Psalm 27

Of David.

1 The Lord is my lights and my salvationt—

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strongholdu of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?v

2 When the wicked advance against me

to devoura me,

it is my enemies and my foes

who will stumble and fall.w

3 Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;x

though war break out against me,

even then I will be confident.y

4 One thingz I ask from the Lord,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,a

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord

and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of troubleb

he will keep me safec in his dwelling;

he will hide med in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.e

6 Then my head will be exaltedf

above the enemies who surround me;g

at his sacred tent I will sacrificeh with shouts of joy;i

I will singj and make musick to the Lord.

7 Hear my voicel when I call, Lord;

be merciful to me and answer me.m

8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!n”

Your face, Lord, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your faceo from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;p

you have been my helper.q

Do not reject me or forsaker me,

God my Savior.s

10 Though my father and mother forsake me,

the Lord will receive me.

11 Teach me your way,t Lord;

lead me in a straight pathu

because of my oppressors.v

12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnessesw rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lordx

in the land of the living.y

14 Waitz for the Lord;

be stronga and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 28

Of David.

1 To you, Lord, I call;

you are my Rock,

do not turn a deaf earb to me.

For if you remain silent,c

I will be like those who go down to the pit.d

2 Hear my cry for mercye

as I call to you for help,

as I lift up my handsf

toward your Most Holy Place.g

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,

with those who do evil,

who speak cordially with their neighbors

but harbor malice in their hearts.h

4 Repay them for their deeds

and for their evil work;

repay them for what their hands have donei

and bring back on them what they deserve.j

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord

and what his hands have done,k

he will tear them down

and never build them up again.

6 Praise be to the Lord,l

for he has heard my cry for mercy.m

7 The Lord is my strengthn and my shield;

my heart trustso in him, and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,p

and with my song I praise him.q

8 The Lord is the strengthr of his people,

a fortress of salvations for his anointed one.t

9 Save your peopleu and bless your inheritance;v

be their shepherdw and carry themx forever.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord,y you heavenly beings,z

ascribe to the Lord glorya and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

worship the Lord in the splendor of hisa holiness.b

3 The voicec of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of gloryd thunders,e

the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.f

4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;g

the voice of the Lord is majestic.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.h

6 He makes Lebanon leapi like a calf,

Sirionb j like a young wild ox.k

7 The voice of the Lord strikes

with flashes of lightning.l

8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;

the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.m

9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaksc n

and strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”o

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;p

the Lord is enthroned as King forever.q

11 The Lord gives strength to his people;r

the Lord blesses his people with peace.s

Psalm 30a

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple.b Of David.

1 I will exaltt you, Lord,

for you lifted me out of the depthsu

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.v

2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,w

and you healed me.x

3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;y

you spared me from going down to the pit.z

4 Singa the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;b

praise his holy name.c

5 For his angerd lasts only a moment,e

but his favor lasts a lifetime;f

weepingg may stay for the night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning.h

6 When I felt secure, I said,

“I will never be shaken.”i

7 Lord, when you favored me,

you made my royal mountainc stand firm;

but when you hid your face,j

I was dismayed.

8 To you, Lord, I called;

to the Lord I cried for mercy:

9 “What is gained if I am silenced,

if I go down to the pit?k

Will the dust praise you?

Will it proclaim your faithfulness?l

10 Hear,m Lord, and be merciful to me;n

Lord, be my help.o”

11 You turned my wailingp into dancing;q

you removed my sackclothr and clothed me with joy,s

12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.

Lord my God, I will praiset you forever.u

Psalm 31a

31:1–4pp—Ps 71:1–3

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;v

let me never be put to shame;

deliver me in your righteousness.w

2 Turn your ear to me,x

come quickly to my rescue;y

be my rock of refuge,z

a strong fortress to save me.

3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,a

for the sake of your nameb lead and guide me.

4 Keep me free from the trapc that is set for me,

for you are my refuge.d

5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;e

deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.f

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;g

as for me, I trust in the Lord.h

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,

for you saw my afflictioni

and knew the anguishj of my soul.

8 You have not given me into the handsk of the enemy

but have set my feet in a spacious place.l

9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;m

my eyes grow weak with sorrow,n

my soul and bodyo with grief.

10 My life is consumed by anguishp

and my years by groaning;q

my strength failsr because of my affliction,b s

and my bones grow weak.t

11 Because of all my enemies,u

I am the utter contemptv of my neighborsw

and an object of dread to my closest friends—

those who see me on the street flee from me.

12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;x

I have become like broken pottery.

13 For I hear many whispering,y

“Terror on every side!”z

They conspire against mea

and plot to take my life.b

14 But I trustc in you, Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

15 My timesd are in your hands;

deliver me from the hands of my enemies,

from those who pursue me.

16 Let your face shinee on your servant;

save me in your unfailing love.f

17 Let me not be put to shame,g Lord,

for I have cried out to you;

but let the wicked be put to shame

and be silenth in the realm of the dead.

18 Let their lying lipsi be silenced,

for with pride and contempt

they speak arrogantlyj against the righteous.

19 How abundant are the good thingsk

that you have stored up for those who fear you,

that you bestow in the sight of all,l

on those who take refugem in you.

20 In the sheltern of your presence you hideo them

from all human intrigues;p

you keep them safe in your dwelling

from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the Lord,q

for he showed me the wonders of his lover

when I was in a city under siege.s

22 In my alarmt I said,

“I am cut offu from your sight!”

Yet you heard my cryv for mercy

when I called to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!w

The Lord preserves those who are true to him,x

but the proud he pays backy in full.

24 Be strong and take heart,z

all you who hope in the Lord.