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.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
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.
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Psalm 62
My soul in silence waits for God alone,
For it is from him that comes my salvation.
For only he is my rock and my savior,
My fortress from which I cannot be moved.
How long will you plot a man’s destruction,
Will you then topple him as if he were
A leaning wall or a tottering fence?
They do plan to topple me from my high place.
They find delight in telling lies about me.
With their mouths they bless, but inwardly they curse.
For God alone my soul waits in silence,
And it is in him that I place my hopes,
For only he is my rock and my savior,
My fortress from which I cannot be moved.
Upon God rests my salvation and glory;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people.
Confide in him, for God is our haven.
Those of low degree are but a puff of wind,
While those of high estate are full of lies.
Weighed on a scale, together they are nothing,
Together they are lighter than a breath.
Do not rely upon extortion
Or count on stealing to make you rich;
If your wealth does accumulate,
Don’t let it occupy your mind.
God has spoken once and twice have I heard it,
“Power belongs to God and to Jehovah
Is a faithful love that recompenses
Each man according to the work he has done.”
For it is from him that comes my salvation.
For only he is my rock and my savior,
My fortress from which I cannot be moved.
How long will you plot a man’s destruction,
Will you then topple him as if he were
A leaning wall or a tottering fence?
They do plan to topple me from my high place.
They find delight in telling lies about me.
With their mouths they bless, but inwardly they curse.
For God alone my soul waits in silence,
And it is in him that I place my hopes,
For only he is my rock and my savior,
My fortress from which I cannot be moved.
Upon God rests my salvation and glory;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people.
Confide in him, for God is our haven.
Those of low degree are but a puff of wind,
While those of high estate are full of lies.
Weighed on a scale, together they are nothing,
Together they are lighter than a breath.
Do not rely upon extortion
Or count on stealing to make you rich;
If your wealth does accumulate,
Don’t let it occupy your mind.
God has spoken once and twice have I heard it,
“Power belongs to God and to Jehovah
Is a faithful love that recompenses
Each man according to the work he has done.”
Psalm 61
Hear my plea, O God! Heed my prayer.
I call you from the ends of the earth
As my heart gives way to despair.
Lead me to the rock higher than me,
For you have been my refuge,
A tower of strength against the foe.
I will dwell in your tent forever,
Safe beneath the shelter of your wings.
For you have heard my promises, O God,
And to me have you given the heritage
That belongs to those who revere your name.
May days be added to the life of the king;
May his years be many generations.
May he be enthroned before God forever
And may your love and faithfulness preserve him.
Then I will ever sing praises to your name,
And I will always fulfill my daily vows.
I call you from the ends of the earth
As my heart gives way to despair.
Lead me to the rock higher than me,
For you have been my refuge,
A tower of strength against the foe.
I will dwell in your tent forever,
Safe beneath the shelter of your wings.
For you have heard my promises, O God,
And to me have you given the heritage
That belongs to those who revere your name.
May days be added to the life of the king;
May his years be many generations.
May he be enthroned before God forever
And may your love and faithfulness preserve him.
Then I will ever sing praises to your name,
And I will always fulfill my daily vows.
Monday, July 10, 2017
Psalm 60
(Composed by David when he was engaged in battle with Aramites of Mesopotamia and Syria, and when Joab [David’s nephew and commander of his army] counterattacked and killed 12,000 Edomites in the the Valley of Salt)
O God, you have rejected us,
You have broken down our defenses,
And you have been angry with us;
Now restore us to your favor.
You have shaken the land and split it open.
Seal its cracks, for it is falling apart.
You have made your people suffer hard times;
You have made us drink wine that makes us stagger.
But for those that hold you in reverence
You have flown the flag in the fore of the fray.
That those whom you love may be delivered,
Answer us and save us with your power.
God has spoken from his sanctuary,
“In my triumph I will divide Shechem
And portion out the Valley of Succoth.
Gilead is mine and Manasseh as well.
Ephraim is the helmet for my head,
And Judah, with his scepter, my lawgiver.
Moab is my washbasin and Edom,
I will stand upon to undo my sandals.
Over Philistia I will triumph.”
Who will lead me to the fortified city?
Who is it that will guide me into Edom?
Is it that you have rejected us, O God?
Do you no longer march with our armies?
Give us succor against our enemies,
For the aid of mortals is of no avail.
With the power of God we will conquer:
He will trample down out adversaries!
O God, you have rejected us,
You have broken down our defenses,
And you have been angry with us;
Now restore us to your favor.
You have shaken the land and split it open.
Seal its cracks, for it is falling apart.
You have made your people suffer hard times;
You have made us drink wine that makes us stagger.
But for those that hold you in reverence
You have flown the flag in the fore of the fray.
That those whom you love may be delivered,
Answer us and save us with your power.
God has spoken from his sanctuary,
“In my triumph I will divide Shechem
And portion out the Valley of Succoth.
Gilead is mine and Manasseh as well.
Ephraim is the helmet for my head,
And Judah, with his scepter, my lawgiver.
Moab is my washbasin and Edom,
I will stand upon to undo my sandals.
Over Philistia I will triumph.”
Who will lead me to the fortified city?
Who is it that will guide me into Edom?
Is it that you have rejected us, O God?
Do you no longer march with our armies?
Give us succor against our enemies,
For the aid of mortals is of no avail.
