Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Psalm 100

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him; bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And His faithfulness to all generations.

~Psalm 100 (NASB 1977)

Monday, April 29, 2013

Psalm 99

The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble;
He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!
The LORD is great in Zion,
And He is exalted above all peoples.
Let them praise Thy great and awesome name;
Holy is He.
And the strength of the King loves justice;
Thou hast established equity;
Thou hast executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His footstool;
Holy is He.

Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called on His name;
They called upon the LORD, and He answered them.
He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
They kept His testimonies,
And the statute that He gave them.
O LORD our God, Thou didst answer them;
Thou wast a forgiving God to them,
And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.
Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For holy is the LORD our God.

~Psalm 99 (NASB 1977)

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Psalm 98

O sing to the LORD a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
The LORD has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre;
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.

Let the sea roar and all it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the mountains sing together for joy
Before the LORD; for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with equity.

~Psalm 98 (NASB 1977)

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Psalm 97

The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice;
Let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Fire goes before Him
And burns up His adversaries round about.
His lightnings lit up the world;
The earth saw and trembled.
The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples have seen His glory.

Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images,
Who boast themselves of idols;
Worship Him, all you gods.
Zion heard this and was glad,
And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced
Because of Thy judgments, O LORD.
For Thou art the LORD Most High over all the earth;
Thou art exalted far above all gods.

Hate evil, you who love the LORD,
Who preserves the souls of His godly ones;
He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown like seed for the righteous
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.

~Psalm 97 (NASB 1977)

Friday, April 26, 2013

Psalm 96

Sing to the LORD a new song;
Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name;
Bring an offering and come into His courts.
Worship the LORD in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity."

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
Before the LORD, for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth
He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.

~Psalm 96 (NASB 1977)

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Psalm 95

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD,
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand
Today, if you would hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
"When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, though they had seen My work.
"For forty years I loathed that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.
"Therefore I swore in My anger,
Truly they shall not enter into My rest."

~Psalm 95 (NASB 1977)

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Psalm 94

O LORD, God of vengeance,
God of vengeance, shine forth!
Rise up, O Judge of the earth,
Render recompense to the proud.
How long shall the wicked, O LORD,
How long shall the wicked exult?
They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly;
All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.
They crush Thy people, O LORD,
And afflict Thy heritage.
They slay the widow and the stranger
And murder the orphans.
They have said, "The LORD does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed."

Pay heed, you senseless among the people;
And when will you understand, stupid ones?
He who planted the ear, does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, does He not see?
He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke,
Even He who teaches man knowledge?
The LORD knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath.

Blessed is the man whom Thou dost chasten, O LORD,
And dost teach out of Thy law;
That Thou mayest grant him relief from the days of adversity,
Until a pit is dug for the wicked.
For the LORD will not abandon His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
For judgment will again be righteous,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.
Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness?

If the LORD had not been my help,
My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.
If I should say, "My foot has slipped,"
Thy lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up.
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Thy consolations delight my soul.
Can a throne of destruction be allied with Thee,
One which devises mischief by decree?
They band themselves together against the life of the righteous
And condemn the innocent to death.
But the LORD has been my stronghold,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
He has brought back their wickedness upon them
And will destroy them in their evil;
The LORD our God will destroy them.

~Psalm 94 (NASB 1977)

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Psalm 93

The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
Thy throne is established from of old;
Thou art from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their pounding waves.
More than the sounds of many waters,
Than the mighty breaker of the sea,
The LORD on high is mighty.
Thy testimonies are fully confirmed;
Holiness befits Thy house,
O LORD, forevermore.

~Psalm 93 (NASB 1977)

Monday, April 22, 2013

Psalm 92

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
And to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High;
To declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning,
And Thy faithfulness by night.
With the ten-stringed lute, and with the harp;
With resounding music upon the lyre.
For Thou, O LORD, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands.

How great are Thy works, O LORD!
Thy thoughts are very deep.
A senseless man has no knowledge;
Nor does a stupid man understand this:
That when the wicked sprouted up like grass,
And all who did iniquity flourished,
It was only that they might be destroyed forevermore,
But Thou, O LORD, art on high forever.
For, behold, Thine enemies, O LORD,
For, behold, Thine enemies will perish;
All who do iniquity will be scattered.

