Showing posts with label Adversaries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adversaries. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Psalm 136

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Give thanks to the LORD of lords,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
To Him who made the heavens with skill,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
To Him who made the great lights,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting:
The sun to rule by day,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And brought Israel out from their midst,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
With a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
To Him who smote great kings,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And slew mighty kings,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting:
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And Og, king of Bashan,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And gave their land as a heritage,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
Even a heritage to Israel His servant,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Who remembered us in our low estate,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And has rescued us from our adversaries,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
Who gives food to all flesh,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

~Psalm 136 (NASB 1977)

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Psalm 119

Aleph.
How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the LORD.
How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,
Who seek Him with all their heart.
They also do no unrighteousness;
They walk in His ways.
Thou hast ordained Thy precepts,
That we should keep them diligently.
Oh that my ways may be established
To keep Thy statutes!
Then I shall not be ashamed
When I look upon all Thy commandments.
I shall give thanks to Thee with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Thy righteous judgments.
I shall keep Thy statutes;
Do not forsake me utterly!

Beth.
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Thy word.
With all my heart I have sought Thee;
Do not let me wander from Thy commandments.
Thy word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against Thee.
Blessed art Thou, O LORD;
Teach me Thy statutes.
With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Thy mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Thy precepts,
And regard Thy ways.
I shall delight in Thy statutes;
I shall not forget Thy word.

Gimel.
Deal bountifully with Thy servant,
That I may live and keep Thy word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Thy law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Thy commandments from me.
My soul is crushed with longing
After Thine ordinances at all times.
Thou dost rebuke the arrogant, the cursed,
Who wander from Thy commandments.
Take away reproach and contempt from me,
For I observe Thy testimonies.
Even though princes sit and talk against me,
Thy servant meditates on Thy statutes.
Thy testimonies also are my delight;
They are my counselors.

Daleth.
My soul cleaves to the dust;
Revive me according to Thy word.
I have told of my ways, and Thou hast answered me;
Teach me Thy statutes.
Make me understand the way of Thy precepts,
So I will meditate on Thy wonders.
My soul weeps because of grief;
Strengthen me according to Thy word.
Remove the false way from me,
And graciously grant me Thy law.
I have chosen the faithful way;
I have placed Thine ordinances before me.
I cling to Thy testimonies;
O LORD, do not put me to shame!
I shall run the way of Thy commandments,
For Thou wilt enlarge my heart.

He.
Teach me, O LORD, the way of Thy statutes,
And I shall observe it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy law
And keep it with all my heart.
Make me walk in the path of Thy commandments,
For I delight in it.
Incline my heart to Thy testimonies
And not to dishonest gain.
Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,
And revive me in Thy ways.
Establish Thy word to Thy servant,
As that which produces reverence for Thee.
Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Thine ordinances are good.
Behold, I long for Thy precepts;
Revive me through Thy righteousness.

Vav.
May Thy lovingkindnesses also come to me, O LORD,
Thy salvation according to Thy word;
So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me,
For I trust in Thy word.
And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I wait for Thine ordinances.
So I will keep Thy law continually,
Forever and ever.
And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Thy precepts.
I will also speak of Thy testimonies before kings
And shall not be ashamed.
I shall delight in Thy commandments,
Which I love.
And I shall lift up my hands to Thy commandments,
Which I love;
And I will meditate on Thy statutes.

Zayin.
Remember the word to Thy servant,
In which Thou hast made me hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction,
That Thy word has revived me.
The arrogant utterly deride me,
Yet I do not turn aside from Thy law.
I have remembered Thine ordinances from of old, O LORD,
And comfort myself.
Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked,
Who forsake Thy law.
Thy statutes are my songs
In the house of my pilgrimage.
O LORD, I remember Thy name in the night,
And keep Thy law.
This has become mine,
That I observe Thy precepts.

Heth.
The LORD is my portion;
I have promised to keep Thy words.
I entreated Thy favor with all my heart;
Be gracious to me according to Thy word.
I considered my ways
And turned my feet to Thy testimonies.
I hastened and did not delay
To keep Thy commandments.
The cords of the wicked have encircled me,
But I have not forgotten Thy law.
At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to Thee
Because of Thy righteous ordinances.
I am a companion of all those who fear Thee,
And of those who keep Thy precepts.
The earth is full of Thy lovingkindness, O LORD;
Teach me Thy statutes.

