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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 26

Psalm 26 is read especially through the theme of wisdom, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

WisdomThanksgivingPraise
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 26

1By David. Judge me, LORD, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in the LORD without wavering.

2Examine me, LORD, and prove me. Try my heart and my mind.

3For your loving kindness is before my eyes. I have walked in your truth.

4I have not sat with deceitful men, neither will I go in with hypocrites.

5I hate the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked.

6I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, LORD,

7that I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard and tell of all your wondrous deeds.

8LORD, I love the habitation of your house, the place where your glory dwells.

9Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men

10in whose hands is wickedness; their right hand is full of bribes.

11But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. Redeem me, and be merciful to me.

12My foot stands in an even place. In the congregations I will bless the LORD.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 26

Psalm 26 is read especially through the theme of wisdom, 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

Wisdom, Thanksgiving, Praise. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 26

Psalm 26 contains 12 verses and about 165 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. Judge me, LORD, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in the LORD without wavering.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 12 closes: “My foot stands in an even place. In the congregations I will bless the LORD.” 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, walked, integrity, hands, place, david. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 26

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 26:1—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 wisdom, with related themes of Wisdom, Thanksgiving, Praise. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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