Let God rise up and scatter his enemies;
Let those who hate him flee from his presence.
Disperse them as wind blows away the smoke.
As the melting of wax before a fire,
The wicked perish in the presence of God.
But the righteous are gladdened and rejoice
Before God. Let them celebrate with joy!
Sing out to God; sing praises to his name.
Extol the one who rides upon the clouds.
His name is Jehovah. Exult before him.
A fatherless to the fatherless,
And a protector of widows,
Is God in his holy dwelling.
God makes a home for those who are lonely;
He frees prisoners and makes them prosper,
But the defiant live in a sun-baked land.
When you were at the head of your people
And marched with them through the desert, O God,
The earth quaked and the heavens poured down rain,
Before God, (the god that made Sinai tremble),
Before the presence of Israel’s god.
You sent down rain in abundance, O God,
To refresh your worn-out inheritance.
You settled our people on it, O God,
And your bounty provided for the poor.
It is Jehovah who proclaims the message
And the ones who spread it is a multitude.
The marshals of armies take flight and flee,
While the women at home divide the spoils.
Even those who live amid the sheep pens
Are as doves whose wings are sheathed in silver
And whose pinions are of glittering gold.
When the Almighty did scatter the kings,
It was like the snow blowing off Mount Zalmon.
The mount of God is the mount of Bashan;
The mount of peaks is the mount of Bashan.
Why do you, O mount of peaks, gaze with envy,
At the mount where God has chosen to dwell,
Where Jehovah will reside forever?
The chariots of God are numberless,
Thousands upon thousands, and among them
Is Jehovah, from his sanctum in Sinai.
When you ascended the holy mountain
You led slaves whom you’d freed from captivity.
You accepted offerings from your people,
Even from those who had been rebellious,
So Jehovah their god might dwell among them.
Praise be to Jehovah, who, day by day,
Bears our burdens and is our savior god,
For our god is the god of salvation:
Master Jehovah deliveries us from death.
Surely God will surely crush the skulls of his enemies,
Even the hairy scalps of those who persist in sin.
Jehovah declared, “I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the ocean.
And you will dip your feet in your enemy’s blood.
(The tongues of your dogs will lick their share of the blood).
They have witnessed your procession, O God,
That of my god, my king, into the sanctuary.
In the fore are the singers, and then the musicians,
And, with them, young women playing their tambourines.
In the congregation bless God, Jehovah,
Who is the fountainhead of Israel.
Leading them is Benjamin, the youngest,
And among the throng, the princes of Judah.
The princes of Zebulun and Naphtali.
Muster your might, O God, show us the strength,
O God, that you have long used on our behalf.
Because of your temple in Jerusalem,
The kings of the earth will bring you tribute.
Rebuke the wild beasts that dwell in the reeds,
The herd of bulls that lead the people like calves,
Humbled, may they bring silver as tribute.
Disperse the nations that take pleasure in war.
Mighty princes will come out of Egypt;
Cush will reach out in submission to God.
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
Sing praises to Master Jehovah,
He who rides across the heavens,
As he has done from ancient times,
Thundering with a mighty voice.
Recognize the power of God,
His mastery over Israel,
His strength showing itself in the clouds.
God inspires awe from his sanctuary.
To his people the god of Israel
Entrusts power and strength. Thanks be to God!
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Psalm 67
May God be gracious and bless us
And may his face shine upon us,
So those on earth may know his ways
And all the nations find salvation.
Let the people praise you, O God.
Indeed, let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
Because you rule the people with justice
And give guidance to the nations of the earth.
Let the people praise you, O God.
Indeed, let all the peoples praise you!
The land yields its harvest,
And God, our god, blesses us!
God shall indeed bless us
And all the world will fear him.
And may his face shine upon us,
So those on earth may know his ways
And all the nations find salvation.
Let the people praise you, O God.
Indeed, let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
Because you rule the people with justice
And give guidance to the nations of the earth.
Let the people praise you, O God.
Indeed, let all the peoples praise you!
The land yields its harvest,
And God, our god, blesses us!
God shall indeed bless us
And all the world will fear him.
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Psalm 66
May all the world shout out in joy to God.
Sing his glorious name with glorious praise.
Exclaim to God, “How awesome are your deeds.
Your enemies, because of your great power,
Cower in your presence and submit to you.
