Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Psalm 14

The immoral do not believe that God exists. ---
Such people are corrupt and commit vile acts;
None of them ever does anything good!

Jehovah looks down from Heaven
To scrutinize the race of men,
To see if any possess wisdom,
To see if any seek out God.

No, all of them have gone astray;
They have all become corrupted.
None of them does anything good,
No, not a single one of them.

Will those who are evil and corrupt ever learn?
Those who consume my people like a piece of bread,
Do they ever call out to Jehovah for help?

The wicked tremble with terror and fright,
For God is on the side of the righteous.
Though the oppressors crush their aspirations,
The oppressed will find refuge in Jehovah.

Would that deliverance and salvation
Come to Israel from the Temple Mount!
When Jehovah will restore his people
And bring them back from their captivity,
How the children of Jacob will rejoice,
And the nation of Israel take delight!

Monday, November 10, 2014

Psalm 13

How long will it be, Jehovah? Forever?
Have long will you forget and ignore me? 
How long must it be that doubt torments my mind
And each day pain and sorrow rend my heart  --
And my enemies triumph over me?

Take heed and respond, Jehovah my god!
Restore to my eyes some glimmer of hope,
Or else they will be shut in the sleep of death.

Let not my enemies gloat and boast,
Claiming, "We have defeated him!"
Let them not rejoice at my downfall.

But I put my trust in your unfailing love,
And in my heart there is a welling of joy
Knowing that my salvation lies with you.

It is thus to Jehovah I sing my prayer
For he bestows his bounty upon me.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Psalm 12

Save us, Jehovah, for godly men are gone,
And the faithful have vanished from the earth.
Men now speak only lies to their neighbors.
Sweet talk and false flattery is on their lips
And they deceive with a duplicitous heart.

May you, Jehovah, still those flattering lips
And silence those boastful tongues that proclaim,
"We, by the words of our tongue, will prevail.
Our lips belong to no one but ourselves.
No master can to tell us what we can say!”

"I will now take action!" cries Jehovah,
"For the downtrodden are sorely oppressed,
And the needy groan in hunger and pain.
I will give them the succor they pray for."

True is the promise of Jehovah,
As true and pure as silver refined
In the fire of an earthen kiln
And purified seven times over.

The human race exalts what is vile,
And the wicked are on every side.
From such a generation of men
You, Jehovah, will protect us
And keep us -- for now and always.