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This is a song that David wrote.

The great King[a]

24 The whole earth belongs to the Lord.
Everybody who lives in the world
    and all the things in it belong to him.
The Lord built the foundation of the earth.
    He built it on the seas and the rivers.[b]

Who may climb up the hill of the Lord?[c]
    Who can stand in his holy place?[d]
Only the person who does what is right,
    and who has pure thoughts.
He does not worship idols
    and he does not make false promises.
The Lord will bless people who are like that.
God will save them.
    He will say that they are not guilty of wrong things.
People like that come to God.
    They want to please him.
They like to pray to the God of Jacob.
Selah.
Old gates of the city, wake up!
    Open now, to leave a wide path!
Then the great king will come in.
Who is this great king?
He is the Lord,
    who is strong and powerful.
He is the Lord,
    who wins against his enemies.
Be ready, you old gates of the city!
    Be ready to open wide!
Then the great king will come in.
10 Who is this great king?
He is the Almighty Lord.
Yes, he is the great king!
Selah.

Footnotes

  1. 24:1 Jerusalem was a very old city, even when David was king there. David brought the Covenant Box into Jerusalem. See 2 Samuel 6:12-17.
  2. 24:2 God made everything. First he made the seas. Then he made the dry land. He made the dry land become separate from the water of the seas and the rivers.
  3. 24:3 The hill of the Lord is Mount Zion. After David died, King Solomon built God's temple on this hill in Jerusalem.
  4. 24:3 God's holy place was in the tent where the Covenant Box was. Later, it was in the temple.

Psalm 24

Of David. A psalm.

The earth is the Lord’s,(A) and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it;(B)
for he founded it on the seas
    and established it on the waters.(C)

Who may ascend the mountain(D) of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?(E)
The one who has clean hands(F) and a pure heart,(G)
    who does not trust in an idol(H)
    or swear by a false god.[a]

They will receive blessing(I) from the Lord
    and vindication(J) from God their Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek your face,(K) God of Jacob.[b][c]

Lift up your heads, you gates;(L)
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the King(M) of glory(N) may come in.(O)
Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord strong and mighty,(P)
    the Lord mighty in battle.(Q)
Lift up your heads, you gates;
    lift them up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
    The Lord Almighty(R)
    he is the King of glory.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 24:4 Or swear falsely
  2. Psalm 24:6 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts face, Jacob
  3. Psalm 24:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 10.