Psalms 27-29

Psalm 27

¹Of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; who is then a cause of fear to me? the Lord is the strength of my life; who is a danger to me?

²When evil-doers, even my haters, came on me to put an end to me, they were broken and put to shame.

³Even if an army came against me with its tents, my heart would have no fear: if war was made on me, my faith would not be moved.

⁴One prayer have I made to the Lord, and this is my heart's desire; that I may have a place in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, looking on his glory, and getting wisdom in his Temple.

⁵For in the time of trouble he will keep me safe in his tent: in the secret place of his tent he will keep me from men's eyes; high on a rock he will put me.

⁶And now my head will be lifted up higher than my haters who are round me: because of this I will make offerings of joy in his tent; I will make a song, truly I will make a song of praise to the Lord.

⁷O Lord, let the voice of my cry come to your ears: have mercy on me, and give me an answer.

⁸When you said, Make search for my face, my heart said to you, For your face will I make my search.

⁹Let not your face be covered from me; do not put away your servant in wrath; you have been my help: do not give me up or take your support from me, O God of my salvation.

¹⁰When my father and my mother are turned away from me, then the Lord will be my support.

¹¹Make your way clear to me, O Lord, guiding me by the right way, because of my haters.

¹²Do not give me into their hands, because false witnesses have come out against me, and men breathing destruction.

¹³I had almost given up my hope of seeing the blessing of the Lord in the land of the living.

¹⁴Let your hope be in the Lord: take heart and be strong; yes, let your hope be in the Lord.

Psalm 28

¹Of David. My cry goes up to you, O Lord, my Rock; do not keep back your answer from me, so that I may not become like those who go down into the underworld.

²Give ear to the voice of my prayer, when I am crying to you, when my hands are lifted up to your holy place.

³Do not take me away with the sinners and the workers of evil, who say words of peace to their neighbours, but evil is in their hearts.

⁴Give them the right reward of their acts, and of their evil doings: give them punishment for the works of their hands, let them have their full reward.

⁵Because they have no respect for the works of the Lord, or for the things which his hands have made, they will be broken down and not lifted up by him.

⁶May the Lord be praised, because he has given ear to the voice of my prayer.

⁷The Lord is my strength and my breastplate, my heart had faith in him and I am helped; for this cause my heart is full of rapture, and I will give him praise in my song.

⁸The Lord is their strength, and a strong place of salvation for his king.

⁹Be a saviour to your people, and send a blessing on your heritage: be their guide, and let them be lifted up for ever.

Psalm 29

¹A Psalm. Of David. Give to the Lord, you sons of the gods, give to the Lord glory and strength.

²Give to the Lord the full glory of his name; give him worship in holy robes.

³The voice of the Lord is on the waters: the God of glory is thundering, the Lord is on the great waters.

⁴The voice of the Lord is full of power; the voice of the Lord has a noble sound.

⁵By the voice of the Lord are the cedar-trees broken, even the cedars of Lebanon are broken by the Lord.

⁶He makes them go jumping about like a young ox; Lebanon and Sirion like a young mountain ox.

⁷At the voice of the Lord flames of fire are seen.

⁸At the voice of the Lord there is a shaking in the waste land, even a shaking in the waste land of Kadesh.

⁹At the voice of the Lord the roes give birth, the leaves are taken from the trees: in his Temple everything says, Glory.

¹⁰The Lord had his seat as king when the waters came on the earth; the Lord is seated as king for ever.

¹¹The Lord will give strength to his people; the Lord will give his people the blessing of peace.