Book of Common Prayer Daily Office Lectionary

From now on, instead of reading this blog each day, you may follow along with psalms in accordance with the daily lectionary readings in the book of common prayer.

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/bcp/

Psalms for the week of 7/26-8/1: Psalms on Confession of Guilt AND Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Pardon (Psalm 106)

Psalm 106

Give Thanks to the LORD, for He Is Good

1 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or declare all his praise?
3Blessed are they who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times!

4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;
help me when you save them,[a]
5that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that I may glory with your inheritance.

6 Both we and our fathers have sinned;
we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.
7Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,
did not consider your wondrous works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.
8Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
that he might make known his mighty power.
9He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry,
and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10So he saved them from the hand of the foe
and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
11And the waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them was left.
12Then they believed his words;
they sang his praise.

13But they soon forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel.
14But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,
and put God to the test in the desert;
15he gave them what they asked,
but sent a wasting disease among them.

16When men in the camp were jealous of Moses
and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,
17 the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
and covered the company of Abiram.
18 Fire also broke out in their company;
the flame burned up the wicked.

19They made a calf in Horeb
and worshiped a metal image.
20They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23Therefore he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.

24Then they despised the pleasant land,
having no faith in his promise.
25They murmured in their tents,
and did not obey the voice of the LORD.
26Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27and would make their offspring fall among the nations,
scattering them among the lands.

28Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
31And that was counted to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.

32They angered him at the waters of Meribah,
and it went ill with Moses on their account,
33for they made his spirit bitter,[b]
and he spoke rashly with his lips.

34They did not destroy the peoples,
as the LORD commanded them,
35but they mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.
36They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
38they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.
39Thus they became unclean by their acts,
and played the whore in their deeds.

40Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,
and he abhorred his heritage;
41he gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes
and were brought low through their iniquity.

44Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he heard their cry.
45For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46He caused them to be pitied
by all those who held them captive.

47 Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.

48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD!

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 106:4 Or Remember me, O LORD, with the favor you show to your people; help me with your salvation
2. Psalm 106:33 Or they rebelled against God’s Spirit

Psalms for the week of 7/26-8/1: Psalms on Confession of Guilt AND Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Pardon (Psalm 51)

Psalm 51

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me,[a] O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right[b] spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

13Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 51:1 Or Be gracious to me
2. Psalm 51:10 Or steadfast

Psalms for the week of 7/26-8/1: Psalms on Confession of Guilt AND Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Pardon (Psalm 32)

Psalm 32

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil[a] of David.

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up[b] as by the heat of summer.
Selah

5I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Selah

6Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
Selah

8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 32:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
b. Psalm 32:4 Hebrew my vitality was changed

Psalms for the week of 7/26-8/1: Psalms on Confession of Guilt AND Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Pardon (Psalm 30)

Psalm 30

Joy Comes with the Morning

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.

1I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.[a]

4Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.[b]
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.[c]
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

6As for me, I said in my prosperity,
"I shall never be moved."
7By your favor, O LORD,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.

8To you, O LORD, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9"What profit is there in my death,[d]
if I go down to the pit?[e]
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
O LORD, be my helper!"

11You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 30:3 Or to life, that I should not go down to the pit
b. Psalm 30:4 Hebrew to the memorial of his holiness (see Exodus 3:15)
c. Psalm 30:5 Or and in his favor is life
d. Psalm 30:9 Hebrew in my blood
e. Psalm 30:9 Or to corruption

Psalms for the week of 7/26-8/1: Psalms on Confession of Guilt AND Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Pardon (Psalm 25)

Psalm 25

Teach Me Your Paths

[a] Of David.

1To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
3Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
5Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.

6Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!

8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

11For your name’s sake, O LORD,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
12Who is the man who fears the LORD?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship[b] of the LORD is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
15My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.

19Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.

22 Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 25:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
b. Psalm 25:14 Or The secret counsel

"He Giveth More Grace" by Annie J. Flint

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Psalms for the week of 7/19-7/25: PSALMS OF REFUGE (Psalm 131)

Psalm 131

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
2But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalms for the week of 7/19-7/25: PSALMS OF REFUGE (Psalm 125)

Psalm 125

The LORD Surrounds His People

A Song of Ascents.

1Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.
3For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
the LORD will lead away with evildoers!
Peace be upon Israel!

Psalms for the week of 7/19-7/25: PSALMS OF REFUGE (Psalm 121)

Psalm 121

My Help Comes from the LORD

A Song of Ascents.

1I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

3He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalms for the week of 7/19-7/25: PSALMS OF REFUGE (Psalm 46)

Psalm 46

God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.[a] A Song.

1God is our refuge and strength,
a very present[b] help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah

4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 46:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
b. Psalm 46:1 Or well proved

Psalms for the week of 7/19-7/25: PSALMS OF REFUGE (Psalm 3)

Psalm 3

Save Me, O My God

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

1O LORD, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
2many are saying of my soul,
there is no salvation for him in God.
Selah[a]

3But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4I cried aloud to the LORD,
and he answered me from his holy hill.
Selah

5I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
6I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Arise, O LORD!
Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.

8 Salvation belongs to the LORD;
your blessing be on your people!
Selah

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 3:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word Selah, used frequently in the Psalms, is uncertain. It may be a musical or liturgical direction

Psalms for the week of 7/12-7/18:PSALMS OF CONFIDENCE (Psalm 91)

Psalm 91

My Refuge and My Fortress

1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2I will say[a] to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4He 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,
6nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

9Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge[b]—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 91:2 Septuagint He will say
b. Psalm 91:9 Or For you, O LORD, are my refuge! You have made the Most High your dwelling place

Psalms for the week of 7/12-7/18:PSALMS OF CONFIDENCE (Psalm 62)

Psalm 62

My Soul Waits for God Alone

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

1For 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 shaken.

3How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse.
Selah

5For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7On God rests my salvation and my glory;
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 Those of low estate are but a breath;
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10Put no trust 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 you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.

Psalms for the week of 7/12-7/18:PSALMS OF CONFIDENCE (Psalm 27)

Psalm 27

The LORD Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

1The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold[a] of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

2When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet[b] I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire[c] in his temple.

5For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

6And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8You have said, "Seek[d] my face."My heart says to you,
"Your face, LORD, do I seek."[e]

9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the LORD will take me in.

11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

13I believe[f] that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 27:1 Or refuge
b. Psalm 27:3 Or in this
c. Psalm 27:4 Or meditate
d. Psalm 27:8 The command (seek) is addressed to more than one person
e. Psalm 27:8 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
f. Psalm 27:13 Other Hebrew manuscripts Oh! Had I not believed

Psalms for the week of 7/12-7/18:PSALMS OF CONFIDENCE (Psalm 23)

Psalm 23

The LORD Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
3He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]
for his name’s sake.

4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the LORD
forever.[g]

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 23:2 Hebrew beside waters of rest
b. Psalm 23:3 Or in right paths
c. Psalm 23:4 Or the valley of deep darkness
d. Psalm 23:6 Or Only
e. Psalm 23:6 Or steadfast love
f. Psalm 23:6 Or shall return to dwell
g. Psalm 23:6 Hebrew for length of days

Psalms for the week of 7/12-7/18:PSALMS OF CONFIDENCE (Psalm 16)

Psalm 16

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A Miktam[a] of David.

1Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."

3As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.[b]

4The sorrows of those who run after[c] another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

5The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.[d]
8 I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being[e] rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.[f]

11You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 16:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
b. Psalm 16:3 Or To the saints in the land, the excellent in whom is all my delight, I say:
c. Psalm 16:4 Or who acquire
d. Psalm 16:7 Hebrew my kidneys instruct me
e. Psalm 16:9 Hebrew my glory
f. Psalm 16:10 Or see the pit

Psalms for the week of 7/12-7/18:PSALMS OF CONFIDENCE (Psalm 11)

Psalm 11

The LORD Is in His Holy Temple

To the choirmaster. Of David.

¹In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul,
"Flee like a bird to your mountain,
²for behold, the wicked bend the bow;
they have fitted their arrow to the string
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
³if the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?"^[a]

⁴ The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD’s throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
⁵The LORD tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
⁶Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
⁷For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 11:3 Or for the foundations will be destroyed; what has the righteous done?

