Who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Rests in the shadow of the Almighty.
Concerning Jehovah I will declare:
He is my refuge, he is my fortress,
He is my god, in whom I place my trust.
For he will save you from the fowler’s snare
And from deadly pestilence deliver you.
With his feathers will he give you cover,
And under his wings will you find refuge.
His faithfulness is your shield and protection.
You shall not fear the terrors of the night,
Nor the spears and arrows that fly by day.
You shall not dread the plagues that stalk in darkness
Nor the destruction that devastates at noon.
A thousand men may fall dead at your side
And ten thousand perish at your right hand,
But the danger of death will not come near you.
However, you will see it with your own eyes
And witness the punishment of the wicked.
If you make Jehovah your refuge
And the Most High your habitation,
No misfortune will befall you,
No sickness will come near your home.
For he will command heavenly beings
To guard and protect you in every way.
With their hands they will lift and support you
So that you will not hurt your feet on a stone.
And when you will tread upon the young lion
And the snake, you will trample them under foot.
“Because he has given his love to me
I will save him; because he knows my name
I will exalt him above other men.
When he calls upon me, I will answer;
When he is in trouble, I will be with him.
I will deliver him and honor him.
I will satisfy him with a long life
And bestow upon him my salvation.”
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Psalm 90
Prayer of Moses, The Man of God
O Jehovah, you have been our refuge
From generation to generation.
Before the mountains came into existence
And you brought forth the earth and its people,
Even through eternity, you are God.
You return man to dust just by saying,
“Return to dust, you descendant of Adam!”
For in your eyes a thousand years may go by
And it is but yesterday when it is gone,
Or like the passing of a watch in the night.
People are swept away in the flood, like dreams;
They are as the new grass in the morning:
It springs up at dawn, flourishes and thrives,
But when evening comes, it withers and dies.
Indeed, in your anger are we consumed
And at your indignation do we tremble.
We display our iniquities before you;
Our secret sins come to light in your presence.
For all our days pass by under your wrath
And our years come to an end with a sigh.
Our lifespan comprises seventy years,
And if we be hardy, we may reach eighty,
But longevity is labor in vain,
For the years go swiftly by, we speed away.
Who comprehends the power of your wrath?
(Your wrath is as the reverence due you).
So teach us to mark the passing of years
That we may attain wisdom in our hearts.
Return, Jehovah. How long will it be?
Please have compassion upon your servants.
Make full our mornings with your devotion
That we may rejoice and be glad all the day.
Brighten the times of trouble and sorrow,
Make up for the years of adversity.
May your deeds be revealed to your servants
And your magnificence to their children.
May we know the grace of Jehovah, our god.
Grant us success in our endeavors!
Yes, grant success to our endeavors!
O Jehovah, you have been our refuge
From generation to generation.
Before the mountains came into existence
And you brought forth the earth and its people,
Even through eternity, you are God.
You return man to dust just by saying,
“Return to dust, you descendant of Adam!”
For in your eyes a thousand years may go by
And it is but yesterday when it is gone,
Or like the passing of a watch in the night.
People are swept away in the flood, like dreams;
They are as the new grass in the morning:
It springs up at dawn, flourishes and thrives,
But when evening comes, it withers and dies.
Indeed, in your anger are we consumed
And at your indignation do we tremble.
We display our iniquities before you;
Our secret sins come to light in your presence.
For all our days pass by under your wrath
And our years come to an end with a sigh.
Our lifespan comprises seventy years,
And if we be hardy, we may reach eighty,
But longevity is labor in vain,
For the years go swiftly by, we speed away.
Who comprehends the power of your wrath?
(Your wrath is as the reverence due you).
So teach us to mark the passing of years
That we may attain wisdom in our hearts.
Return, Jehovah. How long will it be?
Please have compassion upon your servants.
Make full our mornings with your devotion
That we may rejoice and be glad all the day.
Brighten the times of trouble and sorrow,
Make up for the years of adversity.
May your deeds be revealed to your servants
And your magnificence to their children.
May we know the grace of Jehovah, our god.
Grant us success in our endeavors!
Yes, grant success to our endeavors!
