A manual of the book of Psalms · Martin Luther
PSALM XXV.
_David’s confidence in prayer.—He prayeth for remission of sins, and for help in affliction._ A Psalm of David. Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed; let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou _art_ the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies, and thy loving-kindnesses; for they _have been_ ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me, for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD. Good and upright _is_ the LORD; therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD _are_ mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it _is_ great. What man _is_ he that feareth the LORD? Him shall he teach in the way _that_ he shall choose; His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
The secret of the LORD _is_ with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant. Mine eyes _are_ ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me, for I _am_ desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. Look upon mine affliction, and my pain: and forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. This is a prayer in which the prophet prays, with wonderful fervency of heart, to be strengthened in the faith and in the love of the Word, although he should have on this account great and bitter enemies in the world: that is, that he may not be broken down in mind by the afflictions, nor by the greatness and multiplicity of his own encompassing infirmities when he saw that Epicurean hypocrites despised the true religion and the true word with so much confidence and secure presumption, as if they were things in which it was a disgrace for men of a sound mind and a liberal education to be in the least engaged.
Ah Lord (saith David) preserve and glorify thy name and thy word. Let us (saith he) who are thus derided, spit upon, and, for thy sake, well nigh overwhelmed in the midst of so many afflictions and so many offences, not be confounded, but let us expect thy consolations. Let those haughty hypocrites and despisers be confounded both before God and men, who, on account of their carnal wisdom and powers, and riches, and other things of this world which they admire and value, so despise thy word and thy worship, that they deem it a disgrace to have such things in their thoughts. Our eyes (saith he) are unto thee O Lord? Do thou, if there be any infirmity in us, pardon it. Keep us in the knowledge of thy holy word and of that mystery of thine which is hidden from the world, and stand by us in our great straits and perils. This Psalm belongs to the Second Commandment, and to the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.