Psalms for the week of 7/5-7/11: LAMENT PSALMS (Psalm 44)

Psalm 44

Come to Our Help

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[a] of the Sons of Korah.

¹O God, we have heard with our ears,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
²you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
³for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.

⁴ You are my King, O God;
ordain salvation for Jacob!
⁵Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
⁶For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
⁷But you have saved us from our foes
and have put to shame those who hate us.
⁸ In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever.
Selah

⁹But you have rejected us and disgraced us
and have not gone out with our armies.
¹⁰You have made us turn back from the foe,
and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
¹¹You have made us like sheep for slaughter
and have scattered us among the nations.
¹² You have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.
¹³You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and scorn of those around us.
¹⁴You have made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock[b] among the peoples.
¹⁵All day long my disgrace is before me,
and shame has covered my face
¹⁶at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.

¹⁷ All this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten you,
and we have not been false to your covenant.
¹⁸Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our steps departed from your way;
¹⁹yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
and covered us with the shadow of death.
²⁰If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
²¹ would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
²²Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

²³ Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
²⁴Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
²⁵For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
²⁶Rise up; come to our help!
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 44:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
2. Psalm 44:14 Hebrew a shaking of the head

Psalms for the week of 7/5-7/11: LAMENT PSALMS (Psalm 43)

Psalm 43

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

¹ Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
²For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?

³ Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
⁴Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Psalms for the week of 7/5-7/11: LAMENT PSALMS (Psalm 42)

Psalm 42

BOOK TWO

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[a] of the Sons of Korah.

¹ As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?[b] ³ My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
"Where is your God?"
⁴These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation[c] ⁶and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
⁷Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
⁸By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
⁹I say to God, my rock:
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?"
¹⁰As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
"Where is your God?"

¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 42:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
2. Psalm 42:2 Revocalization yields and see the face of God
3. Psalm 42:5 Hebrew the salvation of my face; also verse 11 and 43:5

Psalms for the week of 7/5-7/11: LAMENT PSALMS (Psalm 22)

Psalm 22

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
²O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.

³Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises[a] of Israel.
⁴In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
⁸ "He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"

⁹Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
¹¹Be not far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.

¹²Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet[b]— ¹⁷I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; ¹⁸ they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹But you, O LORD, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!

²¹Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued[c] me from the horns of the wild oxen!

²² I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.

²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
²⁶ The afflicted[d] shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
May your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
²⁸For kingship belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
³⁰Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
³¹they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 22:3 Or dwelling in the praises
2. Psalm 22:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts like a lion [they are at] my hands and feet
3. Psalm 22:21 Hebrew answered
4. Psalm 22:26 Or The meek

Psalms for the week of 7/5-7/11: LAMENT PSALMS (Psalm 13)

Psalm 13

How Long, O LORD?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹ How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
²How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
⁴ lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him,"
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

⁵But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
⁶I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalms for the week of 7/5-7/11: LAMENT PSALMS (Psalm 12)

Psalm 12

The Faithful Have Vanished

To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith.[a] A Psalm of David.

¹Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
²Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

³May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,
⁴those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail,
our lips are with us; who is master over us?"

⁵"Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
I will now arise," says the LORD;
"I will place him in the safety for which he longs."
⁶ The words of the LORD are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.

⁷You, O LORD, will keep them;
you will guard us[b] from this generation forever.
⁸On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 12:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
2. Psalm 12:7 Or guard him

Psalms for the week of 6/28-7/4: KINGSHIP PSALMS (Psalm 72)

Psalm 72

Give the King Your Justice

Of Solomon.

¹Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
²May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
³Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
⁴May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!

⁵May they fear you[a] while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
⁶May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth!
⁷In his days may the righteous flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

⁸May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River[b] to the ends of the earth!
⁹May desert tribes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust!
¹⁰May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts!
¹¹May all kings fall down before him,
all nations serve him!

¹²For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
¹³He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
¹⁴From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and precious is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵Long may he live;
may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
¹⁶May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field!
¹⁷ May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
all nations call him blessed!

¹⁸ Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
¹⁹Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!

Amen and Amen!

