23
God looks after me properly
This is one of David’s songs for God.
1 God looks after me properly,
he gives me everything that I need.
You know about people that properly look after sheep all the time, called shepherds.
Well, God looks after me like that.
He is a good shepherd for me.
2 God gives me a good place to rest,
just like a shepherd finds a good place for his sheep to rest,
a place where there is green grass for them to eat
and clean water for them to drink.
3 When I get tired, God makes me feel good and strong again.
He leads me on the right track,
so that people will know that he is good.
4 You know, God is with me when I have trouble too.
Sometimes I have a lot of trouble,
and I feel like I am walking in a really dark valley, and something might kill me,
but even then, God is with me.
I will not be frightened at that time.
I know that God is stopping my enemies from hurting me,
just like a shepherd uses his stick and stops wild dogs from hurting his sheep.
When I remember that he does that,
I feel safe.
5 God does good things for me even when people are giving me trouble,
and he makes my enemies watch him do those good things.
It is like I am a visitor at his house,
and he cooks a big dinner for me,
and I sit down and eat it.
And he makes my enemies watch me eat it.
It is like he fills my cup with good drink,
right to the top.
And it is like he shows everyone that I am his friend,
by putting olive oil on my head.
6 I am sure that God will always love me,
he will be good to me all of my life.
And I will always be in God’s house,
and I will respect him properly for ever.