Psalm 28

When I cry out to you, O Jehovah,
My defender, be not deaf to my cries,
Be not silent to me lest I become
Like those who are on their way to the grave.
Listen to my prayers of supplication
When I raise my voice in pleas for succor
And raise my arms before the Inner Sanctum.
Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with the workers of evil and mischief,
Who speak of peace and love to their neighbors,
But harbor hate and malice in their hearts.

Pay them back for the acts that they have done,
In proportion to their iniquity;
For their evil deeds, give them their just deserts,
Reward them rightly for their handiwork,
They who do not comprehend the acts and deeds
Of Jehovah or honor his handiwork. ---
He will knock them down, and never raise them up!

Blessed be Jehovah, who has heard
My prayer, my plea of supplication.
Jehovah is my strength and my shield.
My hearts places its trust in him;
He helps me and my heart rejoices,
And I give thanks to him in song.

Jehovah empowers his people
And defends his anointed king.

O Jehovah, bring victory
And blessings to your Chosen People!
Guide and care for them forever!

Psalm 27

Jehovah is my light and my salvation;
So of whom should I be afraid?
Jehovah is the protector of my life
So why should I tremble in fear?

The evil-doers may attack,
To destroy and devour me,
But it is they, those who oppose me
And hate me, who will stumble and fall.
Though an army may besiege me,
In my heart there will be no fear.
Though war may break out against me,
I will still have faith in my god.

Of Jehovah I ask but one thing,
The thing I strive for the most:
That through all the days of my life,
I may remain in Jehovah's grace,
To adore his perfect beauty
And seek the truth in his temple.

For when I am beset by times of trouble,
He will protect me and give me shelter,
Hide me neath the roof of his Tabernacle
Or set me safely on a mountain redoubt.
Confident now, I will be exalted
Above the enemies that surround me.
In his tent will I make sacrifices,
Offerings of joy and exultation,
And I will sing in praise of Jehovah.

Hear me, O Jehovah, when I call!
Have mercy and answer my prayer!
You have proclaimed, "Come and worship me!"
My heart responds, "I am coming."
Hide not your face from your servant,
Or turn him angrily away.
Do not leave me, for you are my help.
Forsake me not, my god, my savior.
If my parents abandon me,
You, Jehovah, will take me in.

Teach me your ways, O Jehovah,
Keep me on the straight and narrow,
For enemies spy upon me.
Let me not fall into their hands,
For they speak falsely against me
And utter threats of violence.

I will indeed witness Jehovah's goodness
While I am yet in the land of the living,
But we must wait patiently for Jehovah.
We must be firm and strong and brave of heart
And so wait patiently for Jehovah.

Psalm 26

Judge me innocent, O Jehovah,
For I have led a blameless life;
In Jehovah I have put my trust,
Unfaltering, unwavering.
Test and try me, O Jehovah,
Examine my heart and my mind.
Ever conscious of your love for me,
I rely upon your loyalty.

I will not consort with liars and cheats;
I shun the company of hypocrites;
I detest the gangs of evil-doers;
I avoid those who are up to no good.
I wash my hands to show my innocence
And worship Jehovah at your altar,
Raising my voice in prayers of thanksgiving
And songs recounting all your wondrous deeds.
I cherish the Temple where you reside
And where your glory manifests itself.

Do not discard my body with the sinners,
Or take my life with the shedders of blood,
The schemers of evil, the takers of bribes,
For I have lived a life of innocence.
So please lend me mercy and redeem me!
I stand upright, my feet on solid ground,
And where the people meet I praise Jehovah.

Psalm 25

My soul I dedicate to you, Jehovah.
And it is in you, my god, I place my trust.
Let not the shame of defeat overwhelm me,
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
(Those who have faith in you will not be disgraced,
But those who betray you without cause will.)

Let me know your ways, O Jehovah!
Instruct me in how to live my life.
Lead me to your truths, teach me them,
For you are my god, my savior.
And always will I trust in you.
Do not forget, Jehovah, your acts
Of mercy and loving loyalty,
For they date back to times of yore.
Forgive, though, the sins of my youth,
The transgressions of my salad days;
Remember me with kindness and love.

Because of his goodness, Jehovah
Guides sinners onto the proper path,
Exhorts the humble to justice,
Teaching them to follow his ways. ---
And all the ways of Jehovah
Are loving, faithful, and loyal
For those who honor his covenant.
In your name sake, O Jehovah,
Forgive my sins, though they be many.

Those who fear and have respect for Jehovah --
He will show them the path they should choose;
They will live their lives in prosperity,
And their land will be passed on to their children.
To those who fear and respect him, Jehovah
Will confide and reveal his covenant.