²⁰ The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 72:5 Septuagint He shall endure
2. Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates

Psalms for the week of 6/28-7/4: KINGSHIP PSALMS (Psalm 45)

Psalm 45

Your Throne, O God, Is Forever

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil^[a] of the Sons of Korah; a love song.

¹My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;
I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.

²You are the most handsome of the sons of men;
grace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.
³ Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one,
in your splendor and majesty!

⁴In your majesty ride out victoriously
for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!
⁵Your arrows are sharp
in the heart of the king’s enemies;
the peoples fall under you.

⁶ Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

⁷ you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

⁸your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;
⁹daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

¹⁰Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
forget your people and your father’s house,

¹¹and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him.
¹²The people[b] of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,
the richest of the people.[c]

¹³All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
¹⁴ In many-colored robes she is led to the king,
with her virgin companions following behind her.
¹⁵With joy and gladness they are led along
as they enter the palace of the king.

¹⁶In place of your fathers shall be your sons;
you will make them princes in all the earth.
¹⁷ I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 45:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
2. Psalm 45:12 Hebrew daughter
3. Psalm 45:12 Or The daughter of Tyre is here with gifts, the richest of people seek your favor

Psalms for the week of 6/28-7/4: KINGSHIP PSALMS (Psalm 21)

Psalm 21

The King Rejoices in the LORD’s Strength

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices,
and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
²You have given him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah

³For you meet him with rich blessings;
you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
⁴He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.
⁵His glory is great through your salvation;
splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
⁶For you make him most blessed forever;[a]
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
⁷For the king trusts in the LORD,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

⁸Your hand will find out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
⁹You will make them as a blazing oven
when you appear.
The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,
and fire will consume them.
¹⁰You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
and their offspring from among the children of man.
¹¹Though they plan evil against you,
though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
¹²For you will put them to flight;
you will aim at their faces with your bows.

¹³Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 21:6 Or make him a source of blessing forever

Psalms for the week of 6/28-7/4: KINGSHIP PSALMS (Psalm 20)

Psalm 20

Trust in the Name of the LORD Our God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
²May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Zion!
³May he remember all your offerings
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices!
Selah

⁴May he grant you your heart’s desire
and fulfill all your plans!
⁵May we shout for joy over your salvation,
and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!

⁶Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with the saving might of his right hand.
⁷Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
⁸They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand upright.

⁹O LORD, save the king!
May he answer us when we call.

Psalms for the week of 6/28-7/4: KINGSHIP PSALMS (Psalm 2)

Psalm 2

The Reign of the LORD’s Anointed

¹ Why do the nations rage [a]
and the peoples plot in vain?
²The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
³"Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us."

⁴He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
⁵Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
⁶"As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill."

⁷I will tell of the decree:The LORD said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
⁸Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹You shall break [b] them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel."

¹⁰Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 2:1 Or nations noisily assemble
2. Psalm 2:9 Revocalization yields (compare Septuagint) You shall rule

Commentary on the Wisdom Psalms

Delight in the LAW?! (by John Alexander)
In our study of Psalm 1 last Sunday we looked at the phrase, “but his delight is on the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night (Ps. 1:2).” I commented that there are various ways of understanding how the term “law” in the Psalms may apply to 21st century Christians.

For the Israelites, law could refer specifically to the legal code given by God through Moses, which is summarized by the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20, Deut. 5). But law can also be understood more broadly in reference to the first five books of the Bible (or Pentateuch). This understanding of law is broader than the actual law code given by God through Moses on Mount Sinai – the Pentateuch also includes the accounts of creation and fall, the extended history of the patriarchs of Israel, the exodus from Egypt and the desert wandering.

In this latter sense, “the word law is used to refer to the whole of God’s inscripturated revelation (Boice, Psalms Vol. 1, 16).” For the Psalmist, the “whole of God’s inscripturated revelation” at that point was the Pentateuch. Of course, God has given more revelation to his people since that time. He has revealed himself most clearly and completely in Jesus Christ, of whom we’re told, “he is the exact imprint of (God’s) nature (Heb 1:3)”, and Jesus himself said, “whoever has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9).”

Psalm 1 doesn’t sing only about a law code, but about the entire Bible. Therefore, in our application of Psalm 1:2, we need to think of the “law” as our entire Bible, cover to cover. Meditate on it night and day. Walk with it, stand with it, sit with it.

