Day 7 Psalms 79 — 91

previous readings

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Psalms 79

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A Psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, the heathen have come into thy inheritance; they have defiled thy holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

2 They have given the bodies of thy servants to the birds of the air for food, the flesh of thy saints to the beasts of the earth.

3 They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those round about us.

5 How long, O LORD? Wilt thou be angry for ever? Will thy jealous wrath burn like fire?

6 Pour out thy anger on the nations that do not know thee, and on the kingdoms that do not call on thy name!

7 For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his habitation.

8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our forefathers; let thy compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for thy name’s sake!

10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of thy servants be known among the nations before our eyes!

11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before thee; according to thy great power preserve those doomed to die!

12 Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted thee, O Lord!

13 Then we thy people, the flock of thy pasture, will give thanks to thee for ever; from generation to generation we will recount thy praise. ————————————————————————

Father, may I repent now before it’s too late.

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Psalms 80

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To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou who leadest Joseph like a flock! Thou who art enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth

2 before E’phraim and Benjamin and Manas’seh! Stir up thy might, and come to save us!

3 Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!

4 O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry with thy people’s prayers?

5 Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.

6 Thou dost make us the scorn of our neighbors; and our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!

8 Thou didst bring a vine out of Egypt; thou didst drive out the nations and plant it.

9 Thou didst clear the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches;

11 it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River.

12 Why then hast thou broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?

13 The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.

14 Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,

15 the stock which thy right hand planted.

16 They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance!

17 But let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself!

18 Then we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name!

19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let thy face shine, that we may be saved! ————————————————————————

Jesus, renew Your Church.

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Psalms 81

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To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

1 Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!

2 Raise a song, sound the timbrel, the sweet lyre with the harp.

3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.

4 For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

5 He made it a decree in Joseph, when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a voice I had not known:

6 "I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket.

7 In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Mer’ibah. [Selah]

8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9 There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.

10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 "But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would have none of me.

12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.

13 O that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

14 I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their foes.

15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last for ever.

16 I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." ————————————————————————

Father, may holy days be more than ceremonies. On the next major feast day, change my life.

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Psalms 82

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A Psalm of Asaph.

1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:

2 "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? [Selah]

3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.

4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6 I say, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you;

7 nevertheless, you shall die like men, and fall like any prince."

8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for to thee belong all the nations! ————————————————————————

Father, I throw myself on the mercy of Your court.

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Psalms 83

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A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, do not keep silence; do not hold thy peace or be still, O God!

2 For lo, thy enemies are in tumult; those who hate thee have raised their heads.

3 They lay crafty plans against thy people; they consult together against thy protected ones.

4 They say, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!"

5 Yea, they conspire with one accord; against thee they make a covenant —

6 the tents of Edom and the Ish’maelites, Moab and the Hagrites,

7 Gebal and Ammon and Am’alek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

8 Assyria also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. [Selah]

9 Do to them as thou didst to Mid’ian, as to Sis’era and Jabin at the river Kishon,

10 who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground.

11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmun’na,

12 who said, "Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God."

13 O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.

14 As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,

15 so do thou pursue them with thy tempest and terrify them with thy hurricane!

16 Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, O LORD.

17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed for ever; let them perish in disgrace.

18 Let them know that thou alone, whose name is the LORD, art the Most High over all the earth. ————————————————————————

"My Lord, our King, You alone are God. Help me, who am alone and have no help but You" (Est C:14)

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Psalms 84

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To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 How lovely is thy dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!

2 My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at thy altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in thy house, ever singing thy praise! [Selah]

5 Blessed are the men whose strength is in thee, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

6 As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.

7 They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! [Selah]

9 Behold our shield, O God; look upon the face of thine anointed!

10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the LORD withhold from those who walk uprightly.

12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in thee! ————————————————————————

Father, may the deepest desire of my heart be to worship You.

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Psalms 85

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To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 LORD, thou wast favorable to thy land; thou didst restore the fortunes of Jacob.

2 Thou didst forgive the iniquity of thy people; thou didst pardon all their sin. [Selah]

3 Thou didst withdraw all thy wrath; thou didst turn from thy hot anger.

4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away thy indignation toward us!

