The Lord my pasture shall
And feed me with a shepherd's care;
His presence shall my wants
And guard me with a watchful eye;
My noonday walks He shall
And all my midnight hours defend.
When in the sultry glebe I
Or on the thirsty mountain pant,
To fertile vales and dewy
My weary, wandering steps He leads,
Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow,
Amid the verdant landscape flow.
Though in a bare and rugged way,
Through devious lonely wilds,
I stray,
Thy bounty shall my pains beguile;
The barren wilderness shall smile,
With sudden greens and herbage crowned,
And streams shall murmur all around.
Though in the paths of death I tread,
With gloomy horrors overspread,
My steadfast heart shall fear no ill,
For Thou,
O Lord, art with me still;
Thy friendly crook shall give me
And guide me through the dreadful shade.