Psalm 34:1–22

¹I will praise the Lord at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

²I will boast only in the Lord;

let all who are helpless take heart.

³Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;

let us exalt his name together.

⁴I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

⁵Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

⁶In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;

he saved me from all my troubles.

⁷For the angel of the Lord is a guard;

he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

⁸Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

⁹Fear the Lord, you his godly people,

for those who fear him will have all they need.

¹⁰Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,

but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

¹¹Come, my children, and listen to me,

and I will teach you to fear the Lord.

¹²Does anyone want to live a life

that is long and prosperous?

¹³Then keep your tongue from speaking evil

and your lips from telling lies!

¹⁴Turn away from evil and do good.

Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

¹⁵The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;

his ears are open to their cries for help.

¹⁶But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil;

he will erase their memory from the earth.

¹⁷The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.

He rescues them from all their troubles.

¹⁸The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;

he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

¹⁹The righteous person faces many troubles,

but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

²⁰For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;

not one of them is broken!

²¹Calamity will surely destroy the wicked,

and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

²²But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.

No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.