But Thou hast exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.
And my eye has looked exultantly upon my foes,
My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.
The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree,
Planted in the house of the LORD.
They will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still yield fruit in old age;
They shall be full of sap and very green,
To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

~Psalm 92 (NASB 1977)

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!"
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.

For you have made the LORD, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

"Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
"He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
"With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation."

~Psalm 91 (NASB 1977)

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Psalm 90

LORD, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were born
Or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.

Thou dost turn man back into dust
And say, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in Thy sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
Or as a watch in the night.
Thou hast swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep;
In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew.
In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew;
Toward evening it fades and withers away.

For we have been consumed by Thy anger
And by Thy wrath we have been dismayed.
Thou hast placed our iniquities before Thee,
Our secret sins in the light of Thy presence.
For all our days have declined in Thy fury;
We have finished our years like a sigh.
As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.
Who understands the power of Thine anger
And Thy fury, according to the fear that is due Thee?
So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.

Do return, O LORD; how long will it be?
And be sorry for Thy servants.
O satisfy us in the morning with Thy lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad according to the days Thou hast afflicted us,
And the years we have seen evil.
Let Thy work appear to Your servants
And Thy majesty to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.

~Psalm 90 (NASB 1977)

Friday, April 19, 2013

Psalm 89

I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever;
To all generations I will make known Thy faithfulness with my mouth.
For I have said, "Lovingkindness will be built up forever;
In the heavens Thou wilt establish Thy faithfulness."
"I have made a covenant with My chosen;
I have sworn to David My servant,
I will establish your seed forever
And build up your throne to all generations." Selah.

And the heavens will praise Thy wonders, O LORD;
Thy faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies is comparable to the LORD?
Who among the sons of the mighty is like the LORD,
A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,
And awesome above all those who are around Him?
O LORD God of hosts, who is like Thee, O mighty LORD?
Thy faithfulness also surrounds Thee.
Thou dost rule the swelling of the sea;
When its waves rise, Thou dost still them.
Thou Thyself didst crush Rahab like one who is slain;
Thou didst scatter Thine enemies with Thy mighty arm.

The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine;
The world and all it contains, Thou hast founded them.
The north and the south, Thou hast created them;
Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Thy name.
Thou hast a strong arm;
Thy hand is mighty, Thy right hand is exalted.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Thy throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before Thee.
How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O LORD, they walk in the light of Thy countenance.
In Thy name they rejoice all the day,
And by Thy righteousness they are exalted.
For Thou art the glory of their strength,
And by Thy favor our horn is exalted.
For our shield belongs to the LORD,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Once Thou didst speak in vision to Thy godly ones,
And said, "I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
"I have found David My servant;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
With whom My hand will be established;
My arm also will strengthen him.
"The enemy will not deceive him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
"But I shall crush his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.
"My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him,
And in My name his horn will be exalted.
"I shall also set his hand on the sea
And his right hand on the rivers.
"He will cry to Me, 'Thou art my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.'
"I also shall make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
"My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall be confirmed to him.
"So I will establish his descendants forever
And his throne as the days of heaven.

"If his sons forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
If they violate My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
Then I will punish their transgression with the rod
And their iniquity with stripes.
"But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him,
Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.
"My covenant I will not violate,
Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.
"Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.
"His descendants shall endure forever
And his throne as the sun before Me.
"It shall be established forever like the moon,
And the witness in the sky is faithful." Selah.
But Thou hast cast off and rejected,
Thou hast been full of wrath against Thine anointed.
Thou hast spurned the covenant of Thy servant;
Thou hast profaned his crown in the dust.
Thou hast broken down all his walls;
Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.
All who pass along the way plunder him;
He has become a reproach to his neighbors.
Thou hast exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
Thou hast made all his enemies rejoice.
Thou dost also turn back the edge of his sword
And hast not made him stand in battle.
Thou hast made his splendor to cease
And cast his throne to the ground.
Thou hast shortened the days of his youth;
Thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.

