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Psalm 23

The Divine Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.(A)
    He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;[a](B)
    he restores my soul.[b]
He leads me in right paths[c]
    for his name’s sake.(C)

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[d]
    I fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.(D)

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.(E)
Surely[e] goodness and mercy[f] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    my whole life long.[g](F)

Footnotes

  1. 23.2 Heb waters of rest
  2. 23.3 Or life
  3. 23.3 Or paths of righteousness
  4. 23.4 Or the valley of the shadow of death
  5. 23.6 Or Only
  6. 23.6 Or kindness
  7. 23.6 Heb for length of days

16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters.(A) 17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?(B)

18 Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.(C) 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him(D) 20 whenever our hearts condemn us, for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God, 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.(E)

23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.(F) 24 All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.(G)

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