5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou prolong thy anger to all generations?

6 Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?

7 Show us thy steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.

8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints, to those who turn to him in their hearts.

9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.

12 Yea, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness will go before him, and make his footsteps a way. ————————————————————————

Father, may I seek prophecy above all the other gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 14:1).

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Psalms 86

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A Prayer of David.

1 Incline thy ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save thy servant who trusts in thee. Thou art my God;

3 be gracious to me, O Lord, for to thee do I cry all the day.

4 Gladden the soul of thy servant, for to thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

5 For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee.

6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; hearken to my cry of supplication.

7 In the day of my trouble I call on thee, for thou dost answer me.

8 There is none like thee among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like thine.

9 All the nations thou hast made shall come and bow down before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name.

10 For thou art great and doest wondrous things, thou alone art God.

11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, that I may walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name.

12 I give thanks to thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify thy name for ever.

13 For great is thy steadfast love toward me; thou hast delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seek my life, and they do not set thee before them.

15 But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

16 Turn to me and take pity on me; give thy strength to thy servant, and save the son of thy handmaid.

17 Show me a sign of thy favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because thou, LORD, hast helped me and comforted me. ————————————————————————

Father, I pray for the grace to memorize the psalms.  Father, give me the memory I need to serve You well.

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Psalms 87

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A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song.

1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;

2 the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. [Selah]

4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia — "This one was born there," they say.

5 And of Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her"; for the Most High himself will establish her.

6 The LORD records as he registers the peoples, "This one was born there." [Selah]

7 Singers and dancers alike say, "All my springs are in you." ————————————————————————

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love You prosper!" (Ps 122:6)

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Psalms 88

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A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.

1 O LORD, my God, I call for help by day; I cry out in the night before thee.

2 Let my prayer come before thee, incline thy ear to my cry!

3 For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.

4 I am reckoned among those who go down to the Pit; I am a man who has no strength,

5 like one forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom thou dost remember no more, for they are cut off from thy hand.

6 Thou hast put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep.

7 Thy wrath lies heavy upon me, and thou dost overwhelm me with all thy waves. [Selah]

8 Thou hast caused my companions to shun me; thou hast made me a thing of horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape;

9 my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon thee, O LORD; I spread out my hands to thee.

10 Dost thou work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise thee? [Selah]

11 Is thy steadfast love declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in Abaddon?

12 Are thy wonders known in the darkness, or thy saving help in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But I, O LORD, cry to thee; in the morning my prayer comes before thee.

14 O LORD, why dost thou cast me off? Why dost thou hide thy face from me?

15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer thy terrors; I am helpless.

16 Thy wrath has swept over me; thy dread assaults destroy me.

17 They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in upon me together.

18 Thou hast caused lover and friend to shun me; my companions are in darkness. ————————————————————————

Father, may I always remember that the final word is resurrection.

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Psalms 89

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A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of thy steadfast love, O LORD, for ever; with my mouth I will proclaim thy faithfulness to all generations.

2 For thy steadfast love was established for ever, thy faithfulness is firm as the heavens.

3 Thou hast said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant:

4 `I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne for all generations.’" [Selah]

5 Let the heavens praise thy wonders, O LORD, thy faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

6 For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,

7 a God feared in the council of the holy ones, great and terrible above all that are round about him?

8 O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as thou art, O LORD, with thy faithfulness round about thee?

9 Thou dost rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, thou stillest them.

10 Thou didst crush Rahab like a carcass, thou didst scatter thy enemies with thy mighty arm.

11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine; the world and all that is in it, thou hast founded them.

12 The north and the south, thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise thy name.

13 Thou hast a mighty arm; strong is thy hand, high thy right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before thee.

15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance,

16 who exult in thy name all the day, and extol thy righteousness.

17 For thou art the glory of their strength; by thy favor our horn is exalted.

18 For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Of old thou didst speak in a vision to thy faithful one, and say: "I have set the crown upon one who is mighty, I have exalted one chosen from the people.