How long, O LORD?
Wilt Thou hide Thyself forever?
Wilt Thou wrath burn like fire?
Remember what my span of life is;
For what vanity Thou hast created all the sons of men!
What man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah.

Where are Thy former lovingkindnesses, O Lord,
Which Thou didst swear to David in Thy faithfulness?
Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Thy servants;
How I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
With which Thine enemies have reproached, O LORD,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Thine anointed.

Blessed be the LORD forever!
Amen and Amen.

~Psalm 89 (NASB 1977)

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Psalm 88

O LORD, the God of my salvation,
I have cried out by day and in the night before Thee.
Let my prayer come before Thee;
Incline Thine ear to my cry!

For my soul has had enough troubles,
And my life has drawn near to Sheol.
I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit;
I have become like a man without strength,
Forsaken among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom Thou dost remember no more,
And they are cut off from Thy hand.
Thou hast put me in the lowest pit,
In dark places, in the depths.
Thy wrath has rested upon me,
And Thou hast afflicted me with all Thy waves. Selah.

Thou hast removed my acquaintances far from me;
Thou hast made me an object of loathing to them;
I am shut up and cannot go out.
My eye has wasted away because of affliction;
I have called upon Thee every day, O LORD;
I have spread out my hands to Thee.
Wilt You perform wonders for the dead?
Will the departed spirits rise and praise Thee? Selah.

Will Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave,
Thy faithfulness in Abaddon?
Will Thy wonders be made known in the darkness?
And Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

But I, O LORD, have cried out to Thee for help,
And in the morning my prayer comes before Thee.
O LORD, why dost Thou reject my soul?
Why dost Thou hide Thy face from me?
I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on;
I suffer Thy terrors; I am overcome.
Thy burning anger has passed over me;
Thy terrors have destroyed me.
They have surrounded me like water all day long;
They have encompassed me altogether.
Thou hast removed lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in darkness.

~Psalm 88 (NASB 1977)

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Psalm 87

His foundation is in the holy mountains.
The LORD loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God.
“I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’”
But of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;
And the Most High Himself will establish her.
The LORD shall count when He registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.”
Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say,
“All my springs of joy are in you.”

~Psalm 87 (NASB 1977)

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Psalm 86

Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and answer me;
For I am afflicted and needy.
Do preserve my soul, for I am a godly man;
O Thou my God, save Thy servant who trusts in Thee.
Be gracious to me, O Lord.
For to Thee I cry all day long.
Make glad the soul of Thy servant,
For to Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
In the day of my trouble I shall call upon Thee,
For Thou wilt answer me.
There is no one like Thee among the gods, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Thine.
All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, O Lord;
And they shall glorify Thy name.
For Thou are great and doest wondrous deeds;
Thou alone art God.

Teach me Thy way, O Lord;
I will walk in Thy truth;
Unite my heart to fear Thy name.
I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Thy name forever.
For Thy lovingkindness toward me is great,
And Thou hast delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
And a band of violent men have sought my life,
And they have not set Thee before them.
But Thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh grant Thy strength to Thy servant,
And save the son of Thy handmaid.
Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it, and be ashamed,
Because Thou, O Lord, has helped me and comforted me.

~Psalm 86 (NASB 1977)

Monday, April 15, 2013

Psalm 85

O Lord, Thou didst show favor to Thy land;
Thou didst restore the captivity of Jacob.
Thou didst forgive the iniquity of Thy people;
Thou didst cover all their sin.
Thou didst withdraw all Thy fury;
Thou didst turn away from Thy burning anger.

Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Thine indignation toward us to cease.
Wilt Thou be angry with us forever?
Wilt Thou prolong Thine anger to all generations?
That Thy people may rejoice in Thee?
Show us Thy lovingkindness, O Lord,
And grant us Thy salvation.

I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
But let them not turn back to folly.
Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
Lovingkindness and truth have met together;
Righteousness looks down from heaven.
Indeed, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its produce.
Righteousness will go before Him,
And will make His footsteps into a way.

~Psalm 85 (NASB 1977)

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Psalm 84

How lovely are Thy dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Thine altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God,
How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.