Teth.
Thou hast dealt well with Thy servant,
O LORD, according to Thy word.
Teach me good discernment and knowledge,
For I believe in Thy commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Thy word.
Thou art good and doest good;
Teach me Thy statutes.
The arrogant have forged a lie against me;
With all my heart I will observe Thy precepts.
Their heart is covered with fat,
But I delight in Thy law.
It is good for me that I was afflicted,
That I may learn Thy statutes.
The law of Thy mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Yodh.
Thy hands made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments.
May those who fear Thee see me and be glad,
Because I wait for Thy word.
I know, O LORD, that Thy judgments are righteous,
And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me.
O may Thy lovingkindness comfort me,
According to Thy word to Thy servant.
May Thy compassion come to me that I may live,
For Thy law is my delight.
May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie;
But I shall meditate on Thy precepts.
May those who fear Thee turn to me,
Even those who know Thy testimonies.
May my heart be blameless in Thy statutes,
So that I will not be ashamed.

Kaph.
My soul languishes for Thy salvation;
I wait for Thy word.
My eyes fail with longing for Thy word,
While I say, “When wilt Thou comfort me?”
Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
I do not forget Thy statutes.
How many are the days of Thy servant?
When wilt Thou execute judgment on those who persecute me?
The arrogant have dug pits for me,
Men who are not in accord with Thy law.
All Thy commandments are faithful;
They have persecuted me with a lie; help me!
They almost destroyed me on earth,
But as for me, I did not forsake Thy precepts.
Revive me according to Thy lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Thy mouth.

Lamedh.
Forever, O LORD,
Thy word is settled in heaven.
Thy faithfulness continues throughout all generations;
Thou didst establish the earth, and it stands.
They stand this day according to Thine ordinances,
For all things are Thy servants.
If Thy law had not been my delight,
Then I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget Thy precepts,
For by them Thou hast revived me.
I am Thine, save me;
For I have sought Thy precepts.
The wicked wait for me to destroy me;
I shall diligently consider Thy testimonies.
I have seen a limit to all perfection;
Thy commandment is exceedingly broad.

Mem.
O how I love Thy law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Thy testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
Because I have observed Thy precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Thy word.
I have not turned aside from Thine ordinances,
For Thou Thyself hast taught me.
How sweet are Thy words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
From Thy precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

Nun.
Thy word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
I have sworn and I will confirm it,
That I will keep Thy righteous ordinances.
I am exceedingly afflicted;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Thy word.
O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,
And teach me Thine ordinances.
My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Thy law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not gone astray from Thy precepts.
I have inherited Thy testimonies forever,
For they are the joy of my heart.
I have inclined my heart to perform Thy statutes
Forever, even to the end.

Samekh.
I hate those who are double-minded,
But I love Thy law.
Thou art my hiding place and my shield;
I wait for Thy word.
Depart from me, evildoers,
That I may observe the commandments of my God.
Sustain me according to Thy word, that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
Uphold me that I may be safe,
That I may have regard for Thy statutes continually.
Thou hast rejected all those who wander from Thy statutes,
For their deceitfulness is useless.
Thou hast removed all the wicked of the earth like dross;
Therefore I love Thy testimonies.
My flesh trembles for fear of Thee,
And I am afraid of Thy judgments.

Ayin.
I have done justice and righteousness;
Do not leave me to my oppressors.
Be surety for Thy servant for good;
Do not let the arrogant oppress me.
My eyes fail with longing for Thy salvation
And for Thy righteous word.
Deal with Thy servant according to Thy lovingkindness
And teach me Thy statutes.
I am Thy servant; give me understanding,
That I may know Thy testimonies.
It is time for the LORD to act,
For they have broken Thy law.
Therefore I love Thy commandments
Above gold, yes, above fine gold.
Therefore I esteem right all Thy precepts concerning everything,
I hate every false way.

Pe.
Thy testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul observes them.
The unfolding of Thy words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
I opened my mouth wide and panted,
For I longed for Thy commandments.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
After Thy manner with those who love Thy name.
Establish my footsteps in Thy word,
And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.
Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Thy precepts.
Make Thy face shine upon Thy servant,
And teach me Thy statutes.
My eyes shed streams of water,
Because they do not keep Thy law.

