Psalms 27

Psalm 27¹

By David.

27:1 The Lord delivers and vindicates me!²

I fear no one!³

The Lord protects my life!

I am afraid of no one!⁴

27:2 When evil men attack me⁵

to devour my flesh,⁶

when my adversaries and enemies attack me,⁷

they stumble and fall.⁸

27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me,

I do not fear.⁹

Even when war is imminent,¹⁰

I remain confident.¹¹

27:4 I have asked the Lord for one thing –

this is what I desire!

I want to live¹² in the Lord’s house¹³ all the days of my life,

so I can gaze at the splendor¹⁴ of the Lord

and contemplate in his temple.

27:5 He will surely¹⁵ give me shelter¹⁶ in the day of danger;¹⁷

he will hide me in his home;¹⁸

he will place me¹⁹ on an inaccessible rocky summit.²⁰

27:6 Now I will triumph

over my enemies who surround me!²¹

I will offer sacrifices in his dwelling place and shout for joy!²²

I will sing praises to the Lord!

27:7 Hear me,²³ O Lord, when I cry out!

Have mercy on me and answer me!

27:8 My heart tells me to pray to you,²⁴

and I do pray to you, O Lord.²⁵

27:9 Do not reject me!²⁶

Do not push your servant away in anger!

You are my deliverer!²⁷

Do not forsake or abandon me,

O God who vindicates me!

27:10 Even if my father and mother abandoned me,²⁸

the Lord would take me in.²⁹

27:11 Teach me how you want me to live;³⁰

lead me along a level path³¹ because of those who wait to ambush me!³²

27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies,³³

for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me.³⁴

27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience

the Lord’s favor in the land of the living?³⁵

27:14 Rely³⁶ on the Lord!

Be strong and confident!³⁷

Rely on the Lord!

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