How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee;
In whose heart are the highways to Zion!
Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring,
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob!
Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Thine anointed.
For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God,
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in Thee!

~Psalm 84 (NASB 1977)

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Psalm 83

O God, do not remain quiet;
Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
For behold, Thine enemies make an uproar,
And those who hate Thee have exalted themselves.
They make shrewd plans against Thy people,
And conspire together against Thy treasured ones.
They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation,
That the name of Israel be remembered no more."
For they have conspired together with one mind;
Against Thee they make a covenant:
The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites;
Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Assyria also has joined with them;
They have become a help to the children of Lot. Selah.

Deal with them as with Midian,
As with Sisera and Jabin at the torrent of Kishon,
Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who became as dung for the ground.
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb
And all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
Who said, "Let us possess for ourselves
The pastures of God."

O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like chaff before the wind.
Like fire that burns the forest
And like a flame that sets the mountains on fire,
So pursue them with Thy tempest
And terrify them with Thy storm.
Fill their faces with dishonor,
That they may seek Thy name, O LORD.
Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever,
And let them be humiliated and perish,
That they may know that Thee alone, whose name is the LORD,
Are the Most High over all the earth.

~Psalm 83 (NASB 1977)

Friday, April 12, 2013

Psalm 82

God takes His stand in His own congregation;
He judges in the midst of the rulers.
How long will you judge unjustly
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.

Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
They do not know nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

I said, "You are gods,
And all of you are sons of the Most High.
"Nevertheless you will die like men
And fall like any one of the princes."
Arise, O God, judge the earth!
For it is Thou who dost possess all the nations.

~Psalm 82 (NASB 1977)

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Psalm 81

Sing for joy to God our strength;
Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.
Raise a song, strike the timbrel,
The sweet sounding lyre with the harp.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
At the full moon, on our feast day.
For it is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob.
He established it for a testimony in Joseph
When he went throughout the land of Egypt
I heard a language that I did not know:

"I relieved his shoulder of the burden,
His hands were freed from the basket.
"You called in trouble and I rescued you;
I answered you in the hiding place of thunder;
I proved you at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, if you would listen to Me!
"Let there be no strange god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
"I, the LORD, am your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

"But My people did not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not obey Me.
"So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk in their own devices.
"Oh that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
"I would quickly subdue their enemies
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
"Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.
"But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

~Psalm 81 (NASB 1977)

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Psalm 80

Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel,
Thou who dost lead Joseph like a flock;
You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!
Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Thy power
And come to save us!
O God, restore us
And cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved. 

O LORD God of hosts,
How long wilt Thou be angry with the prayer of Thy people?
Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears,
And Thou hast made them to drink tears in large measure.
Thou dost make us an object of contention to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.
O God of hosts, restore us
And cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

Thou didst removed a vine from Egypt;
Thou didst drive out the nations and planted it.
Thou didst clear the ground before it,
And it took deep root and filled the land.
The mountains were covered with its shadow,
And the cedars of God with its boughs.
It was sending out its branches to the sea
And its shoots to the River.
Why have Thou broken down its hedges,
So that all who pass that way pick its fruit?
A boar from the forest eats it away
And whatever moves in the field feeds on it.

O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech Thee;
Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine,
Even the shoot which Thy right hand has planted,
And on the son whom Thou hast strengthened for Thyself.
It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance.
Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand,
Upon the son of man whom Thou made strong for Yourself.
Then we shall not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Thy name.
O LORD God of hosts, restore us;
Cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

~Psalm 80 (NASB 1977)

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Psalm 79

God, the nations have invaded Thine inheritance;
They have defiled Thy holy temple;
They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the dead bodies of Thy servants for food to the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Thy godly ones to the beasts of the earth.
They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem;
And there was no one to bury them.
We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and derision to those around us.

How long, O LORD? Wilt Thou be angry forever?
Will Thy jealousy burn like fire?
Pour out Thy wrath upon the nations which do not know Thee,
And upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Thy name.
For they have devoured Jacob
And laid waste his habitation.

Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us;
Let Thy compassion come quickly to meet us,
For we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name;
And deliver us and forgive our sins for Thy name's sake.
Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?"
Let there be known among the nations in our sight,
Vengeance for the blood of Thy servants which has been shed.

Let the groaning of the prisoner come before Thee;
According to the greatness of Thy power preserve those who are doomed to die.
And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom
The reproach with which they have reproached Thee, O Lord.
So we Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture
Will give thanks to Thee forever;
To all generations we will tell of Thy praise.

~Psalm 79 (NASB 1977)

Monday, April 8, 2013

Psalm 78

Listen, O my people, to my instruction;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
We will not conceal them from their children,
But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should teach them to their children,
That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born,
That they may arise and tell them to their children,
That they should put their confidence in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments,
And not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not prepare its heart,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows,
Yet they turned back in the day of battle.
They did not keep the covenant of God,
And refused to walk in His law;
And they forgot His deeds,
And His miracles that He had shown them.
He wrought wonders before their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through;
And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
Then He led them with the cloud by day,
And all the night with a light of fire.
He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.
He brought forth streams also from the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.

Yet they still continued to sin against Him,
To rebel against the Most High in the desert.
And in their heart they put God to the test
By asking food according to their desire.
Then they spoke against God;
They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
“Behold, He struck the rock, so that waters gushed out,
And streams were overflowing;
Can He give bread also?
Will He provide meat for His people?”
Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath,
And a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also mounted against Israel;
Because they did not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.
Yet He commanded the clouds above,
And opened the doors of heaven;
And He rained down manna upon them to eat,
And gave them food from heaven.
Man did eat the bread of angels;
He sent them food in abundance.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He directed the south wind.
When He rained meat upon them like the dust,
Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,
Then He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
Round about their dwellings.
So they ate and were well filled;
And their desire He gave to them.
Before they had satisfied their desire,
While their food was in their mouths,
The anger of God rose against them,
And killed some of their stoutest ones,
And subdued the choice men of Israel.
In spite of all this they still sinned,
And did not believe in His wonderful works.
So He brought their days to an end in futility,
And their years in sudden terror.

When He killed them, then they sought Him,
And returned and searched diligently for God;
And they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer.
But they deceived Him with their mouth,
And lied to Him with their tongue.
For their heart was not steadfast toward Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them;
And often He restrained His anger,
And did not arouse all His wrath.
Thus He remembered that they were but flesh,
A wind that passes and does not return.
How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness,
And grieved Him in the desert!
And again and again they tempted God,
And pained the Holy One of Israel.
They did not remember His power,
The day when He redeemed them from the adversary,
When He performed His signs in Egypt,
And His marvels in the field of Zoan,
And turned their rivers to blood,
And their streams, they could not drink.
He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them,
And frogs which destroyed them.
He gave also their crops to the grasshopper,
And the product of their labor to the locust.
He destroyed their vines with hailstones,
And their sycamore trees with frost.
He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones,
And their herds to bolts of lightning.
He sent upon them His burning anger,
Fury, and indignation, and trouble,
A band of destroying angels.
He leveled a path for His anger;
He did not spare their soul from death,
But gave over their life to the plague,
And smote all the first-born in Egypt,
The first issue of their virility in the tents of Ham.
But He led forth His own people like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
And He led them safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea engulfed their enemies.

So He brought them to His holy land, 
To this hill country which His right hand had gained.
He also drove out the nations before them,
And He apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God,
And did not keep His testimonies,
But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers;
They turned aside like a treacherous bow.
For they provoked Him with their high places,
And aroused His jealousy with their graven images.
When God heard, He was filled with wrath,
And greatly abhorred Israel;
So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh,
The tent which He had pitched among men,
And gave up His strength to captivity,
And His glory into the hand of the adversary.
He also delivered His people to the sword,
And was filled with wrath at His inheritance.
Fire devoured His young men;
And His virgins had no wedding songs.
His priests fell by the sword;
And His widows could not weep.

Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep,
Like a warrior overcome by wine.
And He drove His adversaries backward;
He put on them an everlasting reproach.
He also rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion which He loved.
And He built His sanctuary like the heights, 
Like the earth which He has founded forever.
He also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him,
To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
And guided them with his skillful hands.

