The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul; He guideth me in straight paths
for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The Bible’s Book of Psalms is a compilation of 150 hymns attributed to several ancient authors over a period of about a thousand years. Since earliest times it has formed a core component of Jewish and Christian liturgy. This passage is published in Easwaran’s spiritual anthologies, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow” and “Timeless Wisdom.” The audio recording is by Eknath Easwaran.