With the power of God we will conquer:
He will trample down out adversaries!
Psalm 59
(Composed by David when Saul sent men to watch David’s house with the intention of killing him)
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God,
Set me safely above those who attack me.
Deliver me from these evildoers
And save me from those who would shed my blood.
See how they have set an ambush for me!
Ruthless men have attacked me, O Jehovah,
But not for any offense or sin of mine.
Indeed I have done nothing wrong,
But they are poised to assault me.
Awaken and come to my aid!
See what is happening to me.
You, Jehovah, warrior god,
God of Israel, arouse yourself
And punish the heathen nations;
Do not spare these wicked traitors.
They come out at night, howling like dogs,
Prowling the streets of the city.
Listen to what spews from their mouths,
Like swords are the words from their lips,
And they ask, “Who is it that hears us?”
But you, Jehovah, laugh at them
And mock all these heathen nations.
You are my strength; I will wait for you,
For you, O God, are my fortress.
The god who loves me faithfully
Will stand with me, enabling me
To look down upon my enemies.
However, do not kill them or else
My people may forget about them.
With your power scatter them instead
And lay them low, Jehovah, our shield.
For the sinful words of their mouth
And for the evil on their lips,
Let them be trapped by their arrogance --
For they utter curses and lies.
Exterminate them in your wrath
Consume them till they are no more.
Let it be known throughout the world
That it is God who rules Jacob.
They come out at night, howling like dogs,
Prowling the streets of the city.
Up and down they scavenge for food
But growl when they are unsatisfied.
But as for me, I sing of your might.
Every morning I sing with joy
Of your steadfast love and kindness,
For you are my towered fortress,
My refuge in times of trouble.
I sing praises to you, my strength,
For my stronghold is you, O God,
Who gives me his kindness and mercy.
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God,
Set me safely above those who attack me.
Deliver me from these evildoers
And save me from those who would shed my blood.
See how they have set an ambush for me!
Ruthless men have attacked me, O Jehovah,
But not for any offense or sin of mine.
Indeed I have done nothing wrong,
But they are poised to assault me.
Awaken and come to my aid!
See what is happening to me.
You, Jehovah, warrior god,
God of Israel, arouse yourself
And punish the heathen nations;
Do not spare these wicked traitors.
They come out at night, howling like dogs,
Prowling the streets of the city.
Listen to what spews from their mouths,
Like swords are the words from their lips,
And they ask, “Who is it that hears us?”
But you, Jehovah, laugh at them
And mock all these heathen nations.
You are my strength; I will wait for you,
For you, O God, are my fortress.
The god who loves me faithfully
Will stand with me, enabling me
To look down upon my enemies.
However, do not kill them or else
My people may forget about them.
With your power scatter them instead
And lay them low, Jehovah, our shield.
For the sinful words of their mouth
And for the evil on their lips,
Let them be trapped by their arrogance --
For they utter curses and lies.
Exterminate them in your wrath
Consume them till they are no more.
Let it be known throughout the world
That it is God who rules Jacob.
They come out at night, howling like dogs,
Prowling the streets of the city.
Up and down they scavenge for food
But growl when they are unsatisfied.
But as for me, I sing of your might.
Every morning I sing with joy
Of your steadfast love and kindness,
For you are my towered fortress,
My refuge in times of trouble.
I sing praises to you, my strength,
For my stronghold is you, O God,
Who gives me his kindness and mercy.
Monday, June 26, 2017
Psalm 58
How can you, when dumb, speak justly?
Do you judge people with fairness?
No, in your heart you practice injustice,
And your hands spread violence across the land.
In the womb the wicked will go astray,
And at birth pursue error and falsehood.
Their poison is like the viper’s venom;
They are a cobra that has stopped its ears
And will not heed the tune of the charmer,
However cunning the enchanter be.
O God, knock their teeth out of their mouths!
Pull out the fangs of the young lions,
O Jehovah, let them disappear
Like water poured on the thirsty ground.
Let their arrows, when shot, be blunted.
Let them be like slugs that melt away,
Like a mother’s miscarried child
That will never see the light of day.
Before your pots will feel the heat
Of the thorns, he will sweep them away,
Whether they be green or burning.
The righteous will rejoice when they see
Vengeance meted out and, they will bathe
Their feet in the blood of the wicked.
Then the people will declare, “Indeed,
There is a reward for the righteous.
And, verily, there is a God
Who dispense justice here on earth."
Do you judge people with fairness?
No, in your heart you practice injustice,
And your hands spread violence across the land.
In the womb the wicked will go astray,
And at birth pursue error and falsehood.
Their poison is like the viper’s venom;
They are a cobra that has stopped its ears
And will not heed the tune of the charmer,
However cunning the enchanter be.
O God, knock their teeth out of their mouths!
Pull out the fangs of the young lions,
O Jehovah, let them disappear
Like water poured on the thirsty ground.
Let their arrows, when shot, be blunted.
Let them be like slugs that melt away,
Like a mother’s miscarried child
That will never see the light of day.
Before your pots will feel the heat
Of the thorns, he will sweep them away,
Whether they be green or burning.
The righteous will rejoice when they see
Vengeance meted out and, they will bathe
Their feet in the blood of the wicked.
Then the people will declare, “Indeed,
There is a reward for the righteous.
And, verily, there is a God
Who dispense justice here on earth."
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