20 I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him;

21 so that my hand shall ever abide with him, my arm also shall strengthen him.

22 The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him.

23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.

24 My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

25 I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.

26 He shall cry to me, `Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’

27 And I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth.

28 My steadfast love I will keep for him for ever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.

29 I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of the heavens.

30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my ordinances,

31 if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,

32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with scourges;

33 but I will not remove from him my steadfast love, or be false to my faithfulness.

34 I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from my lips.

35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.

36 His line shall endure for ever, his throne as long as the sun before me.

37 Like the moon it shall be established for ever; it shall stand firm while the skies endure." [Selah]

38 But now thou hast cast off and rejected, thou art full of wrath against thy anointed.

39 Thou hast renounced the covenant with thy servant; thou hast defiled his crown in the dust.

40 Thou hast breached all his walls; thou hast laid his strongholds in ruins.

41 All that pass by despoil him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.

42 Thou hast exalted the right hand of his foes; thou hast made all his enemies rejoice.

43 Yea, thou hast turned back the edge of his sword, and thou hast not made him stand in battle.

44 Thou hast removed the scepter from his hand, and cast his throne to the ground.

45 Thou hast cut short the days of his youth; thou hast covered him with shame. [Selah]

46 How long, O LORD? Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? How long will thy wrath burn like fire?

47 Remember, O Lord, what the measure of life is, for what vanity thou hast created all the sons of men!

48 What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? [Selah]

49 Lord, where is thy steadfast love of old, which by thy faithfulness thou didst swear to David?

50 Remember, O Lord, how thy servant is scorned; how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples,

51 with which thy enemies taunt, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of thy anointed.

52 Blessed be the LORD for ever! Amen and Amen. ————————————————————————

Father, thank You for the new covenant in Jesus Christ, the Son of David and the Son of God.

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Psalms 90

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A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1 LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.

3 Thou turnest man back to the dust, and sayest, "Turn back, O children of men!"

4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

5 Thou dost sweep men away; they are like a dream, like grass which is renewed in the morning:

6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

7 For we are consumed by thy anger; by thy wrath we are overwhelmed.

8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

9 For all our days pass away under thy wrath, our years come to an end like a sigh.

10 The years of our life are threescore and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

11 Who considers the power of thy anger, and thy wrath according to the fear of thee?

12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on thy servants!

14 Satisfy us in the morning with thy steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

15 Make us glad as many days as thou hast afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil.

16 Let thy work be manifest to thy servants, and thy glorious power to their children.

17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish thou the work of our hands upon us, yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. ————————————————————————

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart" (90:12).

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Psalms 91

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1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty,

2 will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;

4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you.

8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your habitation,

10 no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.

11 For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.

12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

14 Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.

15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

Father, may I use fully my authority over the devil (Mt 10:1).

Day 5 Psalms 53 — 65

Day 6 Psalms 66 — 78

previous readings

 

Psalms 53

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1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none that does good. 2 God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any that are wise, that seek after God. 3 They have all fallen away; they are all alike depraved; there is none that does good, no, not one. 4 Have those who work evil no understanding, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God? 5 There they are, in great terror, in terror such as has not been! For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly; they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them. 6 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad. ————————————————————————

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Psalms 54

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To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, "David is in hiding among us." 1 Save me, O God, by thy name, and vindicate me by thy might. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. 3 For insolent men have risen against me, ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before them. [Selah] 4 Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. 5 He will requite my enemies with evil; in thy faithfulness put an end to them. 6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to thee; I will give thanks to thy name, O LORD, for it is good. 7 For thou hast delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies. ————————————————————————

