26  ^oVindicate me, O Lord,

for I have ^pwalked in my integrity,

and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

2  ^qProve me, O Lord, and try me;

test my heart and my mind.¹

3  For your steadfast love is before my eyes,

and I walk in your faithfulness.

4  I do not sit with men of falsehood,

nor do I consort with hypocrites.

5  ^rI hate the assembly of evildoers,

and I will not sit with the wicked.

6  I wash my hands ^sin innocence

and go around your altar, O Lord,

7  proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,

and telling all your wondrous deeds.

8  O Lord, I love the habitation of your house

and ^tthe place where your glory dwells.

9  ^uDo not sweep my soul away with sinners,

nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

10  in whose hands are evil devices,

and whose right hands are full of ^vbribes.

11  But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;

redeem me, and be gracious to me.

12  My foot stands on level ground;

in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.

27  ^wThe Lord is my light and my salvation;

^xwhom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold¹ of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

2  When evildoers assail me

to eat up my flesh,

my adversaries and foes,

it is they who stumble and fall.

3  Though an army encamp against me,

^ymy heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

yet² I will be confident.

4  One thing have I asked of the Lord,

that will I seek after:

^zthat I may ^adwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to ^bgaze upon the beauty of the Lord

and to inquire³ in his temple.

5  For he will hide me in his ^cshelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will lift me high ^dupon a rock.

6  And now my ^ehead shall be lifted up

above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with ^fshouts of joy;

^gI will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7  ^hHear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;

be gracious to me and ⁱanswer me!

8  You have said, ^j“Seek⁴ my face.”

My heart says to you,

“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”⁵

9  ^kHide not your face from me.

Turn not your servant away in anger,

O you who have been my help.

Cast me not off; ^lforsake me not,

O God of my salvation!

10  For my father and my mother have forsaken me,

but the Lord will take me in.

11  ^mTeach me your way, O Lord,

and ⁿlead me on a level path

because of my enemies.

12  ^oGive me not up to the will of my adversaries;

for ^pfalse witnesses have risen against me,

and they breathe out violence.

13  I believe that I shall look⁶ upon the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living!

14  Wait for the Lord;

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

28  To you, O Lord, I call;

my rock, be not deaf to me,

lest, if you be ^qsilent to me,

I become like ^rthose who go down to the pit.

2  Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,

when I cry to you for help,

when I lift up my hands

^stoward your most holy sanctuary.¹

3  ^tDo not drag me off with the wicked,

with the workers of evil,

who speak peace with their neighbors

^uwhile evil is in their hearts.

4  Give to them ^vaccording to their work

and according to the evil of their deeds;

give to them according to the work of their hands;

render them their due reward.

5  Because they do not regard the works of the Lord

or the work of his hands,

he will tear them down and build them up no more.

6  Blessed be the Lord!

For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

7  The Lord is my strength and my ^wshield;

in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;

^xmy heart exults,

and with my song I give thanks to him.

8  The Lord is the strength of his people;²

he is the saving refuge of ^yhis anointed.

9  Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!

Be their ^zshepherd and carry them forever.

29  ^aAscribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,¹

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.²

3  The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of glory ^bthunders,

the Lord, over many waters.

4  The voice of the Lord is ^cpowerful;

the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5  The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

6  He makes Lebanon to ^dskip like a calf,

and ^eSirion like a young wild ox.

7  The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

8  The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9  The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth³

and strips the forests bare,

and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10  The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

the Lord sits enthroned as ^fking forever.

11  May the Lord ^ggive strength to his people!

May the Lord bless⁴ his people with peace!

30  ⁱI will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up

and have not let my foes rejoice over me.

2  O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

and you have ^jhealed me.

3  O Lord, you have ^kbrought up my soul from Sheol;

you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.¹

4  Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,

and ^lgive thanks to his holy name.²

5  For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime.³

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

6  As for me, I said in my prosperity,

“I shall never be moved.”

7  By your favor, O Lord,

you made my mountain stand strong;

you ^mhid your face;

I was dismayed.

8  To you, O Lord, I cry,

and to the Lord I ⁿplead for mercy:

9  “What profit is there in my death,⁴

if I go down to the pit?⁵

^oWill the dust praise you?

Will it tell of your faithfulness?

10  ^pHear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!

O Lord, be my helper!”

11  You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

12  that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.

O Lord my God, ^qI will give thanks to you forever!