Psalm 21-25

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

⁸ Your hand will find out all your enemies;
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.^(G)
9 You will make them like a fiery furnace
    when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and fire will consume them.^(H)
10 You will destroy their offspring from the earth
    and their children from among humankind.^(I)
11 If they plan evil against you,
    if they devise mischief, they will not succeed.^(J)
12 For you will put them to flight;
    you will aim at their faces with your bows.^(K)

¹³ Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
    We will sing and praise your power.^(L)

³ Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.^(O)
4 In you our ancestors trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵ To you they cried and were saved;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.^(P)

⁶ But I am a worm and not human,
    scorned by others and despised by the people.^(Q)
7 All who see me mock me;
    they sneer at me; they shake their heads;^(R)
8 “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
    let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”^(S)

⁹ Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
    you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.^(T)
10 On you I was cast from my birth,
    and since my mother bore me you have been my God.^(U)
11 Do not be far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is no one to help.

¹² Many bulls encircle me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;^(V)
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.^(W)

¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
    it is melted within my breast;^(X)
15 my mouth^[a] is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.^(Y)

¹⁶ For dogs are all around me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they bound my hands and feet.^[b](Z)
17 I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸ they divide my clothes among themselves,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.^(AA)

¹⁹ But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
    O my help, come quickly to my aid!
²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my life^[c] from the power of the dog!^(AB)
21     Save me from the mouth of the lion!

From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued^[d] me.^(AC)
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;^[e]
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:^(AD)
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
    stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!^(AE)
24 For he did not despise or abhor
    the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me^[f]
    but heard when I^[g] cried to him.^(AF)

²⁵ From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will pay before those who fear him.^(AG)
26 The poor^[h] shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
    May your hearts live forever!^(AH)

²⁷ All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before him.^[i](AI)
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.^(AJ)

²⁹ To him,^[j] indeed, shall all who sleep in^[k] the earth bow down;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    and I shall live for him.^[l](AK)
30 Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord^(AL)
31 and^[m] proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
    saying that he has done it.^(AM)

⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley,^[q]
    I fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.^(AQ)

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.^(AR)
6 Surely^[r] goodness and mercy^[s] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    my whole life long.^[t](AS)

³ Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?^(AU)
4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
    who do not lift up their souls to what is false
    and do not swear deceitfully.^(AV)
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord
    and vindication from the God of their salvation.^(AW)
6 Such is the company of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob.^[u] Selah

⁷ Lift up your heads, O gates!
    and be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in!^(AX)
8 Who is the King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, mighty in battle.^(AY)
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    and be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in!^(AZ)
10 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory. Selah

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.^(BD)
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all day long.^(BE)

⁶ Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.^(BF)
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!^(BG)

⁸ Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.^(BH)
9 He leads the humble in what is right
    and teaches the humble his way.^(BI)
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.^(BJ)

¹¹ For your name’s sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is great.^(BK)
12 Who are they who fear the Lord?
    He will teach them the way that they should choose.

¹³ They will abide in prosperity,
    and their children shall possess the land.^(BL)
14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes his covenant known to them.^(BM)
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.^(BN)

¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.^(BO)
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart,
    and bring me^[v] out of my distress.^(BP)
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.^(BQ)

¹⁹ Consider how many are my foes
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.^(BR)
20 O guard my life and deliver me;
    do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.^(BS)

²² Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all its troubles.^(BT)