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Psalms 55

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To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication! 2 Attend to me, and answer me; I am overcome by my trouble. I am distraught 3 by the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they bring trouble upon me, and in anger they cherish enmity against me. 4 My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5 Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. 6 And I say, "O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; 7 yea, I would wander afar, I would lodge in the wilderness, [Selah] 8 I would haste to find me a shelter from the raging wind and tempest." 9 Destroy their plans, O Lord, confuse their tongues; for I see violence and strife in the city.  10 Day and night they go around it on its walls; and mischief and trouble are within it, 11 ruin is in its midst; oppression and fraud do not depart from its market place. 12 It is not an enemy who taunts me — then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me — then I could hide from him. 13 But it is you, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. 14 We used to hold sweet converse together; within God’s house we walked in fellowship. 15 Let death come upon them; let them go down to Sheol alive; let them go away in terror into their graves. 16 But I call upon God; and the LORD will save me. 17 Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he will hear my voice. 18 He will deliver my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me. 19 God will give ear, and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old; because they keep no law, and do not fear God. [Selah] 20 My companion stretched out his hand against his friends, he violated his covenant. 21 His speech was smoother than butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. 22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. 23 But thou, O God, wilt cast them down into the lowest pit; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in thee. ————————————————————————

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Psalms 56

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To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for men trample upon me; all day long foemen oppress me; 2 my enemies trample upon me all day long, for many fight against me proudly. 3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in thee. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust without a fear. What can flesh do to me? 5 All day long they seek to injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They band themselves together, they lurk, they watch my steps. As they have waited for my life, 7 so recompense them for their crime; in wrath cast down the peoples, O God! 8 Thou hast kept count of my tossings; put thou my tears in thy bottle! Are they not in thy book? 9 Then my enemies will be turned back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust without a fear. What can man do to me? 12 My vows to thee I must perform, O God; I will render thank offerings to thee. 13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, yea, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. ————————————————————————

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Psalms 57

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To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in thee my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of thy wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. 2 I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfils his purpose for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me, he will put to shame those who trample upon me. [Selah] God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness! 4 I lie in the midst of lions that greedily devour the sons of men; their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let thy glory be over all the earth! 6 They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. [Selah] 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! 8 Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! 9 I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to thee among the nations. 10 For thy steadfast love is great to the heavens, thy faithfulness to the clouds. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let thy glory be over all the earth! ————————————————————————

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Psalms 58

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To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David.

1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge the sons of men uprightly? 2 Nay, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth. 3 The wicked go astray from the womb, they err from their birth, speaking lies. 4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear, 5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter. 6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD! 7 Let them vanish like water that runs away; like grass let them be trodden down and wither. 8 Let them be like the snail which dissolves into slime, like the untimely birth that never sees the sun. 9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away! 10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 Men will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth." ————————————————————————

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Psalms 59

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To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.

1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God, protect me from those who rise up against me, 2 deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. 3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men band themselves against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD, 4 for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Rouse thyself, come to my help, and see! 5 Thou, LORD God of hosts, art God of Israel. Awake to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. [Selah] 6 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. 7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths, and snarling with their lips — for "Who," they think, "will hear us?" 8 But thou, O LORD, dost laugh at them; thou dost hold all the nations in derision. 9 O my Strength, I will sing praises to thee; for thou, O God, art my fortress. 10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. 11 Slay them not, lest my people forget; make them totter by thy power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield! 12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies which they utter, 13 consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more, that men may know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth. [Selah] 14 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. 15 They roam about for food, and growl if they do not get their fill. 16 But I will sing of thy might; I will sing aloud of thy steadfast love in the morning. For thou hast been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. 17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to thee, for thou, O God, art my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love. ————————————————————————

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Psalms 60

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To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return killed twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

1 O God, thou hast rejected us, broken our defenses; thou hast been angry; oh, restore us. 2 Thou hast made the land to quake, thou hast rent it open; repair its breaches, for it totters. 3 Thou hast made thy people suffer hard things; thou hast given us wine to drink that made us reel. 4 Thou hast set up a banner for those who fear thee, to rally to it from the bow. [Selah] 5 That thy beloved may be delivered, give victory by thy right hand and answer us! 6 God has spoken in his sanctuary: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth. 7 Gilead is mine; Manas’seh is mine; E’phraim is my helmet; Judah is my scepter. 8 Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph." 9 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 10Hast thou not rejected us, O God? Thou dost not go forth, O God, with our armies. 11O grant us help against the foe, for vain is the help of man! 12With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes. ————————————————————————