All the earth worships you and sings your praises;
They shall shout out glorious songs in your name."
Come and behold the wondrous works of God,
His awe-inspiring deeds done for mankind.
He turned the sea to dry land so they might pass
Through the flood on foot — We rejoiced in him then.
By his great power he rules forever
And keeps an eye on the nations of the world.
Let not the rebellious rise up against him!
Let all the people bless our God;
Let the sound of his praise be heard.
He has kept us among the living
And has seen our feet do not slip,
For you, God, has put us to the test
And has refined us like silver.
You had lured us into bondage
And laid heavy burdens on our backs.
You allowed men to rule over us.
You brought us through the fire and flood —
But led us to a land of plenty.
I come to your temple with burnt offerings
So that I might fulfill the vows I made to you,
Vows my lips spoke when I was in distress.
And so I offer fattened animals
As burnt offerings, the aroma of rams,
Bullocks and billy goats as sacrifices.
Come and hear, all who revere God.
I will tell what he has done for me.
From my mouth I cried to him for help.
And his praises were on my tongue.
If I cherished iniquity
And harbored evil in my heart,
Jehovah would not have listened,
But certainly God has heard me
And heeded the voice of my prayer.
Praise to God! He did not reject my prayer
Nor withdraw his merciful love from me.
Sing his glorious name with glorious praise.
Exclaim to God, “How awesome are your deeds.
Your enemies, because of your great power,
Cower in your presence and submit to you.
All the earth worships you and sings your praises;
They shall shout out glorious songs in your name."
Come and behold the wondrous works of God,
His awe-inspiring deeds done for mankind.
He turned the sea to dry land so they might pass
Through the flood on foot — We rejoiced in him then.
By his great power he rules forever
And keeps an eye on the nations of the world.
Let not the rebellious rise up against him!
Let all the people bless our God;
Let the sound of his praise be heard.
He has kept us among the living
And has seen our feet do not slip,
For you, God, has put us to the test
And has refined us like silver.
You had lured us into bondage
And laid heavy burdens on our backs.
You allowed men to rule over us.
You brought us through the fire and flood —
But led us to a land of plenty.
I come to your temple with burnt offerings
So that I might fulfill the vows I made to you,
Vows my lips spoke when I was in distress.
And so I offer fattened animals
As burnt offerings, the aroma of rams,
Bullocks and billy goats as sacrifices.
Come and hear, all who revere God.
I will tell what he has done for me.
From my mouth I cried to him for help.
And his praises were on my tongue.
If I cherished iniquity
And harbored evil in my heart,
Jehovah would not have listened,
But certainly God has heard me
And heeded the voice of my prayer.
Praise to God! He did not reject my prayer
Nor withdraw his merciful love from me.
Psalm 65
What praise awaits you in Zion, O God!
The vows we made to you will be fulfilled.
Hear our prayers and all men will come to you.
We were burdened by our iniquities,
But you atoned for all our transgressions.
Blessed are those that you have chosen,
Those you have invited to live
In the courtyards of your palace.
They will be filled with the bounty
Of your house, your holy temple.
When it is just, you answer our prayers
With wondrous acts, O God, our Savior.
You bring hope to the ends of the earth
And to those beyond the farthest seas.
By your great strength you have raised the mountains.
Possessed with might, you calm the roaring seas,
The crash of waves, the tumult of nations.
From one end of the world to another
People view with awe your miracles.
From where morning dawns to where the sun sets
You elicit cries of jubilation.
You visit and nurture the earth,
You water it and make it fertile.
(The river of God overflows).
In this way you prepare the earth
To provide its people with grain.
You drench with water the plowed furrows
Until it reaches its ridges.
You soften them with showers of rain,
And you bless the sprouts that spring up.
You cap the year with your bounty —
Carts overflowing with the harvest,
The desert grasslands a lush pasture,
And the hillside blossoming with joy.
Meadows covered with flocks of sheep,
And the valleys covered with grain.
They shout in gladness, and, yes, they sing!
The vows we made to you will be fulfilled.
Hear our prayers and all men will come to you.
We were burdened by our iniquities,
But you atoned for all our transgressions.
Blessed are those that you have chosen,
Those you have invited to live
In the courtyards of your palace.