Tsadhe.
Righteous art Thou, O LORD,
And upright are Thy judgments.
Thou hast commanded Thy testimonies in righteousness
And exceeding faithfulness.
My zeal has consumed me,
Because my adversaries have forgotten Thy words.
Thy word is very pure,
Therefore Thy servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Thy precepts.
Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Thy law is truth.
Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
Yet Thy commandments are my delight.
Thy testimonies are righteous forever;
Give me understanding that I may live.

Qoph.
I cried with all my heart; answer me, O LORD!
I will observe Thy statutes.
I cried to Thee; save me
And I shall keep Thy testimonies.
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I wait for Thy words.
My eyes anticipate the night watches,
That I may meditate on Thy word.
Hear my voice according to Thy lovingkindness;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Thy ordinances.
Those who follow after wickedness draw near;
They are far from Thy law.
Thou art near, O LORD,
And all Thy commandments are truth.
Of old I have known from Thy testimonies
That Thou hast founded them forever.

Resh.
Look upon my affliction and rescue me,
For I do not forget Thy law.
Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Thy word.
Salvation is far from the wicked,
For they do not seek Thy statutes.
Great are Thy mercies, O LORD;
Revive me according to Thine ordinances.
Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
Yet I do not turn aside from Thy testimonies.
I behold the treacherous and loathe them,
Because they do not keep Thy word.
Consider how I love Thy precepts;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Thy lovingkindness.
The sum of Thy word is truth,
And every one of Thy righteous ordinances is everlasting.

Shin.
Princes persecute me without cause,
But my heart stands in awe of Thy words.
I rejoice at Thy word,
As one who finds great spoil.
I hate and despise falsehood,
But I love Thy law.
Seven times a day I praise Thee,
Because of Thy righteous ordinances.
Those who love Thy law have great peace,
And nothing causes them to stumble.
I hope for Thy salvation, O LORD,
And do Thy commandments.
My soul keeps Thy testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
I keep Thy precepts and Thy testimonies,
For all my ways are before Thee.

Tav.
Let my cry come before Thee, O LORD;
Give me understanding according to Thy word.
Let my supplication come before Thee;
Deliver me according to Thy word.
Let my lips utter praise,
For Thou dost teach me Thy statutes.
Let my tongue sing of Thy word,
For all Thy commandments are righteousness.
Let Thy hand be ready to help me,
For I have chosen Thy precepts.
I long for Thy salvation, O LORD,
And Thy law is my delight.
Let my soul live that it may praise Thee,
And let Thine ordinances help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant,
For I do not forget Thy commandments.

~Psalm 119 (NASB 1977)

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Psalm 112

Praise the LORD!
How blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous,
It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He will maintain his cause in judgment.
For he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever.

He will not fear evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is upheld, he will not fear,
Until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries.
He has given freely to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted in honor.
The wicked will see it and be vexed;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked will perish.

~Psalm 112 (NASB 1977)

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Psalm 108

My heart is steadfast, O God,
I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre;
I will awaken the dawn!
I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord, among the peoples;
And I will sing praised to Thee among the nations.
For Thy lovingkindness is great above the heavens;
And Thy truth reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Thy glory above all the earth.
That Thy beloved may be delivered,
Save with Thy right hand, and answer me!

God has spoken in His holiness:
"I will exult, I will portion out Shechem,
And measure out the valley of Succoth.
"Gilead is Mind, Manasseh is Mind;
Ephraim also is the helmet of My Head;
Judah is My scepter.
"Moab is My washbowl;
Over Edom I shall throw My shoe;
Over Philistia I will shout aloud."

Who will bring me into the besieged city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
Hast not Thou Thyself, O God, rejected us?
Oh, give us help against the adversary,
For deliverance by man is in vain.
Through God we shall do valiantly;
And it is He would will tread down our adversaries.

~Psalm 108 (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 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)

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)

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Psalm 70

Oh God, hasten to deliver me;
O LORD, hasten to my help!
Let those be ashamed and humiliated
Who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.
Let those be turned back because of their shame
Who say, "Aha, aha!"

Let all who seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee;
And let those who love Thy salvation say continually,
"Let God be magnified."
But I am afflicted and needy;
Hasten to me, O God!
Thou art my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay.

~Psalm 70

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Psalm 60

O God, Thou hast rejected us. Thou hast broken us;
Thou hast been angry; O, restore us.
Thou hast made the land quake, Thou hast split it open;
Heal its breaches, for it totters.
Thou hast made Thy people experience hardship;
Thou hast given us wine to drink that makes us stagger.
Thou hast given a banner to those who fear Thee,
That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
That Thy beloved may be delivered,
Save with Thy right hand, and answer us!

