Psalms 84

How lovely is your dwelling place

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.a ²I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.b ³Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!c

⁴What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises. Interluded ⁵What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.e ⁶When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.f

⁷They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.g ⁸O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude ⁹O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield! Show favor to the one you have anointed.

¹⁰A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.h ¹¹For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.i ¹²O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.j