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Psalms 26
They Prayer of an Innocent Person
[Of David.] 1O Lord, be my judge, for my behaviour has been upright: I have put my faith in the Lord, I am not in danger of slipping. 2 Put me in the scales, O Lord, so that I may be tested; let the fire make clean my thoughts and my heart. 3 For your mercy is before my eyes; and I have gone in the way of your good faith. 4 I have not taken my seat with foolish persons, and I do not go with false men. 5 I have been a hater of the band of wrongdoers, and I will not be seated among sinners. 6 I will make my hands clean from sin; so will I go round your altar, O Lord; 7 That I may give out the voice of praise, and make public all the wonders which you have done. 8 Lord, your house has been dear to me, and the resting-place of your glory. 9 Let not my soul be numbered among sinners, or my life among men of blood; 10 In whose hands are evil designs, and whose right hands take money for judging falsely. 11 But as for me, I will go on in my upright ways: be my saviour, and have mercy on me. 12 I have a safe resting-place for my feet; I will give praise to the Lord in the meetings of the people. ************
Psalms 27
A Prayer of Praise
[Of David.] 1The 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? 2 When evil-doers, even my haters, came on me to put an end to me, they were broken and put to shame. 3 Even 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. 4 One 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. 5 For 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. 6 And 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. 7 O Lord, let the voice of my cry come to your ears: have mercy on me, and give me an answer. 8 When you said, Make search for my face, my heart said to you, For your face will I make my search. 9 Let 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. 10 When my father and my mother are turned away from me, then the Lord will be my support. 11 Make your way clear to me, O Lord, guiding me by the right way, because of my haters. 12 Do not give me into their hands, because false witnesses have come out against me, and men breathing destruction. 13 I had almost given up my hope of seeing the blessing of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Let your hope be in the Lord: take heart and be strong; yes, let your hope be in the Lord. ************
Psalms 28
A Prayer for Help
[Of David.] 1 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. 2 Give ear to the voice of my prayer, when I am crying to you, when my hands are lifted up to your holy place. 3 Do 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. 4 Give 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. 5 Because 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. 6 May the Lord be praised, because he has given ear to the voice of my prayer. 7 The 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. 8 The Lord is their strength, and a strong place of salvation for his king. 9 Be a saviour to your people, and send a blessing on your heritage: be their guide, and let them be lifted up for ever. ************
Psalms 29
The Voice of the Lord in a Storm
[A Psalm. Of David.] 1 Give to the Lord, you sons of the gods, give to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Give to the Lord the full glory of his name; give him worship in holy robes. 3 The voice of the Lord is on the waters: the God of glory is thundering, the Lord is on the great waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is full of power; the voice of the Lord has a noble sound. 5 By the voice of the Lord are the cedar-trees broken, even the cedars of Lebanon are broken by the Lord. 6 He makes them go jumping about like a young ox; Lebanon and Sirion like a young mountain ox. 7 At the voice of the Lord flames of fire are seen. 8 At the voice of the Lord there is a shaking in the waste land, even a shaking in the waste land of Kadesh. 9 At the voice of the Lord the roes give birth, the leaves are taken from the trees: in his Temple everything says, Glory. 10 The Lord had his seat as king when the waters came on the earth; the Lord is seated as king for ever. 11 The Lord will give strength to his people; the Lord will give his people the blessing of peace. ************
, Psalms 30
A Prayer of Thanks
[A Psalm. A Song at the blessing of the House. Of David.] 1I will give you praise and honour, O Lord, because through you I have been lifted up; you have not given my haters cause to be glad over me. 2 O Lord my God, I sent up my cry to you, and you have made me well. 3 O Lord, you have made my soul come again from the underworld: you have given me life and kept me from going down among the dead. 4 Make songs to the Lord, O you saints of his, and give praise to his holy name. 5 For his wrath is only for a minute; in his grace there is life; weeping may be for a night, but joy comes in the morning. 6 When things went well for me I said, I will never be moved. 7 Lord, by your grace you have kept my mountain strong: when your face was turned from me I was troubled. 8 My voice went up to you, O Lord; I made my prayer to the Lord. 9 What profit is there in my blood if I go down into the underworld? will the dust give you praise, or be a witness to your help? 10 Give ear to me, O Lord, and have mercy on me: Lord, be my helper. 11 By you my sorrow is turned into dancing; you have taken away my clothing of grief, and given me robes of joy; 12 So that my glory may make songs of praise to you and not be quiet. O Lord my God, I will give you praise for ever. ************
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