~Psalm 78 NASB (1977)

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Psalm 77

My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted.
When I remember God, then I am disturbed;
When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah.
Thou hast held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I have considered the days of old,
The years of long ago.
I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders:

Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?
Has God forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.
Then I said, "It is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed."
I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. 
I will meditate on all Thy work
And muse on Thy deeds.
Thy way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
Thou art the God who works wonders;
Thou hast made known Thy strength among the peoples.
Thou hast by Thy power redeemed Thy people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

The waters saw Thee, O God;
The waters saw Thee, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth a sound;
Thy arrows flashed here and there.
The sound of Thy thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
Thy way was in the sea
And Thy paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
Thou didst lead Thy people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

~Psalm 77 (NASB)

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Psalm 76

God is known in Judah;
His name is great in Israel.
And His tabernacle is in Salem;
His dwelling place also is in Zion.
There He broke the flaming arrows,
The shield, and the sword, and the weapons of war.

Thou art resplendent,
More majestic than the mountains of prey.
The stouthearted were plundered;
They sank into sleep;
And none of the warriors could use his hands.
At Thy rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both rider and horse were cast into the dead sleep.
Thou, even Thou, art to be feared;
And who may stand in Thy presence when once Thou art angry?

Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared, and was still,
When God arose to judgment,
To save all the humble of the earth.
For the wrath of man shall praise Thee;
With a remnant of wrath Thou shalt gird Thyself.

Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;
Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.
He will cut off the spirit of princes;
He is feared by the kings of the earth.

~Psalm 76 (NASB 1977)

Friday, April 5, 2013

Psalm 75

We give thanks to Thee, O God, we give thanks,
For Thy name is near;
Men declare Thy wondrous works.
"When I select an appointed time,
It is I who judge with equity.
"The earth and all who dwell in it melt;
It is I who have firmly set its pillars.
"I said to the boastful, 'Do not boast,'
And to the wicked, 'Do not lift up the horn;
Do not lift up your horn on high,
Do not speak with insolent pride.'"

For not from the east, no from the west,
Nor from the desert comes exaltation;
But God is the Judge;
He puts down one, and exalts another.
For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wind foams;
It is well mixed, and He pours out of this;
Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.

But as for me, I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
And all the horns of the wicked He will cut off,
But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

~Psalm 75 (NASB 1977)

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Psalm 74

O God, why hast Thou rejected us forever?
Why does Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy pasture?
Remember Thy congregation, which Thou hast purchased of old,
Which Thou hast redeemed to be the tribe of Thine inheritance;
And this Mount Zion, where Thou hast dwelt.
Turn Thy footsteps toward the perpetual ruins;
The enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary.

Thine adversaries have roared in the midst of Thy meeting place;
They have set up their own standards for signs.
It seems as if one had lifted up
His axe in a forest of trees.
And now all its carved work
They smash with hatchet and hammers.
They have burned Thy sanctuary to the ground;
They have defiled the dwelling place of Thy name.
They said in their heart, "Let us completely subdue them."
They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
We do not see our signs;
There is no longer any prophet,
Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
How long, O God, will the adversary revile,
And the enemy spurn Thy name forever?
Why dost Thou withdraw Thy hand, even Thy right hand?
From within Thy bosom, destroy them!

Yet God is my king from of old,
Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth.
Thou didst divide the sea by Thy strength;
Thou broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
Thou didst crush the heads of Leviathan;
Thou didst him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
Thou didst break open springs and torrents;
Thou didst dry up ever-flowing streams.
Thine is the day, Thine also is the night;
Thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
Thou hast established all the boundaries of the earth;
Thou hast made summer and winter.

Remember this, O LORD, that the enemy has reviled,
And a foolish people has spurned Thy name.
Do not deliver the soul of Thy turtledove to the wild beast;
Do not forget the life of Thine afflicted forever.
Consider the covenant;
For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
Let not the oppressed return dishonored;
Let the afflicted and needy praise Thy name.