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Psalms 61

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To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; 2 from the end of the earth I call to thee, when my heart is faint. Lead thou me to the rock that is higher than I; 3 for thou art my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. 4 Let me dwell in thy tent for ever! Oh to be safe under the shelter of thy wings! [Selah] 5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows, thou hast given me the heritage of those who fear thy name. 6 Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! 7 May he be enthroned for ever before God; bid steadfast love and faithfulness watch over him! 8 So will I ever sing praises to thy name, as I pay my vows day after day. ————————————————————————

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Psalms 62

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To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved. 3 How long will you set upon a man to shatter him, all of you, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? 4 They only plan to thrust him down from his eminence. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. [Selah] 5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. [Selah] 9 Men of low estate are but a breath, men of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10 Put no confidence in extortion, set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. 11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God; 12 and that to thee, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For thou dost requite a man according to his work. ————————————————————————

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Psalms 63

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A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.

1 O God, thou art my God, I seek thee, my soul thirsts for thee; my flesh faints for thee, as in a dry and weary land where no water is. 2 So I have looked upon thee in the sanctuary, beholding thy power and glory. 3 Because thy steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise thee. 4 So I will bless thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on thy name. 5 My soul is feasted as with marrow and fat, and my mouth praises thee with joyful lips, 6 when I think of thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the watches of the night; 7 for thou hast been my help, and in the shadow of thy wings I sing for joy. 8 My soul clings to thee; thy right hand upholds me. 9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; 10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be prey for jackals. 11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall glory; for the mouths of liars will be stopped. ————————————————————————

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Psalms 64

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To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy, 2 hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the scheming of evildoers, 3 who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, 4 shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. 5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, "Who can see us? 6 Who can search out our crimes? We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot." For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep! 7 But God will shoot his arrow at them; they will be wounded suddenly. 8 Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin; all who see them will wag their heads. 9 Then all men will fear; they will tell what God has wrought, and ponder what he has done. 10 Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD, and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart glory! ————————————————————————

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Psalms 65

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1 Praise is due to thee, O God, in Zion; and to thee shall vows be performed, 2 O thou who hearest prayer! To thee shall all flesh come 3 on account of sins. When our transgressions prevail over us, thou dost forgive them. 4 Blessed is he whom thou dost choose and bring near, to dwell in thy courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, thy holy temple! 5 By dread deeds thou dost answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation, who art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of the farthest seas; 6 who by thy strength hast established the mountains, being girded with might; 7 who dost still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples; 8 so that those who dwell at earth’s farthest bounds are afraid at thy signs; thou makest the outgoings of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. 9 Thou visitest the earth and waterest it, thou greatly enrichest it; the river of God is full of water; thou providest their grain, for so thou hast prepared it. 10 Thou waterest its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. 11 Thou crownest the year with thy bounty; the tracks of thy chariot drip with fatness. 12 The pastures of the wilderness drip, the hills gird themselves with joy, 13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. ———————————————————————— ——–

Psalms 66

¹ Unto the end, in, hymns, a psalm of a canticle for David.² May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.³ That we may know thy way upon earth: thy salvation in all nations.⁴ Let people confess to thee, O God: let all people give praise to thee.⁵ Let the nations be glad and rejoice: for thou judgest the people with justice, and directest the nations upon earth.⁶ Let the people, O God, confess to thee: let all the people give praise to thee:⁷ The earth hath yielded her fruit. May God, our God bless us,⁸ May God bless us: and all the ends of the earth fear him.