That said, there are various times in the wisdom Psalms (several of them are listed on this blog) where the Psalmist does praise God for his legal codes, that is, his RULES.

For instance, in Psalm 19 David sings, “the rules of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold; sweeter also than honey…(19:9-10).” Have you ever thought of rules as sweet? In general, I think of God’s mercy and grace as sweet, but not his rules. Here is what C.S. Lewis says on this passage:
“One can well understand this being said of God’s mercies, God’s visitations, His attributes. But what the poet is actually talking about is God’s law, His commands; His ‘rulings’…this was at first to me very mysterious. ‘Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery’—I can understand that a man can, and must, respect these ‘statutes,’ and try to obey them, and assent to them in his heart. But it is very hard to find how they could be, so to speak, delicious, how they exhilarate (Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, 54-55).”

Eventually, Lewis does come to a conclusion about what is going on here: “The order of the Divine mind, embodied in the Divine Law, is beautiful…this is the language of a man ravished by a moral beauty.”

I’ll let others reflect on this…

Psalms for the week of 6/21-6/27: WISDOM PSALMS

Psalm 1

BOOK ONE

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

Blessed is the man [a]
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²but his delight is in the law [b] of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

³He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. ⁴The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person;
2. Psalm 1:2 Or instruction

Psalm 19

The Law of the LORD Is Perfect

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above[a] proclaims his handiwork.
²Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
⁴ Their voice[b] goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
⁵ which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
⁶Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect,[c]
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
⁸ the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
⁹the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules[d] of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
¹³ Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 19:1 Hebrew the expanse; compare Genesis 1:6-8
2. Psalm 19:4 Or Their measuring line
3. Psalm 19:7 Or blameless
4. Psalm 19:9 Or just decrees

Psalm 73

BOOK THREE

God Is My Strength and Portion Forever

A Psalm of Asaph.

¹Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
²But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
³ For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
⁵They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
⁶Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
⁷Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
⁸They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
⁹They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
¹⁰Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them.[a]
¹¹And they say, "How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
¹²Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
¹³All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
¹⁴For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
¹⁵If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

¹⁶But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
¹⁷until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.

¹⁸Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
¹⁹How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
²⁰Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
²¹When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
²²I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.

²³Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
²⁴You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength[b] of my heart and my portion forever.

²⁷For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
²⁸But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 73:10 Probable reading; Hebrew the waters of a full cup are drained by them
2. Psalm 73:26 Hebrew rock

Psalm 78

Tell the Coming Generation

A Maskil(a) of Asaph.

¹ Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
² I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
³things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
⁴We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.

⁵He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
⁶that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
⁷so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;
⁸and that they should not be like their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.

⁹The Ephraimites, armed with[b] the bow,
turned back on the day of battle.
¹⁰They did not keep God’s covenant,
but refused to walk according to his law.
¹¹They forgot his works
and the wonders that he had shown them.
¹²In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders
in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
¹³He divided the sea and let them pass through it,
and made the waters stand like a heap.
¹⁴ In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a fiery light.
¹⁵He split rocks in the wilderness
and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
¹⁶He made streams come out of the rock
and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

¹⁷Yet they sinned still more against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
¹⁸They tested God in their heart
by demanding the food they craved.
¹⁹They spoke against God, saying,
"Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
²⁰ He struck the rock so that water gushed out
and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
or provide meat for his people?"

²¹Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath;
a fire was kindled against Jacob;
his anger rose against Israel,
²²because they did not believe in God
and did not trust his saving power.
²³Yet he commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven,
²⁴and he rained down on them manna to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
²⁵Man ate of the bread of the angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
²⁶He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
²⁷he rained meat on them like dust,
winged birds like the sand of the seas;
²⁸he let them fall in the midst of their camp,
all around their dwellings.
²⁹And they ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they craved.
³⁰But before they had satisfied their craving,
while the food was still in their mouths,
³¹the anger of God rose against them,
and he killed the strongest of them
and laid low the young men of Israel.

