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Even if an army encamps against me,
    my heart[a] will not succumb to fear;
even if war breaks out against me,
    I will not have my trust shaken.
There is only one thing I ask of the Lord,
    just one thing I seek:
to dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
so that I may enjoy the beauty of the Lord[b]
    and gaze on his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
    in times of trouble.
He will conceal me under the cover of his tent[c]
    and place me high upon a rock.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 27:3 With the Lord as his stronghold and helper, the psalmist fears nothing—not even an army arrayed against him. So long as this strong union with God remains unbroken, the psalmist is secure. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
  2. Psalm 27:4 Tarrying in the house of the Lord is an expression and sign of spiritual union with God and intimacy with him. Beauty of the Lord: i.e., his goodness (see Ps 90:17).
  3. Psalm 27:5 Shelter . . . tent: references to the sanctuary of Jerusalem (see Rev 7:15f). See also Pss 31:21; 32:7; 61:5; 91:1.