Psalms 67

¹ Unto the end, a psalm of a canticle for David himself.² Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: and let them that hate him flee from before his face.³ As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. ⁴ And let the just feast, and rejoice before God: and be delighted with gladness.⁵ Sing ye to God, sing a psalm to his name, make a way for him who ascendeth upon the west: the Lord is his name. Rejoice ye before him: but the wicked shall be troubled at his presence, ⁶ Who is the father of orphans, and the judge of widows. God in his holy place: ⁷ God who maketh men of one manner to dwell in a house: Who bringeth out them that were bound in strength; in like manner them that provoke, that dwell in sepulchres. ⁸ O God, when thou didst go forth in the sight of thy people, when thou didst pass through the desert: ⁹ The earth was moved, and the heavens dropped at the presence of the God of Sina, at the presence of the God of Israel. ¹⁰ Thou shalt set aside for thy inheritance a free rain, O God: and it was weakened, but thou hast made it perfect. ¹¹ In it shall thy animals dwell; in thy sweetness, O God, thou hast provided for the poor. ¹² The Lord shall give the word to them that preach good tidings with great power. ¹³ The king of powers is of the beloved, of the beloved; and the beauty of the house shall divide spoils. ¹⁴ If you sleep among the midst of lots, you shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and the hinder parts of her back with the paleness of gold. ¹⁵ When he that is in heaven appointeth kings over her, they shall be whited with snow in Selmon. ¹⁶ The mountain of God is a fat mountain. A curdled mountain, a fat mountain. ¹⁷ Why suspect, ye curdled mountains? A mountain in which God is well pleased to dwell: for there the Lord shall dwell unto the end. ¹⁸ The chariot of God is attended by ten thousands; thousands of them that rejoice: the Lord is among them in Sina, in the holy place. ¹⁹ Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts in men. Yea for those also that do not believe, the dwelling of the Lord God. ²⁰ Blessed be the Lord day by day: the God of our salvation will make our journey prosperous to us. ²¹ Our God is the God of salvation: and of the Lord, of the Lord are the issues from death. ²² But God shall break the heads of his enemies: the hairy crown of them that walk on in their sins.  ²³ The Lord said: I will turn them from Basan, I will turn them into the depth of the sea:²⁴ That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thy enemies; the tongue of thy dogs be red with the same.  ²⁵ They have seen thy goings, O God, the goings of my God: of my king who is in his sanctuary. ²⁶ Princes went before joined with singers, in the midst of young damsels playing on timbrels. ²⁷ In the churches bless ye God the Lord, from the fountains of Israel. ²⁸ There is Benjamin a youth, in ecstasy of mind. The princes of Juda are their leaders: the princes of Zabulon, the princes of Nephthali. ²⁹ Command thy strength, O God: confirm, O God, what thou hast wrought in us. ³⁰ From thy temple in Jerusalem, kings shall offer presents to thee. ³¹ Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds, the congregation of bulls with the kine of the people; who seek to exclude them who are tried with silver. Scatter thou the nations that delight in wars: ³² Ambassadors shall come out of Egypt: Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God. ³³ Sing to God, ye kingdoms of the earth: sing ye to the Lord: Sing ye to God, ³⁴ Who mounteth above the heaven of heavens, to the east. Behold he will give to his voice the voice of power: ³⁵ Give ye glory to God for Israel, his magnificence, and his power is in the clouds. ³⁶ God is wonderful in his saints: the God of Israel is he who will give power and strength to his people. Blessed be God.