Psalm 89
A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite
Of your love and of your kindness, Jehovah,
I will sing forever and with my words
Make your loyalty known through the ages.
I declare that your love stands forever firm,
And your faithfulness endures as the heavens.
“With the chosen have I made a covenant;
I have sworn to my servant David,” you said.
“Forever will I perpetuate your line
And support your throne through the generations.”
The heavens will give praise to your wonders,
Jehovah, as well as to your faithfulness
In the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can compare with you,
Jehovah, and who is like Jehovah
Among the sons of heavenly beings,
Revered in the council of the holy ones,
More magnificent than all those about him?
Jehovah, god of heavenly armies,
Who is like you, O mighty Jehovah?
What is like the faithfulness that surrounds you?
You rule over the raging sea,
And when the waves rise up, you still them.
Rahab, the monster of the deep,
Have you crushed and left as one dead,
So with the force of your power
Have you dispersed your enemies.
Heaven is yours and the earth as well.
The habitable globe entire
And all it contains have you founded.
You created the north and the south,
West and east: Mounts Tabor and Hermon
Shout out your name with rejoicing.
Mighty is your arm, strong is your hand.
Lifted up high is your right hand!
It is righteousness and justice that
Are the foundations of your throne.
Love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed the people who acclaim
The joyful sound, “O Jehovah!”
And live in the light of your presence.
All day long they rejoice in your name,
And exult in your righteousness.
For you are their glory and strength,
By your favor our power grows
For our protection, it is sure,
Comes from Jehovah and our king,
The Holy One of Israel.
Once to the faithful you spoke in a vision,
“I have lent my help to a warrior,
Raised up a man chosen from the people.
I have discovered David, my servant,
And have with holy oil anointed him.
With my hand I will surely sustain him
And with my arm will strengthen him as well.
No enemy will exact tribute from him,
Nor will he grovel to a wicked man.
I will crush his enemies before him,
And I will strike down his adversaries.
My love and loyalty will be with him.
In my name his power will be exalted.
I will also establish his dominion
From the sea to the rivers of the east.
He will call out to me, ‘You are my father,
My god, and the rock of my salvation.’
I will regard him as my first-born son,
The most exalted of the kings on earth.
My kindness to him will last forever
And I will keep with him my covenant.
I will establish his line forever;
His throne will last as long as the heavens.
If his descendants abandon my laws
And do not live by my regulations,
Indeed, if they dishonor my decrees
And do not adhere to my commandments,
I will punish their transgressions with the rod
And their disobedience with floggings,
But I will not withdraw my love from him,
Nor ever my betray my fidelity.
I will not nullify my covenant,
Nor go back on the words I have spoken.
Once and for all time, by my holiness,
Have I sworn, I will not lie to David:
His dynasty will endure forever
And his throne will last like the sun before me;
It will remain eternally, like the moon,
To be a faithful witness in the sky”
But you have spurned him and cast him aside,
And are angry with your anointed king.
You have broken the contract with your servant
Profaning his crown, casting it to the ground.
You have breached all his fortifications
And have reduced his strongholds to rubble.
All who pass along the way have despoiled him,
And to his neighbors he is a disgrace.
You have expanded the power of his foes,
And have made all his enemies rejoice.
You have blunted the sharp edge of his sword
And have not come to his aid in battle.
You have brought an end to his majesty,
And his throne you have flung down to the earth.
You have diminished the days of his youth
And have caused him to be covered with shame.
How long, O Jehovah, will you hide yourself?
Forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?
Remember how short is the span of my life.
Have you created the human race in vain?
What man can live and not have to face death?
Who can escape from the power of the grave?
Jehovah, where is your steadfast love of old,
Which you did swear faithfully to David?
Remember how I, your servant, is scorned,
How, Jehovah, I must bear in my heart
The reproaches of all the other nations
How your enemies insult me, Jehovah,
And mock each step of your Anointed One.
Blessed be Jehovah evermore!
Amen and amen!
Of your love and of your kindness, Jehovah,
I will sing forever and with my words
Make your loyalty known through the ages.
I declare that your love stands forever firm,
And your faithfulness endures as the heavens.
“With the chosen have I made a covenant;
I have sworn to my servant David,” you said.