³²In spite of all this, they still sinned;
despite his wonders, they did not believe.
³³So he made their days vanish like[c] a breath,[d]
and their years in terror.
³⁴When he killed them, they sought him;
they repented and sought God earnestly.
³⁵They remembered that God was their rock,
the Most High God their redeemer.
³⁶But they flattered him with their mouths;
they lied to him with their tongues.
³⁷Their heart was not steadfast toward him;
they were not faithful to his covenant.
³⁸Yet he, being compassionate,
atoned for their iniquity
and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
and did not stir up all his wrath.
³⁹He remembered that they were but flesh,
a wind that passes and comes not again.
⁴⁰How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and grieved him in the desert!
⁴¹They tested God again and again
and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
⁴²They did not remember his power[e]
or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
⁴³ when he performed his signs in Egypt
and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.
⁴⁴He turned their rivers to blood,
so that they could not drink of their streams.
⁴⁵He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them,
and frogs, which destroyed them.
⁴⁶He gave their crops to the destroying locust
and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail
and their sycamores with frost.
⁴⁸He gave over their cattle to the hail
and their flocks to thunderbolts.
⁴⁹He let loose on them his burning anger,
wrath, indignation, and distress,
a company of destroying angels.
⁵⁰He made a path for his anger;
he did not spare them from death,
but gave their lives over to the plague.
⁵¹He struck down every firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
⁵²Then he led out his people like sheep
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
⁵³ He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid,
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
⁵⁴And he brought them to his holy land,
to the mountain which his right hand had won.
⁵⁵He drove out nations before them;
he apportioned them for a possession
and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

⁵⁶Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God
and did not keep his testimonies,
⁵⁷but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;
they twisted like a deceitful bow.
⁵⁸For they provoked him to anger with their high places;
they moved him to jealousy with their idols.
⁵⁹When God heard, he was full of wrath,
and he utterly rejected Israel.
⁶⁰He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh,
the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
⁶¹and delivered his power to captivity,
his glory to the hand of the foe.
⁶²He gave his people over to the sword
and vented his wrath on his heritage.
⁶³Fire devoured their young men,
and their young women had no marriage song.
⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows made no lamentation.
⁶⁵Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
like a strong man shouting because of wine.
⁶⁶And he put his adversaries to rout;
he put them to everlasting shame.

⁶⁷He rejected the tent of Joseph;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
⁶⁸but he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he loves.
⁶⁹He built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
like the earth, which he has founded forever.
⁷⁰He chose David his servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
⁷¹from following the nursing ewes he brought him
to shepherd Jacob his people,
Israel his inheritance.
⁷²With upright heart he shepherded them
and guided them with his skillful hand.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 78:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
2. Psalm 78:9 Hebrew armed and shooting
3. Psalm 78:33 Hebrew in
4. Psalm 78:33 Or vapor
5. Psalm 78:42 Hebrew hand

Psalm 119

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

Aleph

¹[a] Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD!
²Blessed are those who keep his^D testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
³who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
⁴You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
⁵Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
⁶ Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
⁷I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.[b]
⁸I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!

Beth

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
¹¹I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
¹²Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes!
¹³With my lips I declare
all the rules[c] of your mouth.
¹⁴In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
¹⁵I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
¹⁶I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.

Gimel

¹⁷ Deal bountifully with your servant,
that I may live and keep your word.
¹⁸Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.
¹⁹I am a sojourner on the earth;
hide not your commandments from me!
²⁰My soul is consumed with longing
for your rules[d] at all times.
²¹You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
who wander from your commandments.
²²Take away from me scorn and contempt,
for I have kept your testimonies.
²³Even though princes sit plotting against me,
your servant will meditate on your statutes.
²⁴Your testimonies are my delight;
they are my counselors.

Daleth

²⁵ My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
²⁶When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes!
²⁷ Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
²⁸ My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word!
²⁹Put false ways far from me
and graciously teach me your law!
³⁰I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I set your rules before me.
³¹I cling to your testimonies, O LORD;
let me not be put to shame!
³²I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart![e]

He

³³ Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes;
and I will keep it to the end.[f]
³⁴ Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
³⁵ Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
³⁶ Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.
³⁸ Confirm to your servant your promise,
that you may be feared.
³⁹Turn away the reproach that I dread,
for your rules are good.
⁴⁰Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your righteousness give me life!

