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My God, my fortress, my light, and salvation,
You’ve left me nothing to be afraid of (v. 1).

Opponents gather, armies camp, war breaks out.
Not afraid, I have confidence in You (vs. 2-3).

One thing I ask: to be with You while I live,
See Your beauty, learn in Your presence (v. 4).

In trouble I’m in Your tent, on Your rock.
You lift up my head to sing with joy (vs. 5-6).

Listen to me, Oh Lord, my voice is loud.
In Your mercy, answer so I can hear (v. 7).

When You told me to seek Your face,
My heart responded, "I will seek" (v. 8).

Now do not hide Your face and shun me in anger.
You are my help; do not abandon me (v. 9).

Maybe my mother and father would abandon me.
In that case You would take me up (v. 10).

Teach me, show me Your way, Oh Lord,
Lead me in an open path, plainly seen (v. 11).

Do not turn me over to their cruel will;
I would faint if I did not believe (vs. 12-13).

I will wait on You and take courage.
You strengthen me while I wait on You (v. 14).

Some scholars believe that some Hebrew poetry was deliberately constructed to make the content in the last half into a mirror image of the first half. This is believed to have been a mnemonic device, a help to the memory, as the material was passed on orally from generation to generation. Scholars have named this construction "chiasm" after a Greek letter which looks like X.

Can you find chiasm in Psalm 27?