LORD, BE MY SHEPHERD FOREVER
Key verse: 9
NIV
Psalm 28
Of David.
1 To you, Lord, I call;
you are my Rock,
do not turn a deaf ear(A) to me.
For if you remain silent,(B)
I will be like those who go down to the pit.(C)
2 Hear my cry for mercy(D)
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands(E)
toward your Most Holy Place.(F)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.(G)
4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done(H)
and bring back on them what they deserve.(I)
5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
and what his hands have done,(J)
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.
Cross references
- Psalm 28:1 : S Dt 1:45
- Psalm 28:1 : S Est 4:14
- Psalm 28:1 : S Job 33:18
- Psalm 28:2 : Ps 17:1; 61:1; 116:1; 130:2; 142:1; 143:1
- Psalm 28:2 : S Ezr 9:5; Ps 63:4; 141:2; La 2:19; 1Ti 2:8
- Psalm 28:2 : Ps 5:7; 11:4
- Psalm 28:3 : Ps 12:2; S 26:4; 55:21; Jer 9:8
- Psalm 28:4 : Ps 62:12; 2Ti 4:14; Rev 22:12
- Psalm 28:4 : La 3:64; Rev 18:6
- Psalm 28:5 : Isa 5:12
- Psalm 28:6 : S Ge 24:27; 2Co 1:3; Eph 1:3; 1Pe 1:3
- Psalm 28:6 : ver 2
- Psalm 28:7 : S Ps 18:1
- Psalm 28:7 : Ps 13:5; 112:7; Isa 26:3
- Psalm 28:7 : S Dt 16:15; S Ps 16:9
- Psalm 28:7 : Ps 33:3; 40:3; 69:30; 144:9; 149:1
- Psalm 28:8 : Ps 18:1
- Psalm 28:8 : S Ex 15:2; Ps 27:1; Hab 3:13
- Psalm 28:8 : S Ps 20:6
- Psalm 28:9 : 1Ch 16:35; Ps 106:47; 118:25
- Psalm 28:9 : S Ex 34:9
- Psalm 28:9 : 1Ch 11:2; S Ps 23:1; 78:52, 71; 80:1; Isa 40:11; Jer 31:10; Eze 34:12-16, 23, 31; Mic 7:14
- Psalm 28:9 : S Dt 1:31; 32:11; Isa 46:3; 63:9
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
The Lord Is My Strength and My Shield
Of David.28 To you, O Lord, I call;
(A)my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you (B)be silent to me,
I become like those who (C)go down to the pit.
2 (D)Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to you for help,
when I (E)lift up my hands
(F)toward your most holy sanctuary.[a]
3 Do not (G)drag me off with the wicked,
with the workers of evil,
(H)who speak peace with their neighbors
while evil is in their hearts.
4 (I)Give to them according to their work
and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
(J)render them their due reward.
5 Because they (K)do not regard the works of the Lord
or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the Lord!
For he has (L)heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and (M)my shield;
in him my heart (N)trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my (O)song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;[b]
he is (P)the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless (Q)your heritage!
(R)Be their shepherd and (S)carry them forever.
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Footnotes
- Psalm 28:2 Hebrew your innermost sanctuary
- Psalm 28:8 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts is their strength
Cross references
- Psalm 28:1 : See Ps. 18:2
- Psalm 28:1 : Ps. 35:22; 39:12; 83:1; 109:1
- Psalm 28:1 : Ps. 88:4; 143:7
- Psalm 28:2 : Ps. 140:6
- Psalm 28:2 : Ps. 134:2; 141:2; Lam. 2:19; 1 Tim. 2:8; [Ps. 119:48]
- Psalm 28:2 : Ps. 5:7; 138:2; [1 Kgs. 8:29]
- Psalm 28:3 : [Ps. 26:9; Ezek. 32:20]
- Psalm 28:3 : Jer. 9:8; [Ps. 5:9; 12:2; 55:21; 62:4]
- Psalm 28:4 : Jer. 50:15, 29; Rev. 18:6; [2 Tim. 4:14]
- Psalm 28:4 : [Ps. 137:8]
- Psalm 28:5 : Isa. 5:12; [Job 34:27]
- Psalm 28:6 : ver. 2
- Psalm 28:7 : See Ps. 3:3
- Psalm 28:7 : See Ps. 11:1
- Psalm 28:7 : Ps. 69:30
- Psalm 28:8 : Ps. 140:7; [Ps. 20:6]
- Psalm 28:9 : Deut. 9:29; 32:9
- Psalm 28:9 : Ps. 78:71, 72
- Psalm 28:9 : Isa. 40:11; 46:3; 63:9
28 To you, O Lord, I call;
(A)my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you (B)be silent to me,
I become like those who (C)go down to the pit.
2 (D)Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to you for help,
when I (E)lift up my hands
(F)toward your most holy sanctuary.[a]
3 Do not (G)drag me off with the wicked,
with the workers of evil,
(H)who speak peace with their neighbors
while evil is in their hearts.
4 (I)Give to them according to their work
and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
(J)render them their due reward.
5 Because they (K)do not regard the works of the Lord
or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the Lord!
For he has (L)heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and (M)my shield;
in him my heart (N)trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my (O)song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;[b]
he is (P)the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless (Q)your heritage!
(R)Be their shepherd and (S)carry them forever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 28:2 Hebrew your innermost sanctuary
- Psalm 28:8 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts is their strength
Cross references
- Psalm 28:1 : See Ps. 18:2
- Psalm 28:1 : Ps. 35:22; 39:12; 83:1; 109:1
- Psalm 28:1 : Ps. 88:4; 143:7
- Psalm 28:2 : Ps. 140:6
- Psalm 28:2 : Ps. 134:2; 141:2; Lam. 2:19; 1 Tim. 2:8; [Ps. 119:48]
- Psalm 28:2 : Ps. 5:7; 138:2; [1 Kgs. 8:29]
- Psalm 28:3 : [Ps. 26:9; Ezek. 32:20]
- Psalm 28:3 : Jer. 9:8; [Ps. 5:9; 12:2; 55:21; 62:4]
- Psalm 28:4 : Jer. 50:15, 29; Rev. 18:6; [2 Tim. 4:14]
- Psalm 28:4 : [Ps. 137:8]
- Psalm 28:5 : Isa. 5:12; [Job 34:27]
- Psalm 28:6 : ver. 2
- Psalm 28:7 : See Ps. 3:3
- Psalm 28:7 : See Ps. 11:1
- Psalm 28:7 : Ps. 69:30
- Psalm 28:8 : Ps. 140:7; [Ps. 20:6]
- Psalm 28:9 : Deut. 9:29; 32:9
- Psalm 28:9 : Ps. 78:71, 72
- Psalm 28:9 : Isa. 40:11; 46:3; 63:9
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. To you I call, O Lord (1-5)
The psalmist cries out to God for mercy. He has suffered enough from smooth-talking people whose hearts are full of malice. He does not fight with them any more; he prays for himself and asks God to deal with such people. When he began to do this, he realized that the root problem of such people is that they do not recognize or respect the work of God. Godless people who do their own thing and despise God's work will be torn down, never to be rebuilt.
2. The Lord is my strength and shield (6-9)
Praise God who hears our prayers. He always hears a plea for mercy. When my heart trusts in him, I am helped. The Lord is the strength of his people and a fortress for his flock. He is our shepherd who saves his people and blesses his inheritance forever.
Prayer: Lord, in times of deep distress, teach my heart to trust in you. You are my shepherd forever.
One Word: A heart that trusts in the Lord
