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Psalm 23 Audio

Psalm 23 is the shepherd psalm: six verses in which God provides, leads, walks with the speaker through the darkest valley, and finally sets a table for them. It takes under a minute to read aloud.

6 verses

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Psalm 23 — full text

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  1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.
  2. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
  3. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
  4. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
  5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.
  6. Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the LORD’s house forever.

World English Bible (WEB) — public domain. The reading follows this text word for word.

What Psalm 23 is saying

Two pictures carry the psalm. For four verses God is a shepherd — pasture, water, path, rod and staff. Then in verse 5 the image changes completely: God becomes a host, laying a table and filling a cup, in front of enemies rather than away from them.

The hinge is verse 4, where the speaker stops talking about God and starts talking to him. "You are with me" is the middle of the psalm in more than one sense.

When people reach for it

Psalm 23 is read at funerals, in hospitals and at bedsides more than any other chapter. It is short enough to hear twice in two minutes, which is part of why it is used as a settling psalm at night.

Common questions

What is Psalm 23 about?

Psalm 23 uses two pictures of God: a shepherd who provides pasture, water and a safe path, and then from verse 5 a host who lays a table and fills a cup. The centre of the psalm is verse 4, where the speaker turns from talking about God to talking to him.

How long does it take to listen to Psalm 23?

Under a minute. It is six verses.

Which translation is this audio?

The World English Bible (WEB), a modern public-domain translation. The text on this page matches the reading word for word.

What does "the valley of the shadow of death" mean?

The Hebrew describes deep darkness rather than dying specifically. The psalm does not promise the valley is avoided — it says the speaker walks through it, and is accompanied.

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