“Forever will I perpetuate your line
And support your throne through the generations.”
The heavens will give praise to your wonders,
Jehovah, as well as to your faithfulness
In the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can compare with you,
Jehovah, and who is like Jehovah
Among the sons of heavenly beings,
Revered in the council of the holy ones,
More magnificent than all those about him?
Jehovah, god of heavenly armies,
Who is like you, O mighty Jehovah?
What is like the faithfulness that surrounds you?
You rule over the raging sea,
And when the waves rise up, you still them.
Rahab, the monster of the deep,
Have you crushed and left as one dead,
So with the force of your power
Have you dispersed your enemies.
Heaven is yours and the earth as well.
The habitable globe entire
And all it contains have you founded.
You created the north and the south,
West and east: Mounts Tabor and Hermon
Shout out your name with rejoicing.
Mighty is your arm, strong is your hand.
Lifted up high is your right hand!
It is righteousness and justice that
Are the foundations of your throne.
Love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed the people who acclaim
The joyful sound, “O Jehovah!”
And live in the light of your presence.
All day long they rejoice in your name,
And exult in your righteousness.
For you are their glory and strength,
By your favor our power grows
For our protection, it is sure,
Comes from Jehovah and our king,
The Holy One of Israel.
Once to the faithful you spoke in a vision,
“I have lent my help to a warrior,
Raised up a man chosen from the people.
I have discovered David, my servant,
And have with holy oil anointed him.
With my hand I will surely sustain him
And with my arm will strengthen him as well.
No enemy will exact tribute from him,
Nor will he grovel to a wicked man.
I will crush his enemies before him,
And I will strike down his adversaries.
My love and loyalty will be with him.
In my name his power will be exalted.
I will also establish his dominion
From the sea to the rivers of the east.
He will call out to me, ‘You are my father,
My god, and the rock of my salvation.’
I will regard him as my first-born son,
The most exalted of the kings on earth.
My kindness to him will last forever
And I will keep with him my covenant.
I will establish his line forever;
His throne will last as long as the heavens.
If his descendants abandon my laws
And do not live by my regulations,
Indeed, if they dishonor my decrees
And do not adhere to my commandments,
I will punish their transgressions with the rod
And their disobedience with floggings,
But I will not withdraw my love from him,
Nor ever my betray my fidelity.
I will not nullify my covenant,
Nor go back on the words I have spoken.
Once and for all time, by my holiness,
Have I sworn, I will not lie to David:
His dynasty will endure forever
And his throne will last like the sun before me;
It will remain eternally, like the moon,
To be a faithful witness in the sky”
But you have spurned him and cast him aside,
And are angry with your anointed king.
You have broken the contract with your servant
Profaning his crown, casting it to the ground.
You have breached all his fortifications
And have reduced his strongholds to rubble.
All who pass along the way have despoiled him,
And to his neighbors he is a disgrace.
You have expanded the power of his foes,
And have made all his enemies rejoice.
You have blunted the sharp edge of his sword
And have not come to his aid in battle.
You have brought an end to his majesty,
And his throne you have flung down to the earth.
You have diminished the days of his youth
And have caused him to be covered with shame.
How long, O Jehovah, will you hide yourself?
Forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?
Remember how short is the span of my life.
Have you created the human race in vain?
What man can live and not have to face death?
Who can escape from the power of the grave?
Jehovah, where is your steadfast love of old,
Which you did swear faithfully to David?
Remember how I, your servant, is scorned,
How, Jehovah, I must bear in my heart
The reproaches of all the other nations
How your enemies insult me, Jehovah,
And mock each step of your Anointed One.
Blessed be Jehovah evermore!
Amen and amen!
Psalm 88
By the Descendants of Korah
A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite
O Jehovah, the god of my salvation,
By day and by night do I call out to you.
Listen to my prayer, heed my cry for help.
My soul is beset with tribulations,
And my life is drawing me near the grave.
I am among those who are marked for death.
Like one who is bereft of vitality,
I have been abandoned among the dead,
Lying in the grave like one who has been slain,
Remembered no more, and beyond your help.
You have lain me into the deepest pit,
And have consigned me to the darkest depths.
