Psalm 27

Finding Refuge in the Lord’s House

A psalm of David.

1The Lord is my light and my salvation—

so why should I be afraid?

The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,

so why should I tremble?

2When evil people come to devour me,

when my enemies and foes attack me,

they will stumble and fall.

3Though a mighty army surrounds me,

my heart will not be afraid.

Even if I am attacked,

I will remain confident.

4The one thing I ask of the Lord—

the thing I seek most—

is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

delighting in the Lord’s perfections

and meditating in his Temple.

5For he will conceal me there when troubles come;

he will hide me in his sanctuary.

He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

6Then I will hold my head high

above my enemies who surround me.

At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,

singing and praising the Lord with music.

7Hear me as I pray, O Lord.

Be merciful and answer me!

8My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”

And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

9Do not turn your back on me.

Do not reject your servant in anger.

You have always been my helper.

Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,

O God of my salvation!

10Even if my father and mother abandon me,

the Lord will hold me close.

11Teach me how to live, O Lord.

Lead me along the right path,

for my enemies are waiting for me.

12Do not let me fall into their hands.

For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;

with every breath they threaten me with violence.

13Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness

while I am here in the land of the living.

14Wait patiently for the Lord.

Be brave and courageous.

Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 104

The Lord’s Greatness in Creation

1Let all that I am praise the Lord.

O Lord my God, how great you are!

You are robed with honor and majesty.

2You are dressed in a robe of light.

You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;

3you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.

You make the clouds your chariot;

you ride upon the wings of the wind.

4The winds are your messengers;

flames of fire are your servants.*104:4 Greek version reads He sends his angels like the winds, / his servants like flames of fire. Compare Heb 1:7.

5You placed the world on its foundation

so it would never be moved.

6You clothed the earth with floods of water,

water that covered even the mountains.

7At your command, the water fled;

at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.

8Mountains rose and valleys sank

to the levels you decreed.

9Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,

so they would never again cover the earth.

10You make springs pour water into the ravines,

so streams gush down from the mountains.

11They provide water for all the animals,

and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12The birds nest beside the streams

and sing among the branches of the trees.

13You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,

and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.

14You cause grass to grow for the livestock

and plants for people to use.

You allow them to produce food from the earth—

15wine to make them glad,

olive oil to soothe their skin,

and bread to give them strength.

16The trees of the Lord are well cared for—

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

17There the birds make their nests,

and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.

18High in the mountains live the wild goats,

and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.*104:18 Or coneys, or rock badgers.

19You made the moon to mark the seasons,

and the sun knows when to set.

20You send the darkness, and it becomes night,

when all the forest animals prowl about.

21Then the young lions roar for their prey,

stalking the food provided by God.

22At dawn they slink back

into their dens to rest.

23Then people go off to their work,

where they labor until evening.

24O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!

In wisdom you have made them all.

The earth is full of your creatures.

25Here is the ocean, vast and wide,

teeming with life of every kind,

both large and small.

26See the ships sailing along,

and Leviathan,*104:26 The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature. which you made to play in the sea.

27They all depend on you

to give them food as they need it.

28When you supply it, they gather it.

You open your hand to feed them,

and they are richly satisfied.

29But if you turn away from them, they panic.

When you take away their breath,

they die and turn again to dust.

30When you give them your breath,*104:30 Or When you send your Spirit. life is created,

and you renew the face of the earth.

31May the glory of the Lord continue forever!

The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!

32The earth trembles at his glance;

the mountains smoke at his touch.

33I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.

I will praise my God to my last breath!

34May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,

for I rejoice in the Lord.

35Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;

let the wicked disappear forever.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Nun

105Your word is a lamp to guide my feet

and a light for my path.

106I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again:

I will obey your righteous regulations.

107I have suffered much, O Lord;

restore my life again as you promised.

108Lord, accept my offering of praise,

and teach me your regulations.

109My life constantly hangs in the balance,

but I will not stop obeying your instructions.

110The wicked have set their traps for me,

but I will not turn from your commandments.

111Your laws are my treasure;

they are my heart’s delight.

112I am determined to keep your decrees

to the very end.