The Lord Is My Shepherd

In the King James Version of the Bible, Isaiah 43:2-3 reads, "'When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour . . .'" American poet Emily Dickinson, as if quoting the Lord, once wrote, "'Though thou walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will be with thee.'" In the King James Version of the Bible, Psalm 23, a Psalm of David, reads:

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 leadeth me in the paths of righteousness 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 anointest my head with oil;

my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

"The Lord Is My Shepherd" : The King James Bible

"'Though thou walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,

I will be with thee.'"

So wrote American poet Emily Dickinson (1830-1886),

as if she were quoting the Lord, "my shepherd."

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

A Psalm of David

from the Bible: Psalm 23 (King James Version)

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 leadeth me in the paths of righteousness

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 anointest my head with oil;

My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life:

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

For ever.

"Psalm 23" by Robert Alter : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem, a Psalm of David: Psalm 23 by Robert Alter : The Poetry Foundation

Robert Alter

(Photo by Peg Skorpinski)