God has spoken in His holiness:
"I will exult, I will portion out Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth.
"Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the helmet of My head;
Judah is My scepter.
"Moab is My washbowl;
Over Edom I shall throw My shoe;
Shout loud, O Philistia, because of Me!"

Who will bring me into the besieged city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
Have not Thou Thyself, O God, rejected us?
And will Thou not go forth with our armies, O God?
O give us help against the adversary,
For deliverance by man is in vain.
Through God we shall do valiantly,
And it is He who will tread down our adversaries.

~Psalm 60 (NASB 1977)

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Psalm 56

Be gracious, O God, for man has trampled upon me;
Fighting all day long he oppresses me.
My foes have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me.
When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in Thee.
In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can mere man do to me?
All day long they distort my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil
They attach, they lurk,
They watch my steps,
As they have waiting to take my life.
Because of wickedness, cast them forth,
In anger put down the peoples, O God!

Thou hast taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Thy bottle;
Are they not in Thy book?
Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
In the Lord, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.
What can man to do me?
Thy vows are binding upon me, O God;
I will render thank offerings to Thee.
For Thou hast delivered my soul from death,
Indeed my feet from stumbling,
So that I may walk before God
In the light of the living.

~Psalm 56 (NASB 1977)

Friday, March 15, 2013

Psalm 54

Save me, O God, by Thy name,
And vindicate me by Thy power.
Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers have risen against me
And violent men have sought my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah.

Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
He will recompense the evil to my foes;
Destroy them in Thy faithfulness.

Willingly I will sacrifice to Thee;
I will give thanks to Thy name, O LORD, for it is good.
For He has delivered me from all trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.

~Psalm 54 (NASB 1977)

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Psalm 44

O God, we have heard with our ears,
Our fathers have told us,
The work that Thou didst in their days,
In the days of old.
Thou with Thine own hand didst drive out the nations;
Then Thou didst plant them;
Thou didst afflict the peoples,
Then Thou didst spread them abroad.
For by their own sword they did not possess the land;
And their own arm did not save them;
But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy presence,
For Thou didst favor them.

Thou art my King, O God;
Command victories for Jacob.
Through Thee we will push back our adversaries;
Through Thy name we will trample down those who rise up against us.
For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me.
But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries,
And Thou hast put to shame those who hate us.
In God we have boasted all day long,
And we will give thanks to Thy name forever. Selah.

Yet Thou hast rejected us and brought us to dishonor,
And dost not go out with our armies.
Thou dost cause us to turn back from the adversary;
And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.
Thou dost give us as sheep to be eaten,
And hast scattered us among the nations.
Thou dost sell Thy people cheaply,
And hast not profited by their sale.
Thou dost make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and a derision to those around us.
Thou dost make us a byword among the nations,
A laughingstock among the peoples.
All day long my dishonor is before me,
And my humiliation has overwhelmed me,
Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger.

All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten Thee,
And we have not dealt falsely with Thy covenant.
Our heart has not turned back,
And our steps have not deviated from Thy way,
Yet Thou hast crushed us in a place of jackals,
And covered us with the shadow of death.
If we had forgotten the name of our God,
Or extended our hands to a strange god;
Would not God find this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
But for Thy sake we are killed all day long;
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

Arouse Thyself, why dost Thou sleep, O LORD?
Awake, do not reject us forever.
Why dost Thou hide Thy face,
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
For our soul has sunk down into the dust;
Our body cleaves to the earth.
Rise up, be our help,
And redeem us for the sake of Thy lovingkindness.

~Psalm 44 (NASB 1977)

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Psalm 35

Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
Take hold of buckler and shield,
And rise up for my help.
Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."
Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
Let them be like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
For without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
Let destruction come upon him unawares;
And let the net which he hid catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.

And my soul shall rejoice in the LORD;
It shall exult in His salvation.
All my bones will say, "LORD, who is like Thee,
Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?"
Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask of me things that I do not know.
They repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting;
And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.
I went about as though it were my friend or bother;
I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.
But at my stumbling they rejoiced, and gathers themselves together against me,
They slandered me without ceasing,
Like godless jesters at a feast,
They gnashed at me with their teeth.