Your wrath has lain heavily upon me,
And by all your waves I am overwhelmed.
You have driven my companions far from me
Making me an abomination to them.
I am in a trap with no means of escape.
My eyes grow faint with tears of grief.
I call to you, O Jehovah,
And daily stretch out my hands to you.
Do you show wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up to praise you?
Can one proclaim your gracious love
From the grave or your faithfulness
In a place of devastation?
Does one speak of your miracles
In the darkness or your righteousness
In the realm of oblivion?
But I cry out to you, Jehovah,
And present to you my morning prayer.
Why, Jehovah, do you cast off
My soul and hide your face from me?
From my childhood have I been ill
And afflicted and close to death.
Bearing your terrors, I am numb.
Your anger has swept over me,
And your terrors have destroyed me.
Daily they engulf me like a flood
And from every side surround me.
From my loved ones, friends, and neighbors
You have taken me far away.
My companion is the darkness.
A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite
O Jehovah, the god of my salvation,
By day and by night do I call out to you.
Listen to my prayer, heed my cry for help.
My soul is beset with tribulations,
And my life is drawing me near the grave.
I am among those who are marked for death.
Like one who is bereft of vitality,
I have been abandoned among the dead,
Lying in the grave like one who has been slain,
Remembered no more, and beyond your help.
You have lain me into the deepest pit,
And have consigned me to the darkest depths.
Your wrath has lain heavily upon me,
And by all your waves I am overwhelmed.
You have driven my companions far from me
Making me an abomination to them.
I am in a trap with no means of escape.
My eyes grow faint with tears of grief.
I call to you, O Jehovah,
And daily stretch out my hands to you.
Do you show wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up to praise you?
Can one proclaim your gracious love
From the grave or your faithfulness
In a place of devastation?
Does one speak of your miracles
In the darkness or your righteousness
In the realm of oblivion?
But I cry out to you, Jehovah,
And present to you my morning prayer.
Why, Jehovah, do you cast off
My soul and hide your face from me?
From my childhood have I been ill
And afflicted and close to death.
Bearing your terrors, I am numb.
Your anger has swept over me,
And your terrors have destroyed me.
Daily they engulf me like a flood
And from every side surround me.
From my loved ones, friends, and neighbors
You have taken me far away.
My companion is the darkness.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Psalm 87
By the Descendants of Korah
On the holy mount of Zion is his foundation.
Jehovah loves the city gates of Jerusalem
More than any other habitation of Jacob.
Glorious things are said you, city of God!
“I will make mention: among those who know
My people are Egypt and Babylon,
As well as Philistia, Tyre, and Cush.
They say, ‘This man was born in Jerusalem!’”
Indeed it will be said of Jerusalem
This person and that person were born there
And that the Most High himself founded it.
Jehovah will make a list of his peoples
And write “This man was born in Jerusalem.”
And those who are singers and musicians
Will proclaim, “You are my inspiration!”
On the holy mount of Zion is his foundation.
Jehovah loves the city gates of Jerusalem
More than any other habitation of Jacob.
Glorious things are said you, city of God!
“I will make mention: among those who know
My people are Egypt and Babylon,
As well as Philistia, Tyre, and Cush.
They say, ‘This man was born in Jerusalem!’”
Indeed it will be said of Jerusalem
This person and that person were born there
And that the Most High himself founded it.
Jehovah will make a list of his peoples
And write “This man was born in Jerusalem.”
And those who are singers and musicians
Will proclaim, “You are my inspiration!”
Psalm 86
A Prayer of David
Incline your ear to me, O Jehovah.
Answer my prayer for I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I have faith in you, my god;
Save your servant who puts his trust in you.
Be merciful to me, O Jehovah,
For I cry out to you all the day long.
Gladden the heart of your servant, my Master,
O Jehovah, for I raise my prayer to you.
For you, Master, are good and forgiving,
Full of kindness to all who call to you.
Listen to my prayer, O Jehovah!
Give heed to my plea for mercy.
When in distress I call to you,
Because you will give me answer.
Among the gods there are none like you,
And no works like yours, O Master.
All the nations that you have made
Will come and worship before you,
O Master, and glorify your name.
