Psalm 26 - Judge Me, O LORD

A plea for God to test the heart and vindicate a life walked in integrity.

Psalm 26: Judge Me, O LORD

Psalm 26 opens with David asking the LORD to judge and examine him, confident he has walked in integrity and trusted in God, one of several trust-themed prayers gathered in this Psalms overview. He insists he has avoided vain persons, dissemblers, and the congregation of evildoers.


A Psalme of David. Judge me, O Lord, for I haue walked in mine innocency: my trust hath bene also in the Lord: therefore shall I not slide.

Proue me, O Lord, and trie mee: examine my reines, and mine heart.

For thy louing kindnesse is before mine eyes: therefore haue I walked in thy trueth.

I haue not hanted with vaine persons, neither kept companie with the dissemblers.

I haue hated the assemblie of the euill, and haue not companied with the wicked.

I will wash mine handes in innocencie, O Lord, and compasse thine altar,

That I may declare with the voyce of thankesgiuing, and set foorth all thy wonderous woorkes.

O Lord, I haue loued the habitation of thine house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

Gather not my soule with the sinners, nor my life with the bloodie men:

In whose handes is wickednes, and their right hand is full of bribes.

But I will walke in mine innocencie: redeeme me therefore, and be mercifull vnto me.

My foote standeth in vprightnesse: I will praise thee, O Lord, in the Congregations.

He describes washing his hands in innocency and compassing God's altar with thanksgiving, showing a love for "the habitation of thy house." This self-examination follows <a href="/bible/geneva1599/psalms/chapter-25">Psalms 25</a> and pairs with <a href="/bible/geneva1599/psalms/chapter-139/23">Psalms 139:23-24</a>; next comes <a href="/bible/geneva1599/psalms/chapter-27">Psalms 27</a>.