Do arise, O God, and plead Thine own cause;
Remember how the foolish man reproaches Thee all day long.
Do not forget the voice of Thine adversaries,
The uproar of those who rise against Thee which ascends continually.

~Psalm 74 (NASB 1977)

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Psalm 73

Surely God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart!
But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling;
My steps had almost slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant,
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For there are no pains in their death;
Nor are they plagued like mankind.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
The garment of violence covers them.
Their eye bulges from fatness;
The imaginations of their heart run riot.
They mock, and wickedly speak of oppression;
They speak from on high.
They have set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue parades through the earth.

Therefore his people return to this place;
And waters of abundance are drunk by them.
And they say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?”
Behold, these are the wicked;
And always at ease, they have increased in wealth. 
Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure,
And washed my hands in innocence;
For I have been stricken all day long,
And chastened every morning.

If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I should have betrayed the generations of Thy children.
When I pondered to understand this,
It was troublesome in my sight
Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their end.
Surely Thou dost set them in slippery places;
Thou dost cast them down to destruction.
How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!
Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when aroused, Thou wilt despite their form.

When my heart was embittered,
And I was pierced within,
Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before Thee.
Nevertheless I am continually with Thee;
Thou hast take hold of my right hand.
With Thy counseled Thou wilt guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but Thee?
And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish;
Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee.
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Thy works.

~Psalm 73 (NASB 1977)

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Psalm 72

Give the king Thy judgments, O God,
And Thy righteousness to the king’s son.
May he judge Thy people with righteousness
And Thine afflicted with justice.
Let the mountains bring peace to the people,
And the hills, in righteousness.
May he vindicate the afflicted of the people,
Save the children of the needy
And crush the oppressor.

Let them fear Thee while the sun endures,
And as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he come down like rain upon the mown grass,
Like showers that water the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish,
And abundance of peace till the moon is no more.

May he also rule from sea to sea
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Let the nomads of the desert bow before him,
And his enemies lick the dust.
Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
And let all kings bow down before him,
All nations serve him.

For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help,
The afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
He will have compassion on the poor and needy,
And the lives of the needy he will save.
He will rescue their life from oppression and violence,
And their blood will be precious in his sight;
So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him;
And let them pray for him continually;
Let them bless him all day long.

May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains;
Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon;
And may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth.
May his name endure forever;
May his name increase as long as the sun shines;
And let men bless themselves by him;
Let all nations call him blessed.

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
Who alone works wonders.
And blessed be His glorious name forever;
And may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen, and Amen.

The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

~Psalm 72 (NASB 1977)

Monday, April 1, 2013

Psalm 71

In Thee, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed.
In Thy righteousness deliver me, and rescue me;
Incline Thine ear to me, and save me.
Be Thou to me a rock of habitation, to which I may continually come;
Thou hast given commandment to save me,
For Thou art my rock and my fortress.
Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man,
For Thou art my hope;
O LORD God, Thou art my confidence from my youth.
By Thee I have been sustained from my birth;
Thou art He who took me from my mother’s womb;
My praise is continually of Thee.

I have become a marvel to many;
For Thou art my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with Thy praise,
And with Thy glory all day long.
Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails,
For my enemies have spoken against me;
And those who watch for my life have consulted together,
Saying, “God has forsaken him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver.”

O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, hasten to my help!
Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.
But as for me, I will hope continually,
And will praise Thee yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Thy righteousness,
And of Thy salvation all day long;
For I do not know the sum of them.
I will come with the mighty deeds of the LORD God;
I will make mention of Thy righteousness, Thine alone.

O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth;
And I still declare Thy wondrous deeds.
And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Thy strength to this generation,
Thy power to all who are to come.
For Thy righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
Thou who hast done great things;
O God, who is like Thee?
Thou, who hast shown me many troubles and distresses,
Wilt revive me again,
And wilt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
Mayest Thou increase my greatness,
And turn to comfort me.

I will also praise Thee with a harp,
Even Thy truth, O my God;
O Thou Holy One of Israel.
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to Thee;
And my soul, which Thou hast redeemed.
My tongue also will utter Thy righteousness all day long;
For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my hurt.

~Psalm 71 (NASB 1977)