They will be filled with the bounty
Of your house, your holy temple.
When it is just, you answer our prayers
With wondrous acts, O God, our Savior.
You bring hope to the ends of the earth
And to those beyond the farthest seas.
By your great strength you have raised the mountains.
Possessed with might, you calm the roaring seas,
The crash of waves, the tumult of nations.
From one end of the world to another
People view with awe your miracles.
From where morning dawns to where the sun sets
You elicit cries of jubilation.
You visit and nurture the earth,
You water it and make it fertile.
(The river of God overflows).
In this way you prepare the earth
To provide its people with grain.
You drench with water the plowed furrows
Until it reaches its ridges.
You soften them with showers of rain,
And you bless the sprouts that spring up.
You cap the year with your bounty —
Carts overflowing with the harvest,
The desert grasslands a lush pasture,
And the hillside blossoming with joy.
Meadows covered with flocks of sheep,
And the valleys covered with grain.
They shout in gladness, and, yes, they sing!
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Psalm 64
Hear my voice, O God, listen to my supplication:
Protect my life from the threats of the enemy.
Conceal me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the gangs of iniquitous evildoers.
They sharpen their tongues as if they were swords
And aim like arrows their cruel, bitter words.
From ambush they shoot at the innocent,
Without warning or fear of retribution.
Egging each other on in their evil plots,
They share talk of setting their hidden snares
And boast, “Who will be able to detect them?”
They search for the means to commit their crimes
And declare, “We have devised the perfect plan!”
Cunning indeed is the human heart and mind.
But God will shoot them down with his arrows
And in a moment they will be wounded.
He will use their own words to ruin them:
All who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
Alarmed, all will recognize the work of God
And consider how wisely he has acted.
The righteous will rejoice in Jehovah.
And in Jehovah will they take refuge
And all those upright of heart shall glory.
Protect my life from the threats of the enemy.
Conceal me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the gangs of iniquitous evildoers.
They sharpen their tongues as if they were swords
And aim like arrows their cruel, bitter words.
From ambush they shoot at the innocent,
Without warning or fear of retribution.
Egging each other on in their evil plots,
They share talk of setting their hidden snares
And boast, “Who will be able to detect them?”
They search for the means to commit their crimes
And declare, “We have devised the perfect plan!”
Cunning indeed is the human heart and mind.
But God will shoot them down with his arrows
And in a moment they will be wounded.
He will use their own words to ruin them:
All who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
Alarmed, all will recognize the work of God
And consider how wisely he has acted.
The righteous will rejoice in Jehovah.
And in Jehovah will they take refuge
And all those upright of heart shall glory.
Psalm 63
(A psalm written by David when he was in the desert of Judah)
You, O God, are my god. Earnestly do I seek you.
My soul longs for you; my body thirsts for you as if
In a parched and arid land where there is no water.
I’ve seen you in the Sanctuary
And beheld your power and glory.
Better than life is your faithful love,
And so with my lips I praise you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
In your name, lifting my hands in prayer.
You leave my spirit satisfied
Like a rich and fattening feast.
My mouth will praise you with joyous lips.
Lying awake upon my bed,
I remember you and meditate
Through all the hours of the night.
Since you are my help, I rejoice
Beneath the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you; your right hand holds me up.
Those who seek to kill me will be destroyed
And consigned to the very depths of the earth.
They will fall by the power of the sword;
Their corpses will be food for the jackals.
But the king will rejoice in God
And those that trust in him will exult,
For the mouth of liars will be shut.
You, O God, are my god. Earnestly do I seek you.
My soul longs for you; my body thirsts for you as if
In a parched and arid land where there is no water.
I’ve seen you in the Sanctuary
And beheld your power and glory.
Better than life is your faithful love,
And so with my lips I praise you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
In your name, lifting my hands in prayer.
You leave my spirit satisfied
Like a rich and fattening feast.
My mouth will praise you with joyous lips.
Lying awake upon my bed,
I remember you and meditate
Through all the hours of the night.
Since you are my help, I rejoice
Beneath the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you; your right hand holds me up.
Those who seek to kill me will be destroyed
And consigned to the very depths of the earth.
They will fall by the power of the sword;
Their corpses will be food for the jackals.
But the king will rejoice in God
And those that trust in him will exult,
For the mouth of liars will be shut.
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