For you are great and wondrous deeds
Do you perform — You alone are God!
Teach me your ways, O Jehovah,
So that I may walk in your truth.
Grant me an undivided heart
So that I may revere your name.
I will praise you, Jehovah, my god,
With the fullness of my heart and
Glorify your name forever.
Great is your loving kindness to me,
For you have delivered my soul
From the utter brink of the grave.
Arrogant men rise up against me, O God.
A gang of violent men seek my life.
They have no respect for you, Jehovah,
But you are a god of kindness and grace,
Slow to anger, full of love and loyalty.
Look down upon me and grant me mercy.
Lend me your strength for I am your servant.
Succor me, the son of your maidservant.
Show me a sign that those who hate me may see
And be ashamed, for you, O Jehovah,
Have protected me and comforted me.
Incline your ear to me, O Jehovah.
Answer my prayer for I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I have faith in you, my god;
Save your servant who puts his trust in you.
Be merciful to me, O Jehovah,
For I cry out to you all the day long.
Gladden the heart of your servant, my Master,
O Jehovah, for I raise my prayer to you.
For you, Master, are good and forgiving,
Full of kindness to all who call to you.
Listen to my prayer, O Jehovah!
Give heed to my plea for mercy.
When in distress I call to you,
Because you will give me answer.
Among the gods there are none like you,
And no works like yours, O Master.
All the nations that you have made
Will come and worship before you,
O Master, and glorify your name.
For you are great and wondrous deeds
Do you perform — You alone are God!
Teach me your ways, O Jehovah,
So that I may walk in your truth.
Grant me an undivided heart
So that I may revere your name.
I will praise you, Jehovah, my god,
With the fullness of my heart and
Glorify your name forever.
Great is your loving kindness to me,
For you have delivered my soul
From the utter brink of the grave.
Arrogant men rise up against me, O God.
A gang of violent men seek my life.
They have no respect for you, Jehovah,
But you are a god of kindness and grace,
Slow to anger, full of love and loyalty.
Look down upon me and grant me mercy.
Lend me your strength for I am your servant.
Succor me, the son of your maidservant.
Show me a sign that those who hate me may see
And be ashamed, for you, O Jehovah,
Have protected me and comforted me.
Psalm 85
By the Descendants of Korah
Jehovah, you have shown favor to your land
And restored Jacob from captivity.
You have taken away your people’s guilt
And have pardoned all their transgressions.
You have withheld from us all your fury
And turned away from the fierceness of your wrath.
Bring us back, O God, to our salvation,
And bring to an end your displeasure of us.
Will you be angry at us forever?
Will your wrath extend through the generations?
Will you not revitalize us again
So that your people may rejoice in you.
Show us your loving kindness, O Jehovah,
And bestow upon us your salvation.
I hear what the God Jehovah says,
For he speaks of peace to his people,
Those who are his faithful servants,
That they do not lapse into folly.
To those who hold him in reverence,
Their salvation is surely near,
And his glory will dwell in our land.
Love and loyalty will be joined,
And justice and peace will embrace.
The truth will spring up from the earth,
And righteousness look down from heaven.
Jehovah will give us what is good,
And the land will yield its bounty.
Righteousness will go before him
And prepare a path for his steps.
Jehovah, you have shown favor to your land
And restored Jacob from captivity.
You have taken away your people’s guilt
And have pardoned all their transgressions.
You have withheld from us all your fury
And turned away from the fierceness of your wrath.
Bring us back, O God, to our salvation,
And bring to an end your displeasure of us.
Will you be angry at us forever?
Will your wrath extend through the generations?
Will you not revitalize us again
So that your people may rejoice in you.
Show us your loving kindness, O Jehovah,
And bestow upon us your salvation.
I hear what the God Jehovah says,
For he speaks of peace to his people,
Those who are his faithful servants,
That they do not lapse into folly.
To those who hold him in reverence,
Their salvation is surely near,
And his glory will dwell in our land.
Love and loyalty will be joined,
And justice and peace will embrace.
The truth will spring up from the earth,
And righteousness look down from heaven.
Jehovah will give us what is good,
And the land will yield its bounty.
Righteousness will go before him
And prepare a path for his steps.
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