Waw

⁴¹Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise;
⁴²then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
⁴³And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
for my hope is in your rules.
⁴⁴I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever,
⁴⁵and I shall walk in a wide place,
for I have sought your precepts.
⁴⁶I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
and shall not be put to shame,
⁴⁷for I find my delight in your commandments,
which I love.
⁴⁸I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.

Zayin

⁴⁹Remember your word to your servant,
in which you have made me hope.
⁵⁰This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life.
⁵¹The insolent utterly deride me,
but I do not turn away from your law.
⁵²When I think of your rules from of old,
I take comfort, O LORD.
⁵³ Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
who forsake your law.
⁵⁴Your statutes have been my songs
in the house of my sojourning.
⁵⁵I remember your name in the night, O LORD,
and keep your law.
⁵⁶This blessing has fallen to me,
that I have kept your precepts.

Heth

⁵⁷ The LORD is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.
⁵⁸I entreat your favor with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.
⁵⁹When I think on my ways,
I turn my feet to your testimonies;
⁶⁰I hasten and do not delay
to keep your commandments.
⁶¹Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
I do not forget your law.
⁶²At midnight I rise to praise you,
because of your righteous rules.
⁶³ I am a companion of all who fear you,
of those who keep your precepts.
⁶⁴ The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love;
teach me your statutes!

Teth

⁶⁵You have dealt well with your servant,
O LORD, according to your word.
⁶⁶Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments.
⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep your word.
⁶⁸ You are good and do good;
teach me your statutes.
⁶⁹ The insolent smear me with lies,
but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;
⁷⁰their heart is unfeeling like fat,
but I delight in your law.
⁷¹It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes.
⁷² The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Yodh

⁷³ Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
⁷⁴Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word.
⁷⁵I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
⁷⁶Let your steadfast love comfort me
according to your promise to your servant.
⁷⁷Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
for your law is my delight.
⁷⁸Let the insolent be put to shame,
because they have wronged me with falsehood;
as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
⁷⁹Let those who fear you turn to me,
that they may know your testimonies.
⁸⁰May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
that I may not be put to shame!

Kaph

⁸¹My soul longs for your salvation;
I hope in your word.
⁸²My eyes long for your promise;
I ask, "When will you comfort me?"
⁸³For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
⁸⁴ How long must your servant endure?[g]
When will you judge those who persecute me?
⁸⁵ The insolent have dug pitfalls for me;
they do not live according to your law.
⁸⁶All your commandments are sure;
they persecute me with falsehood; help me!
⁸⁷They have almost made an end of me on earth,
but I have not forsaken your precepts.
⁸⁸In your steadfast love give me life,
that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.

Lamedh

⁸⁹Forever, O LORD, your word
is firmly fixed in the heavens.
⁹⁰Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
⁹¹By your appointment they stand this day,
for all things are your servants.
⁹²If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
⁹³I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have given me life.
⁹⁴I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts.
⁹⁵The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
but I consider your testimonies.
⁹⁶I have seen a limit to all perfection,
but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Mem

⁹⁷Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
⁹⁹I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰I understand more than the aged,[h]
for I keep your precepts.
¹⁰¹I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.
¹⁰²I do not turn aside from your rules,
for you have taught me.
¹⁰³How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.

Nun

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
¹⁰⁶I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to keep your righteous rules.
¹⁰⁷I am severely afflicted;
give me life, O LORD, according to your word!
¹⁰⁸Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD,
and teach me your rules.
¹⁰⁹I hold my life in my hand continually,
but I do not forget your law.
¹¹⁰The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but I do not stray from your precepts.
¹¹¹Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹²I incline my heart to perform your statutes
forever, to the end.[i]

Samekh

¹¹³I hate the double-minded,
but I love your law.
¹¹⁴You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.
¹¹⁵ Depart from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commandments of my God.
¹¹⁶Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
¹¹⁷ Hold me up, that I may be safe
and have regard for your statutes continually!
¹¹⁸You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,
for their cunning is in vain.
¹¹⁹All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
therefore I love your testimonies.
¹²⁰My flesh trembles for fear of you,
and I am afraid of your judgments.

