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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 25

Psalm 25 is read especially through the theme of mercy & forgiveness, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

Mercy & ForgivenessTrust & RefugeLament
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 25

1By David. To you, LORD, I lift up my soul.

2My God, I have trusted in you. Don’t let me be shamed. Don’t let my enemies triumph over me.

3Yes, no one who waits for you will be shamed. They will be shamed who deal treacherously without cause.

4Show me your ways, LORD. Teach me your paths.

5Guide me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. I wait for you all day long.

6LORD, remember your tender mercies and your loving kindness, for they are from old times.

7Don’t remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Remember me according to your loving kindness, for your goodness’ sake, LORD.

8Good and upright is the LORD, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way.

9He will guide the humble in justice. He will teach the humble his way.

10All the paths of the LORD are loving kindness and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

11For your name’s sake, LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12What man is he who fears the LORD? He shall instruct him in the way that he shall choose.

13His soul will dwell at ease. His offspring will inherit the land.

14The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him. He will show them his covenant.

15My eyes are ever on the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

16Turn to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted.

17The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh bring me out of my distresses.

18Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins.

19Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred.

20Oh keep my soul, and deliver me. Let me not be disappointed, for I take refuge in you.

21Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.

22God, redeem Israel out of all his troubles.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 25

Psalm 25 is read especially through the theme of mercy & forgiveness, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book I (Psalms 1–41). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Mercy & Forgiveness, Trust & Refuge, Lament. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 25

Psalm 25 contains 22 verses and about 324 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “By David. To you, LORD, I lift up my soul.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 22 closes: “God, redeem Israel out of all his troubles.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, soul, don’t, shamed, teach, remember. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 25

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 25:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes mercy & forgiveness, with related themes of Mercy & Forgiveness, Trust & Refuge, Lament. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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