LORD, how long wilt Thou look on?
Rescue my soul from their ravages,
My only life from the lions.
I will give Thee thanks in the great congregations;
I will praise Thee among a mighty throng.
Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
Neither let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously.
For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
And they opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, "Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!"

Thou hast seen it, O LORD, do not keep silent;
O LORD, do not be far from me.
Stir up Thyself, and awake to my right,
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Thy righteousness;
And do not let them rejoice over me.
Do not let them say in their heart, "Aha, our desire!"
Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up!"
Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.

Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;
And let them say continually, "The LORD be magnified,
Who delights in the prosperity of His servant."
And my tongue shall declare Thy righteousness
And Thy praise all day long.

~Psalm 35 (NASB 1977)

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Psalm 31

In Thee, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Thy righteousness deliver me.
Incline Thine ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be Thou to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.
For Thou art my rock and my fortress;
For Thy name’s sake Thou wilt lead me and guide me.
Thou wilt pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me;
For Thou art my strength.
Into Thy hand I commit my spirit;
Thou hast ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.

I hate those who regard vain idols;
But I trust in the Lord.
I will rejoice and be glad in They lovingkindness,
Because Thou hast seen my affliction’
Thou hast known the trouble of my soul,
And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
Thou hast set my feet in a large place.

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.
For my life is pent with sorrow,
And my years with sighing’
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And my body has wasted way.
Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,
Especially to my neighbors
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind,
I am like a broken vessel.
For I have heard the slander of many,
Terror is on every side;
While they took counsel together against me,
They schemed to take away my life.

But as for me, I trust in Thee, O Lord,
I say, “Thou art my God.”
My times are in Thy hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant’
Save me in Thy lovingkindness.
Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon Thee;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
Let the lying lips be dumb,
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.

How great is Thy goodness,
Which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee,
Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee,
Before the sons of men!
Thou dost hide them in the secret place of Thy presence from the conspiracies of man;
Thou dost keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
Blessed be the Lord,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.
As for me, I said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from before Thine eyes”;
Nevertheless Thou didst hear the voice of my supplications
When I cried to Thee.

O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!
The Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the Lord.

~Psalm 31 (NASB 1977)

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Psalm 10

Why dost Thou stand afar off, O Lord?
Why dost Thou hide Thyself in times of trouble?
In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire,
And the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord.
The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him.
All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

His ways prosper at all times;
Thy judgments are on high, out of his sight;
As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.
He says to him, “I shall not be moved;
Throughout all generations I shall not be in adversity.”
His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.
He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the hiding places he kills the innocents;
His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.
He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair;
He lurks to catch the afflicted;
He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.
He crouches, he bows down,
And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.
He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Thy hand.
Do not forget the afflicted.
Why has the wicked spurned God?
He has said to himself, “Thou will not require it.”
Thou has seen it, for Thou has beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Thy hand.
The unfortunate commits himself to Thee;
Thou hast been the helper of the orphan.
Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
Seek out his wickedness until Thou dost find none.

The Lord is King forever and ever;
Nations have perished from His land.
O Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble;
Thou wilt strengthen their heart, Thou wilt incline Thine ear
To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
That man who is of the earth may cause terror no more.

~Psalm 10 (NASB 1977)

Friday, January 25, 2013

Psalm 5

Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my groaning.
Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
For to Thee do I pray.
In the morning, O Lord, Thou wilt hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch.

For Thou art not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with Thee.
The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes;
Thou dost destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
But as for me, by Thine abundant lovingkindness I will enter Thy house,
At Thy holy temple I will bow in reverence for Thee.

O Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness because of my foes;
Make Thy way straight before me.
There is nothing reliable in what they say;
Their inward part is destruction itself;
Their throat is an open grave;
They flatter with their tongue.
Hold them guilty, O God;
By their own devices let them fall!
In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out,
For they are rebellious against Thee.

But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And mayest Thou shelter them,
That those who love Thy name may exult in Thee.
For it is Thou who dost bless the righteous man, O Lord,
Thou dost surround him with favor as with a shield.

~Psalm 5 (NASB 1977)

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Psalm 3

O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no deliverance for him in God.”

But Thou, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
I was crying to the Lord with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy mountain.
I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousand people
Who have set themselves against round about.

Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God!
For Thou hast smitten all my enemies on the cheek;
Thou hast shattered the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to the Lord;
Thy blessing be upon Thy people!

~Psalm 3 (NASB 1977)