lord reigns as king forever.

¹¹The Lord gives his people strength.

The Lord blesses them with peace.

Psalm 30

A psalm of David. A song for the dedication of the Temple.

¹I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.

You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

²O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

and you restored my health.

³You brought me up from the grave, O Lord.

You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

⁴Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!

Praise his holy name.

⁵For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime!

Weeping may last through the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

⁶When I was prosperous, I said,

“Nothing can stop me now!”

⁷Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.

Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

⁸I cried out to you, O Lord.

I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,

⁹“What will you gain if I die,

if I sink into the grave?

Can my dust praise you?

Can it tell of your faithfulness?

¹⁰Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.

Help me, O Lord.”

¹¹You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

¹²that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Psalm 31

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

¹O Lord, I have come to you for protection;

don’t let me be disgraced.

Save me, for you do what is right.

²Turn your ear to listen to me;

rescue me quickly.

Be my rock of protection,

a fortress where I will be safe.

³You are my rock and my fortress.

For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger.

⁴Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me,

for I find protection in you alone.

⁵I entrust my spirit into your hand.

Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.

⁶I hate those…