Psalms 68

¹ Unto the end, for them that shall be changed; for David. ² SAVE me, O God: for the waters are come in even unto my soul. ³ I stick fast in the mire of the deep: and there is no sure standing. I am come into the depth of the sea: and a tempest hath overwhelmed me. ⁴ I have laboured with crying; my jaws are become hoarse: my eyes have failed, whilst I hope in my God. ⁵ They are multiplied above the hairs of my head, who hate me without cause. My enemies are grown strong who have wrongfully persecuted me: then did I pay that which I took not away. ⁶ O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my offences are not hidden from thee: ⁷ Let not them be ashamed for me, who look for thee, O Lord, the Lord of hosts. Let them not be confounded on my account, who seek thee, O God of Israel. ⁸ Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. ⁹ I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to the sons of my mother. ¹⁰ For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up: and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. ¹¹ And I covered my soul in fasting: and it was made a reproach to me.  ¹² And I made haircloth my garment: and I became a byword to them. ¹³ They that sat in the gate spoke against me: and they that drank wine made me their song. ¹⁴ But as for me, my prayer is to thee, O Lord; for the time of thy good pleasure, O God. In the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.  ¹⁵ Draw me out of the mire, that I may not stick fast: deliver me from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. ¹⁶ Let not the tempest of water drown me, nor the deep swallow me up: and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me. ¹⁷ Hear me, O Lord, for thy mercy is kind; look upon me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. ¹⁸ And turn not away thy face from thy servant: for I am in trouble, hear me speedily. ¹⁹ Attend to my soul, and deliver it: save me because of my enemies. ²⁰ Thou knowest my reproach, and my confusion, and my shame. ²¹ In thy sight are all they that afflict me; my heart hath expected reproach and misery. And I looked for one that would grieve together with me, but there was none: and for one that would comfort me, and I found none. ²² And they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. ²³ Let their table become as a snare before them, and a recompense, and a stumblingblock. ²⁴ Let their eyes be darkened that they see not; and their back bend thou down always. ²⁵ Pour out thy indignation upon them: and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. ²⁶ Let their habitation be made desolate: and let there be none to dwell in their tabernacles. ²⁷ Because they have persecuted him whom thou hast smitten; and they have added to the grief of my wounds. ²⁸ Add thou iniquity upon their iniquity: and let them not come into thy justice. ²⁹ Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; and with the just let them not be written. ³⁰ But I am poor and sorrowful: thy salvation, O God, hath set me up. ³¹ I will praise the name of God with a canticle: and I will magnify him with praise. ³² And it shall please God better than a young calf, that bringeth forth horns and hoofs. ³³ Let the poor see and rejoice: seek ye God, and your soul shall live. ³⁴ For the Lord hath heard the poor: and hath not despised his prisoners. ³⁵ Let the heavens and the earth praise him; the sea, and every thing that creepeth therein. ³⁶ For God will save Sion, and the cities of Juda shall be built up. And they shall dwell there, and acquire it by inheritance. ³⁷ And the seed of his servants shall possess it; and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

Psalms 69

¹ Unto the end, a psalm for David, to bring to remembrance that the Lord saved him.  ² O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me.
³ Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul: ⁴ Let them be turned backward, and blush for shame that desire evils to me: Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame that say to me: Tis well, tis well. ⁵ Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee; and let such as love thy salvation say always: The Lord be magnified. ⁶ But I am needy and poor; O God, help me. Thou art my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, make no delay.

Psalms 70

¹ A psalm for David. Of the sons of Jonadab, and the former captives. In thee, O Lord, I have hoped, let me never be put to confusion:  ² Deliver me in thy justice, and rescue me. Incline thy ear unto me, and save me. ³ Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a place of strength: that thou mayst make me safe. For thou art my firmament and my refuge.  ⁴ Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the sinner, and out of the hand of the transgressor of the law and of the unjust. ⁵ For thou art my patience, O Lord: my hope, O Lord, from my youth; ⁶ By thee have I been confirmed from the womb: from my mother’s womb thou art my protector. Of thee shall I continually sing: ⁷ I run become unto many as a wonder, but thou art a strong helper. ⁸ Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may sing thy glory; thy greatness all the day long.  ⁹ Cast me not off in the time of old age: when my strength shall fail, do not thou forsake me. ¹⁰ For my enemies have spoken against me; and they that watched my soul have consulted together, ¹¹ Saying: God hath forsaken him: pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.  ¹² O God, be not thou far from me: O my God, make haste to my help. ¹³ Let them be confounded and come to nothing that detract my soul; let them be covered with confusion and shame that seek my hurt.  ¹⁴ But I will always hope; and will add to all thy praise. ¹⁵ My mouth shall shew forth thy justice; thy salvation all the day long. Because I have not known learning, ¹⁶ I will enter into the powers of the Lord: O Lord, I will be mindful of thy justice alone. ¹⁷ Thou hast taught me, O God, from my youth: and till now I will declare thy wonderful works. ¹⁸ And unto old age and grey hairs: O God, forsake me not, Until I shew forth thy arm to all the generation that is to come: Thy power, ¹⁹ And thy justice, O God, even to the highest great things thou hast done: O God, who is like to thee? ²⁰ How great troubles hast thou shewn me, many and grievous: and turning thou hast brought me to life, and hast brought me back again from the depths of the earth: ²¹ Thou hast multiplied thy magnificence; and turning to me thou hast comforted me. ²² For I will also confess to thee thy truth with the instruments of psaltery: O God, I will sing to thee with the harp, thou holy one of Israel. ²³ My lips shall greatly rejoice, when I shall sing to thee; and my soul which thou hast redeemed. ²⁴ Yea and my tongue shall meditate on thy justice all the day; when they shall be confounded and put to shame that seek evils to me.

