Psaume 23 (by Amanda)

I always took it for granted that I could memorize verses from the Bible after all I have been doing it since I was a child. We were recently challenged by our biblical French teacher to memorize Psalms 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd (in French of course). The first week we started by learning the first two verses. That is where most of us finished. I need to still work on the rest of the passage but I did learn something. If the Bible were not something I grew up hearing and learning, how easy would it be for me to learn verses? I’m not sure it would be as difficult as it is in another language but I think it could be close. Each time I read it over I have to put meaning to the words just so I can remember what comes next. I still will be trying to learn it as the French say “petit a petit”: little by little. Here’s Psaume 23, en français; see if you can memorize it before me:

Psaume 23 -L’Eternel est mon berger

Psaume de David

L’Eternel est mon berger. Je ne manquerai de rien. Grâce à lui, je me repose dans des prairies verdoyantes, et c’est lui qui me conduit au bord des eaux calmes. Il me rend des forces neuves, et, pour l’honneur de son nom, il me mène pas à pas sur le droit chemin. Si je devais traverser la vallée où règnent le ténèbres de la mort, je ne craindrais aucun mal, car tu es auprès de moi : ta houlette me conduit et ton bâton me protège. Pour moi, tu dresses une table aux yeux de mes ennemis, tu oins de parfums ma tête, tu fais déborder ma coupe. Oui, toute ma vie ta bonté et ton amour m’accompagneront et je pourrai retourner au temple de l’Eternel tant que je vivrai.