Ayin

¹²¹I have done what is just and right;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
¹²²Give your servant a pledge of good;
let not the insolent oppress me.
¹²³My eyes long for your salvation
and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
¹²⁴Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
and teach me your statutes.
¹²⁵I am your servant; give me understanding,
that I may know your testimonies!
¹²⁶It is time for the LORD to act,
for your law has been broken.
¹²⁷Therefore I love your commandments
above gold, above fine gold.
¹²⁸Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;
I hate every false way.

Pe

¹²⁹Your testimonies are wonderful;
therefore my soul keeps them.
¹³⁰The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
¹³¹I open my mouth and pant,
because I long for your commandments.
¹³² Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your way with those who love your name.
¹³³ Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
¹³⁴ Redeem me from man’s oppression,
that I may keep your precepts.
¹³⁵ Make your face shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
¹³⁶My eyes shed streams of tears,
because people do not keep your law.

Tsadhe

¹³⁷ Righteous are you, O LORD,
and right are your rules.
¹³⁸You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness
and in all faithfulness.
¹³⁹My zeal consumes me,
because my foes forget your words.
¹⁴⁰Your promise is well tried,
and your servant loves it.
¹⁴¹I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
¹⁴²Your righteousness is righteous forever,
and your law is true.
¹⁴³Trouble and anguish have found me out,
but your commandments are my delight.
¹⁴⁴Your testimonies are righteous forever;
give me understanding that I may live.

Qoph

¹⁴⁵With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD!
I will keep your statutes.
¹⁴⁶I call to you; save me,
that I may observe your testimonies.
¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I hope in your words.
¹⁴⁸My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promise.
¹⁴⁹Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
O LORD, according to your justice give me life.
¹⁵⁰They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
they are far from your law.
¹⁵¹But you are near, O LORD,
and all your commandments are true.
¹⁵²Long have I known from your testimonies
that you have founded them forever.

Resh

¹⁵³Look on my affliction and deliver me,
for I do not forget your law.
¹⁵⁴ Plead my cause and redeem me;
give me life according to your promise!
¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek your statutes.
¹⁵⁶ Great is your mercy, O LORD;
give me life according to your rules.
¹⁵⁷ Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
¹⁵⁸I look at the faithless with disgust,
because they do not keep your commands.
¹⁵⁹Consider how I love your precepts!
Give me life according to your steadfast love.
¹⁶⁰ The sum of your word is truth,
and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

Sin and Shin

¹⁶¹ Princes persecute me without cause,
but my heart stands in awe of your words.
¹⁶²I rejoice at your word
like one who finds great spoil.
¹⁶³I hate and abhor falsehood,
but I love your law.
¹⁶⁴Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous rules.
¹⁶⁵Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.
¹⁶⁶I hope for your salvation, O LORD,
and I do your commandments.
¹⁶⁷My soul keeps your testimonies;
I love them exceedingly.
¹⁶⁸I keep your precepts and testimonies,
for all my ways are before you.

Taw

¹⁶⁹Let my cry come before you, O LORD;
give me understanding according to your word!
¹⁷⁰Let my plea come before you;
deliver me according to your word.
¹⁷¹My lips will pour forth praise,
for you teach me your statutes.
¹⁷²My tongue will sing of your word,
for all your commandments are right.
¹⁷³Let your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.
¹⁷⁴I long for your salvation, O LORD,
and your law is my delight.
¹⁷⁵Let my soul live and praise you,
and let your rules help me.
¹⁷⁶I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
for I do not forget your commandments.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 119:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem of twenty-two stanzas, following the letters of the Hebrew alphabet; within a stanza, each verse begins with the same Hebrew letter
2. Psalm 119:7 Or your just and righteous decrees; also verses 62, 106, 160, 164
3. Psalm 119:13 Or all the just decrees
4. Psalm 119:20 Or your just decrees; also verses 30, 39, 43, 52, 75, 102, 108, 137, 156, 175
5. Psalm 119:32 Or for you set my heart free
6. Psalm 119:33 Or keep it as my reward
7. Psalm 119:84 Hebrew How many are the days of your servant?
8. Psalm 119:100 Or the elders
9. Psalm 119:112 Or statutes; the reward is eternal