 

Psalms 71

¹ A psalm on Solomon. ² Give to the king thy judgment, O God: and to the king’s son thy justice: To judge thy people with justice, and thy poor with judgment. ³ Let the mountains receive peace for the people: and the hills justice. ⁴ He shall judge the poor of the people, and he shall save the children of the poor: and he shall humble the oppressor. ⁵ And he shall continue with the sun, and before the moon, throughout all generations. ⁶ He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; and as showers falling gently upon the earth. ⁷ In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken sway. ⁸ And he shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. ⁹ Before him the Ethiopians shall fall down: and his enemies shall lick the ground. ¹⁰ The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts:¹¹ And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him. ¹² For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty: and the needy that had no helper. ¹³ He shall spare the poor and needy: and he shall save the souls of the poor. ¹⁴ He shall redeem their souls from usuries and iniquity: and their names shall be honourable in his sight. ¹⁵ And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, for him they shall always adore: they shall bless him all the day. ¹⁶ And there shall be a firmament on the earth on the tops of mountains, above Libanus shall the fruit thereof be exalted: and they of the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth. ¹⁷ Let his name be blessed for evermore: his name continueth before the sun. And in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed: all nations shall magnify him. ¹⁸ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone doth wonderful things. ¹⁹ And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever: and the whole earth shall be filled with his majesty. So be it. So be it. ²⁰ The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.

 

Psalms 72

¹ A psalm for Asaph. How good is God to Israel, to them that are of a right heart! ² But my feet were almost moved; my steps had well nigh slipped. ³ Because I had a zeal on occasion of the wicked, seeing the prosperity of sinners. ⁴ For there is no regard to their death, nor is there strength in their stripes. ⁵ They are not in the labour of men: neither shall they be scourged like other men. ⁶ Therefore pride hath held them fast: they are covered with their iniquity and their wickedness. ⁷ Their iniquity hath come forth, as it were from fatness: they have passed into the affection of the heart. ⁸ They have thought and spoken wickedness: they have spoken iniquity on high. ⁹ They have set their mouth against heaven: and their tongue hath passed through the earth. ¹⁰ Therefore will my people return here and full days shall be found in them. ¹¹ And they said: How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? ¹² Behold these are sinners; and yet abounding in the world they have obtained riches. ¹³ And I said: Then have I in vain justified my heart, and washed my hands among the innocent. ¹⁴ And I have been scourged all the day; and my chastisement hath been in the mornings. ¹⁵ If I said: I will speak thus; behold I should condemn the generation of thy children. ¹⁶ I studied that I might know this thing, it is a labour in my sight: ¹⁷ Until I go into the sanctuary of God, and understand concerning their last ends. ¹⁸ But indeed for deceits thou hast put it to them: when they were lifted up thou hast cast them down. ¹⁹ How are they brought to desolation? they have suddenly ceased to be: they have perished by reason of their iniquity. ²⁰ As the dream of them that awake, O Lord; so in thy city thou shalt bring their image to nothing. ²¹ For my heart hath been inflamed, and my reins have been changed: ²² And I am brought to nothing, and I knew not. ²³ I am become as a beast before thee: and I am always with thee.  ²⁴ Thou hast held me by my right hand; and by thy will thou hast conducted me, and with thy glory thou hast received me. ²⁵ For what have I in heaven? and besides thee what do I desire upon earth? ²⁶ For thee my flesh and my heart hath fainted away: thou art the God of my heart, and the God that is my portion for ever. ²⁷ For behold they that go far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that are disloyal to thee. ²⁸ But it is good for me to adhere to my God, to put my hope in the Lord God: That I may declare all thy praises, in the gates of the daughter of Sion.