Psalms 26

1 A psalm of David. Defend me, O Lord, for my walk has been blameless; in the Lord have I trusted unswervingly:

David’s. Do me justice, O Yahweh, For, I, in my blamelessness, have walked, and, in Yahweh, have I trusted, I will not waver.

2 Examine me, Lord, and test me; test my heart and my mind.

Try me, O Yahweh, and prove me, Test my reins and my heart: —

3 For your love is before my eyes, and your faithfulness governs my way.

For, thy lovingkindness, hath been before mine eyes, and I have walked to and fro in thy faithfulness;

4 I never sat down with the worthless, nor companied with dissemblers.

I have not sat with men of deceit, nor, with dissemblers, would I enter;

5 I hate the assembly of knaves, I would never sit down with the wicked;

I have hated the convocation of evil-doers, and, with lawless men, would I not sit;

6 but, with hands washed in innocence, I would march round your altar, O Lord,

I will bathe, in pureness, my hands, —so will I go in procession around thine altar, O Yahweh;

7 singing loud songs of thanks, and telling of all your wonders.

To sound aloud a song, and to recount all thy wonderful doings.

8 O Lord, I love your house, the place where your glory lives.

O Yahweh, I have loved the asylum of thy house, even the place of the habitation of thy glory!

9 Do not gather me up with sinners; slay me not with people of blood,

Do not remove, with sinners, my soul, nor, with men of bloodshed, my life;

10 whose hands are stained with villainy, and whose right hand is filled with bribes.

In whose hands is a plot, and, their right hand, is filled with a bribe.

11 But my walk is blameless! O redeem me, be gracious to me.

But, I, in my blamelessness, will walk, Redeem me and show me favour.

12 My foot stands on even ground, in the choirs I will bless the Lord.

My foot standeth in a level place, In the convocations, will I bless Yahweh.