26  ^qVindicate me, O Lord,

for I have ^rwalked in my integrity,

and I have ^strusted in the Lord without wavering.

2  ^tProve me, O Lord, and try me;

test my heart and ^umy mind.¹

3  For your ^vsteadfast love is before my eyes,

and I ^wwalk in your ^vfaithfulness.

4  I do not ^xsit with men of ^yfalsehood,

nor do I consort with hypocrites.

5  I ^zhate the assembly of evildoers,

and I will not sit with the wicked.

6  I ^awash my hands in innocence

and go around your altar, O Lord,

7  proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,

and telling all your ^bwondrous deeds.

8  O Lord, I ^clove the habitation of your house

and the place where your glory dwells.

9  ^dDo 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 ^ebribes.

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

redeem me, and be gracious to me.

12  My foot stands on ^flevel ground;

in ^gthe great assembly I will bless the Lord.

27  The Lord is my ^hlight and my ⁱsalvation;

^jwhom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold¹ of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

2  When evildoers assail me

to ^keat up my flesh,

my adversaries and foes,

it is they who stumble and fall.

3  ^lThough an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

yet² I will be confident.

4  ^mOne thing have I asked of the Lord,

that will I seek after:

that I may ⁿdwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon ^othe beauty of the Lord

and to inquire³ in his temple.

5  For he will ^phide me in his shelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will ^qlift me high upon a rock.

6  And now my ^rhead shall be lifted up

above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of ^sjoy;

^tI will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7  ^uHear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;

be gracious to me and answer me!

8  You have said, ^v“Seek⁴ my face.”

My heart says to you,

“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”⁵

9  ^wHide not your face from me.

Turn not your servant away in anger,

O you who have been my help.

Cast me not off; forsake me not,

^xO God of my salvation!

10  For ^ymy father and my mother have forsaken me,

but the Lord will ^ztake me in.

11  ^aTeach me your way, O Lord,

and lead me on ^ba level path

because of my enemies.

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

for ^dfalse witnesses have risen against me,

and they ^ebreathe out violence.

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

in ^gthe land of the living!

14  ^hWait for the Lord;

ⁱbe strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

28  To you, O Lord, I call;

^jmy rock, be not deaf to me,

lest, if you ^kbe silent to me,

I become like those who ^lgo down to the pit.

2  ^mHear the voice of my pleas for mercy,

when I cry to you for help,

when I ⁿlift up my hands

^otoward your most holy sanctuary.¹

3  Do not ^pdrag me off with the wicked,

with the workers of evil,

^qwho speak peace with their neighbors

while evil is in their hearts.

4  ^rGive to them according to their work

and according to the evil of their deeds;

give to them according to the work of their hands;

^srender them their due reward.

5  Because they ^tdo 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 ^uheard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

7  The Lord is my strength and ^vmy shield;

in him my heart ^wtrusts, and I am helped;

my heart exults,

and with my ^xsong I give thanks to him.

8  The Lord is the strength of his people;²

he is ^ythe saving refuge of his anointed.

9  Oh, save your people and bless ^zyour heritage!

^aBe their shepherd and ^bcarry them forever.

29  Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,¹

^cascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

worship the Lord in ^dthe splendor of holiness.²

3  The voice of the Lord is over ^ethe waters;

the God of glory ^fthunders,

the Lord, over many waters.

4  The voice of the Lord is ^gpowerful;

the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5  The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

the Lord breaks ^hthe cedars of Lebanon.

6  He makes Lebanon to ⁱskip like a calf,

and ^jSirion like a young ^kwild 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 ^lKadesh.

9  The voice of the Lord makes ^mthe deer give birth³

and strips the forests bare,

and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10  The Lord sits enthroned over ⁿthe flood;

the Lord sits enthroned ^oas king forever.

11  May the Lord give ^pstrength to his people!

May the Lord bless⁴ his people with ^qpeace!

30  I will ^sextol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up

and have not let my foes ^trejoice over me.

2  O Lord my God, I ^ucried to you for help,

and you have ^vhealed me.

3  O Lord, you have brought up my soul from ^wSheol;

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

4  Sing praises to the Lord, O you ^yhis saints,

and ^zgive thanks to his holy name.²

5  ^aFor his anger is but for a moment,

and ^bhis favor is for a lifetime.³

^cWeeping may tarry for the night,

but ^djoy comes with the morning.

6  As for me, I said in my ^eprosperity,

“I shall never be ^fmoved.”

7  By your favor, O Lord,

you made my ^gmountain stand strong;

you ^hhid your face;

I was ⁱdismayed.

8  To you, O Lord, I cry,

and ^jto the Lord I plead for mercy:

9  “What profit is there in my death,⁴

if I go down to the pit?⁵

Will ^kthe dust praise you?

Will it tell of your faithfulness?

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

O Lord, be my helper!”

11  You have turned for me my mourning into ^mdancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

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

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