I ever look to Jehovah for succor;
For he can pull my legs free from the trap.
Answer my prayer and be merciful to me,
For I am lonely, distressed, and downtrodden;
My heart is beset by growing worries.
Save me, Jehovah,  from all my troubles!
For my afflictions, my pain and suffering
Have sympathy and forgive all my sins.
(See how great is the number of my foes
And how vicious is their hatred for me.)

Guard my life and come to my rescue!
Spare me from the disgrace of defeat,
For I entrust you with my safety.
May honesty and rectitude
Keep me, as I place my hopes in you.

From all its troubles and afflictions, O God,
Delivery the nation of Israel!

Psalm 24

The earth is Jehovah's and all it contains;
The world and its people belong to him.
For he built it upon the ocean waters
And founded it upon the rivers and streams.

Who may ascend the mountain of Zion
And stand in Jehovah's holy Temple?
He whose hands are clean and whose heart is pure,
He who will not deign to worship an idol
Or swear by a false god deceitfully.
From Jehovah will he receive a blessing,
The vindication of divine salvation.
Such ones may entreat the aid of Jacob's god.

Open the gates, fling wide the ancient doors!
That the glorious sovereign might enter.
Who is this glorious sovereign?  --- Jehovah!
Strong and mighty, and doughty in battle.

Open the gates, fling wide the ancient doors!
That the glorious sovereign might enter.
Who is this glorious sovereign?  --- Jehovah!
The almighty commander of armies,
He is the glorious sovereign!

Psalm 23

My shepherd is Jehovah --- For nothing do I want.
He sets me to rest in pastures lush and verdant.
He leads me to drink in the streams of tranquil waters
That uplift my spirit and lend me renewed strength.
He guides me sure-footed onto the proper paths
That I may be a credit, an honor to his name.
Even though I pass through valleys treacherous and dark,
Fear is not upon me, for he is close beside,
With his rod and shepherd’s crook to keep me well in line.

He lays out a table and fixes a feast for me
While those who give me grief begrudgingly look on.
He pours upon my head a blessing dose of oil
And refills my cup so it brims to overflowing.
His mercy and his love will be with me forever
And I will make my home with him for all of my days.

Psalm 22

My god, my god, why have you abandoned me?
Why so far from my groaning cries for help?
Every day I pray to you, my Elohim,
But every day my prayers receive no answer. ---
Through the sleepless night I cry out to you.

And yet you are enthroned as the Holy One,
The object of Israel's adoration.
Our ancestors put their confidence in you;
They trusted you and you brought them salvation:
They cried out to you for help and were rescued.
They had faith in you and were not let down.

I am not a man, but a worm,
Scorned by others, despised by all.
Derided by all who see me.
They stick their tongues out and shake their heads,
"Why not pray to Jehovah," they scoff.
"Maybe Jehovah will save you,
Since it's he who loves you so much!"

You are the one who brought me out of the womb
And comforted me as a suckling babe.
I have trusted you since the day I was born,
And from birth you have always been my god.
So why must you be so distant from me
When trouble is near and there's no one to help?

My foes surround me like angry bulls,
Like the mighty bulls of Bashan.
They threaten me with jaws agape
Like ravaging, roaring lions.
My strength is poured out like water.
All my bones have snapped out of joint.
My heart is like wax melted inside.
My throat is as dry as a clay pot,
My tongue, stuck to the roof of my mouth.
You've left me for dead in the dust,
While an evil gang surround me,
Cornering me like a pack of dogs.
They have bound my hands and my feet.
All of my bones are visible;
They can only look at me and stare.
They divide my clothes among them,
And they draw lots for my garments.

O Jehovah, be not aloof,
But come quickly to my rescue
For you are my deliverance!
Spare my life, save me from the sword.
Protect me from the vicious dogs. 
Snatch me from the jaws of the lion.
Guard me from the horns of the bulls.

Then, I will tell of you to my brethren
And praise your name in the public meetings.
"Give your praise Jehovah, all who fear him!
Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
Revere him, all you sons of Israel!"

For he has not scorned or despised
The sufferings of the afflicted.
He has not turned his face away,
But has listened to their cries for help.

I will extol you in the grand assembly
And be seen to fulfill the vows I made you
Before the company of those who fear you.
The poor and afflicted will eat their fill.
Those who turn to Jehovah will praise him.
Their hearts will be eternally grateful!
The whole world will acknowledge Jehovah;
People from every country will worship him;
Since dominion of the earth belongs to him,
Jehovah will rule over its nations.
All who are mortal, whose lives must end as dust,
Even the powerful and prosperous,
Will worship and devote their lives to him.
Posterity will continue to serve him,
Teaching of him to future generations,
Recounting the righteousness of his doings.
Even men and women who are yet unborn
Will hear what Jehovah has accomplished!