Psalm 25-27

Common English Bible

Psalm 25^[a]

Of David.

25 I offer my life^[b] to you, Lord.
²    My God, I trust you.
Please don’t let me be put to shame!
    Don’t let my enemies rejoice over me!
³For that matter,
    don’t let anyone who hopes in you
        be put to shame;
    instead, let those who are treacherous without excuse be put to shame.

⁴Make your ways known to me, Lord;
    teach me your paths.
⁵Lead me in your truth—teach it to me—
    because you are the God who saves me.
        I put my hope in you all day long.
⁶Lord, remember your compassion and faithful love—
    they are forever!
⁷But don’t remember the sins of my youth or my wrongdoing.
    Remember me only according to your faithful love
        for the sake of your goodness, Lord.

⁸The Lord is good and does the right thing;
    he teaches sinners which way they should go.
⁹God guides the weak to justice,
    teaching them his way.
¹⁰All the Lord’s paths are loving and faithful
    for those who keep his covenant and laws.
¹¹Please, for the sake of your good name, Lord, forgive my sins, which are many!

¹²Where are the ones who honor the Lord?
    God will teach them which path to take.
¹³They will live a good life,
    and their descendants will possess the land.
¹⁴The Lord counsels those who honor him;
    he makes his covenant known to them.
¹⁵My eyes are always looking to the Lord
    because he will free my feet from the net.

¹⁶Turn to me, God, and have mercy on me
    because I’m alone and suffering.
¹⁷My heart’s troubles keep getting bigger—
    set me free from my distress!
¹⁸Look at my suffering and trouble—
    forgive all my sins!
¹⁹Look at how many enemies I have
    and how violently they hate me!
²⁰Please protect my life! Deliver me!
    Don’t let me be put to shame
    because I take refuge in you.
²¹Let integrity and virtue guard me
    because I hope in you.

²²Please, God, save Israel from all its troubles!

Psalm 26

Of David.

26 Establish justice for me, Lord,
    because I have walked with integrity.
    I’ve trusted the Lord without wavering.
²Examine me, Lord; put me to the test!
    Purify^[c] my mind^[d] and my heart.
³Because your faithful love is right in front of me—
    I walk in your truth!
⁴I don’t spend time with people up to no good;
    I don’t keep company with liars.
⁵I detest the company of evildoers,
    and I don’t sit with wicked people.
⁶I wash my hands—they are innocent!
    I walk all around your altar, Lord,
⁷        proclaiming out loud my thanks,
        declaring all your wonderful deeds!
⁸I love the beauty^[e] of your house, Lord;
    I love the place where your glory resides.

⁹Don’t gather me^[f] up with the sinners,
    taking my life along with violent people
¹⁰    in whose hands are evil schemes,
    whose strong hands are full of bribes.
¹¹But me? I walk with integrity.
    Save me! Have mercy on me!

¹²My feet now stand on level ground.
I will bless the Lord in the great congregation.

Psalm 27

Of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation.
        Should I fear anyone?
    The Lord is a fortress protecting my life.
        Should I be frightened of anything?
²When evildoers come at me trying to eat me up—
    it’s they, my foes and my enemies,
    who stumble and fall!
³If an army camps against me,
        my heart won’t be afraid.
    If war comes up against me,
        I will continue to trust in this:
⁴    I have asked one thing from the Lord—
    it’s all I seek:
        to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life,
        seeing the Lord’s beauty
        and constantly adoring his temple.
⁵Because he will shelter me in his own dwelling
    during troubling times;
    he will hide me in a secret place in his own tent;
        he will set me up high, safe on a rock.

⁶Now my head is higher than the enemies surrounding me,
    and I will offer sacrifices in God’s tent—
        sacrifices with shouts of joy!
    I will sing and praise the Lord.

⁷Lord, listen to my voice when I cry out—
    have mercy on me and answer me!
⁸Come, my heart says, seek God’s face.^[g]
    Lord, I do seek your face!
⁹Please don’t hide it from me!
    Don’t push your servant aside angrily—
        you have been my help!
    God who saves me,
        don’t neglect me!
        Don’t leave me all alone!
¹⁰Even if my father and mother left me all alone,
    the Lord would take me in.
¹¹Lord, teach me your way;
    because of my opponents, lead me on a good path.
¹²Don’t give me over to the desires of my enemies,
    because false witnesses and violent accusers
    have taken their stand against me.
¹³But I have sure faith
    that I will experience the Lord’s goodness
    in the land of the living!