The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 26
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 27 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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A Psalm of David, before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my Savior; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Τοῦ Δαυὶδ, πρὸ τοῦ χρισθῆναι. Κύριος φωτισμός μου καὶ σώτηρ μου, τίνα φοβηθήσομαι; Κύριος ὑπερασπιστὴς τῆς ζωῆς μου, ἀπὸ τίνος δειλιάσω;
Christ's young soldier speaks, on his coming to the faith. "The Lord is my light, and my salvation: whom shall I fear?". The Lord will give me both knowledge of Himself, and salvation: who shall take me from Him? "The Lord is the Protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?" The Lord will repel all the assaults…
When evildoers drew nigh against me to eat up my flesh, My persecutors and mine enemies, they fainted and fell.
Ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν ἐπʼ ἐμὲ κακοῦντας, τοῦ φαγεῖν τὰς σάρκας μου, οἱ θλίβοντες με καὶ οἱ ἐχθροί μου, αὐτοὶ ἠσθένησαν καὶ ἔπεσαν.
"Whilst the guilty approach unto me to eat up my flesh". Whilst the guilty come near to recognise and insult me, that they may exalt themselves above me in my change for the better; that with their reviling tooth they may consume not me, but rather my fleshly desires. "Mine enemies who trouble me." Not they only who…
Though an army should set itself in array against me, my heart shall not be afraid: Though war should rise up against me, in this am I confident.
Ἐὰν παρατάξηται ἐπʼ ἐμὲ παρεμβολὴ, οὐ φοβηθήσεται ἡ καρδία μου· ἐὰν ἐπαναστῇ ἐπʼ ἐμὲ πόλεμος, ἐν ταύτῃ ἐγὼ ἐλπιζω.
"If camps stand together against me, my heart will not fear." But if the multitude of gain-sayers conspire to stand together against me, my heart will not fear, so as to go over to their side. "If war rise up against me, in this will I trust". If the persecution of this world arise against me, in this petition, which…
One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I earnestly seek: That I should dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, That I should behold the fair beauty of the Lord, And survey his temple.
Μίαν ᾐτησάμην παρὰ Κυρίου, ταύτην ἐκζητήσω, τοῦ κατοικεῖν με ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου, τοῦ θεωρεῖν με τὴν τερπνότητα Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπισκέπτεσθαι τὸν ναὸν αὐτοῦ.
"One have I asked of the Lord, this will I require." For one petition have I asked the Lord, this will I require. "That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life". That as long as I am in this life, no adversities may exclude me from the number of them who hold the unity and the truth of the Lord's…
For in the day of mine afflictions he hid me in his tabernacle: He sheltered me in the secret of his tabernacle; He set me up on a rock.
Ὅτι ἔκρυψέ με ἐν σκηνῇ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῶν μου, ἐσκέπασέ με ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ τῆς σκῆνης αὐτοῦ· ἐν πέτρᾳ ὕψωσέ με,
"For He has hidden me in His tabernacle in the day of my evils". For He has hidden me in the dispensation of His Incarnate Word in the time of temptations, to which my mortal life is exposed. "He has protected me in the secret place of His tabernacle." He has protected me, with the heart believing unto righteousness.
And now, behold, he has lifted up my head over mine enemies: I went round and offered in his tabernacle the sacrifice of joy; I will sing, even sing psalms to the Lord.
καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ὕψωσε τὴν κεφαλήν μου ἐπʼ ἐχθρούς μου· ἐκύκλωσα καὶ ἔθυσα ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ αὐτοῦ θυσίαν ἀλαλαγμοῦ, ᾄσομαι καὶ ψαλῶ τῷ Κυρίῳ·
"On a rock has He exalted me." And that what I believed might be made manifest for salvation, He has made my confession to be conspicuous in His own strength. "And now, lo! He has exalted mine head above mine enemies". What does He reserve for me at the last, when even now the body is dead because of sin, lo! I feel…
Hear, O Lord, my voice which I have uttered aloud: Pity me, and hearken to me.
Εἰσάκουσον, Κύριε, τῆς φωνῆς μου ἧς ἐκέκραξα, ἐλέησόν με, καὶ εἰσάκουσόν μου.
"Hear my voice, O Lord, wherewith I have cried unto You". Hear, Lord, my interior voice, which with a strong intention I have addressed to Your ears. "Have mercy upon me, and hear me." Have mercy upon me, and hear me therein.
My heart said to thee, I have diligently sought thy face: Thy face, O Lord, I will seek.
Σοὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου, ἐξεζήτησα τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου Κύριε ζητήσω.
"My heart has said to You, I have sought Your countenance". For I have not exhibited myself to men; but in secret, where Thou alone hear, my heart has said to You; I have not sought from You anything without You as a reward, but Your countenance. "Your countenance, O Lord, will I seek." In thus search will I…
Turn not thy face away from me, Turn not thou away from thy servant in anger: Be thou my helper, forsake me not; And, O God my Savior, overlook me not.
Μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, μὴ ἐκκλίνῃς ἐν ὀργῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ δούλου σου· βοηθός μου γενοῦ, μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς με, καὶ μὴ ὑπερίδῃς με ὁ Θεὸς ὁ σωτήρ μου.
"Turn not away Your face from me": that I may find what I seek. "Turn not aside in anger from Your servant:" lest, while seeking You, I fall in with somewhat else. For what is more grievous than this punishment to one who loves and seeks the truth of Your countenance? "Be Thou my Helper." How shall I find it, if Thou…
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord has taken me to himself.
Ὅτι ὁ πατήρ μου καὶ ἡ μήτηρ μου ἐγκατέλιπόν με, ὁ δὲ Κύριος προσελάβετό με.
Teach me, O Lord, in thy way, And guide me in a right path, because of mine enemies.
Νομοθέτησόν με, Κύριε, ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ σου, καὶ ὁδήγησόν με ἐν τρίβῳ εὐθείᾳ ἕνεκα τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου.
"Appoint me a law, O Lord, in Your way". For me then who am setting out toward You, and commenting so great a profession, of arriving at wisdom, from fear, appoint, O Lord, a law in Your way, lest in my wandering Your rule abandon me. "And direct me in the right path because of mine enemies." And direct me in the…
Deliver me not over to the desire of them that afflict me; For unjust witnesses have risen up against me, And injustice has lied within herself.
Μὴ παραδῷς με εἰς ψυχὰς θλιβόντων με, ὅτι ἐπανέστησάν μοι μάρτυρες ἄδικοι, καὶ ἐψεύσατο ἡ ἀδικία ἑαυτῇ.
"Deliver me not up unto the souls of them that trouble me". Suffer not them that trouble me to be satiated with my evils. "For unrighteous witnesses have risen up against me." For there have risen up against me they that speak falsely of me, to remove and call me back from You, as if I seek glory of men. "And iniquity…
"I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living". And since my Lord has first suffered these things, if I too despise the tongues of the dying ("for the mouth that lies slays the soul" [Wisdom 1:11]), I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living, where there is no…
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