I don't lack any thing I need.
You settle me in lush, green grass.
You lead me by clear, quiet pools.
You bring me back for Your name's sake
to guide me by Your holy paths.
Although I walk beneath the walls
of death's dark threat, I will not fear
because Your presence keeps me calm.
I trust Your rod and staff to guard.
You feed me in a hostile land
anointing oil pour on my head.
Your blessings overflow my cup.
Your goodness and Your mercy sure
will follow me for all my life.
And I'll return to live always
within Your house forever, Lord.
Notes
- I planned on this adaptation being iambic pentameter, but it fell into iambic octameter.
- This adaptation includes ideas from Kenneth Bailey's The Shepherd Psalm. On this subject I have also read Phillip Keller's A Shepherd Looks at the Twenty-third Psalm and Tim Laniak's Shepherds After My Own Heart. Some ideas come from my own attempts to make the best sense of this ancient prayer.
- What was third person has been changed into second, not least for purposes of prayer.
- I have some reservations about line 11 begin only one line and not two.
- I tried to keep my wording close to normal speech (v. poetic diction). Therefore a lot of lines start with 'You' or 'Your'.
