Psalm 24
A Prayer for Guidance and Forgiveness
The psalmist lifts his soul to God, seeking divine instruction and the pardon of youthful sins.
To you, O Lord, I continually lift up my soul. My God, I trust in you with joyful confidence and deep reverence. Lord, I pray, protect me from shame. May all who wait for you be kept forever from shame and disgrace; but confound those whose hearts are set on evil. O Lord, O Father, show me your clear ways and make them known to me. Truly, teach me your paths plainly, and lead me always in your truth, O God who makes us whole; be exalted. For day and night, with all my strength, I have waited for you and longed to cling to you. Teach me to live for your honor. Remember, I beg you, your mercy and virtue. Your generous goodness, which brings us joy, is eternal. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my foolish deeds. Instead, in your sweet and gracious mercy, let your favor take root in me, and let me remain in your remembrance.
The Way of the Upright
God promises to guide the gentle and reveal his covenant to those who fear him.
God is upright and gracious—know this well—and he will give his law to the ignorant and sinful people who live here on earth. With justice he will guide the good safely, without sorrow; he will faithfully teach those who are gentle by nature and direct them along the paths of his grace. All God’s ways, beyond counting, are goodness and perfect truth. They are for those who, here in this valley, seek to please him by keeping his words and his covenant.1 You know that my sins are very many and great; please heal them.2 For the sake of your name alone, O saving Lord—for who is the one who fears God? God’s law will be strong and powerful within that person.3 His soul will live in prosperity, and his descendants will soon inherit the earth by God's command; God reveals his counsel to that soul. To those who fear his majesty, he will reveal his whole covenant, making it known and planting it within them. And my eyes remain fixed on God; he will keep my feet from the snare.
A Cry in Deep Distress
The psalmist pours out his heart regarding his suffering and enemies, concluding with a plea for the deliverance of Israel.
Look upon me and let me receive mercy, for I am miserable. Deep distress—understand this—has entered into my heart. Therefore I pray, O Lord: be willing to draw me out of my distress. Look plainly upon my great suffering; see my lowliness laid bare before me, and forgive the wounds and stains of my sins.4 O Lord, look and see how many enemies surround me here with bitter hatred. Preserve my soul, which trusts in you; therefore, deliver me in truth, for you are my hope and refuge. Don't let me be put to shame. I have waited for your power, which brings forth virtue and has chosen to gather it within me.5 Set Israel free from suffering. Amen.
Read the original Latin
GOt v o Heer: ick altijt meer Mijn siele heb gheheuen metter spoet Mijn God wel seer, met grooter eer Op v betrou ick hier met bliden moet Van scande so bid ic Heer mi behoet Al die v verbeyden Van schand en spijt, tot alder tijt Sij zijn gheurijt Maer wilt haer confuys bereyden Die boosheyt in haer sinnen binnen leyden.
U weghen claer: o Heer, o vaer Wilt my verthoonen, ende maken condt En my voerwaer, leert openbaer V paden: en leydt mi tot alder stondt Al in uwe waerheyt God die ghesondt Maect: zijt verheuen Want dach en nacht, met al mijn cracht Ick heb verwacht Ende woude v aencleuen Wilt mi tot uwer eeren leeren leuen.
Ghedenct doch ghi, dat bid ick di Op v bermherticheyden, ende duecht: V goetheyt vry, die ons maect bly, Is eewich: en die sonden van mijn iuecht En wilt niet ghedencken, int v ghenuecht Mijn sot bedriuen Sonder delay, na v ghenay, soet ende fray Doer v ionst in mi becliuen Laet mi in v ghehueghen mueghen bliuen.
Oprecht en soet, zijt dies wel vroet, Is God: ende hi sal gheuen zijn wet Het onbesnoet, en sondich bloet Dat hier op deser aerden is gheset. Den goeden met oerdeel sal hi seer net Leyden sonder trueren In sulcken schijn, dat hi sal zijn, leerende fijn Den saechten van natueren En in zijnder ghenaden paden stueren
Gods weghen al, sonder ghetal Sijn goetheyt, ende waerheyt excellent. Die in dit dal, hem te gheual Sijn woerden soecken, en zijn testament. Mijn sonden seer veel, ende groot bekent, Wilt doch ghenesen. Om dinen naem, alleen bequaem, o Heer heylsaem Want wie yst die God can vresen? Gods wet sal bi hem crachtich machtich wesen.
Sijn siele sel, dan woonen wel In goet gheluck: end oock soe sal zijn saet Beeruen snel, doer Gods beuel Het aertrijck: God ontdeckt haer sinen raet. Den ghenen die vreesen zijn maiestaet, Sal hy verclaren Al zijn verbant, maect hy bekant En haer in plant. En mijn ooghen op God staren Vanden stric sal hi mijn voeten moeten sparen.
Siet mi doch aen, laet mi ontfaen Bermherticheyt: want ic ellendich bin. Veel drucx ghegaen, (wilt dit verstaen) Is binnen in mijn hert ghecomen in. Dus bid ick o Heere, hebt sulcken sin Wilt my wt trecken Wt minen noot, aensiet doch bloot, mijn arbeyt groot Siet mijn cleynheyt mi ontdecken Vergheeft doch mijnder sonden wonden vlecken
O Heer aenschout, hoe menichfout, Mijn vyanden hier zijn met boosen haet. Mijn siel behout, die v betrout, Daer om wilt mi verlossen metter daet Want ghi zijt mijn hope, en toeuerlaet. Laet my niet beschamen Ick heb verbeyt, v mogentheyt, die duecht bereyt Heeft bi mi willen versamen. Wilt Israhel van lyen, vryen. Amen.
Notes
- 1 ↩The compressed poetic syntax may mean seeking or observing God’s words and covenant; the rendering supplies “keeping” from the apparent sense.
- 2 ↩Read as a form of “know,” with God as the implied subject; the line’s punctuation and compressed syntax leave this somewhat uncertain.
- 3 ↩Literally “by him” or “with him”; “within that person” expresses the likely sense that God’s law is effective in the one who fears him.
- 4 ↩The compressed wording appears to ask God to see the speaker’s lowliness as something exposed or laid bare; the exact syntax is uncertain.
- 5 ↩The syntax of this early Dutch phrase is compressed and permits more than one reading; this translation understands God's power as producing and gathering virtue within the speaker.
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