Psalm 147

Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant and praise is becoming.
The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted,
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He gives names to all of them.
Great is our LORD, and abundant in strength;
His understanding is infinite.
The Lord supports the afflicted;
He brings down the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre,
Who covered the heavens with clouds,
Who provides rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
He gives to the beast its food,
And to the young ravens which cry.
He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
The Lord favors those who fear Him.
Those who wait for His lovingkindness.

Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
He has blessed your sons within you.
He makes peace in your borders;
He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat.
He sends forth His command to the earth

His words runs very swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes.
He casts forth His ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His cold?
He sends forth His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.
He declares His words to Jacob,
His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.
He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His ordinances, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord!

~Psalm 147 (NASB 1977)

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)

Psalm 105

Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
Remember His wonders which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth,
O seed of Abraham, His servant,
O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.

He has remembered His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,
The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac.
Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the portion of your inheritance,"
When they were only a few men in number,
Very few, and strangers in it.
And they wandered about from nation to nation,
From one kingdom to another people.
He permitted no man to oppress them,
And He reproved kings for their sakes:
"Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm."

And He called for a famine upon the land;
He broke the whole staff of bread.
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
They afflicted his feet with fetters,
He himself was laid in irons;
Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the LORD tested him.
The king sent and released him,
The ruler of peoples, and set him free.
He made him lord of his house
And ruler over all his possessions,
To imprison his princes at will,
That he might teach his elders wisdom.
Israel also came into Egypt;
Thus Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
And He caused His people to be very fruitful,
And made them stronger than their adversaries.

He turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.
He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron, whom He had chosen.
They performed His wondrous acts among them,
And miracles in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness and made it dark;
And they did not rebel against His words.
He turned their waters into blood
And caused their fish to die.
Their land swarmed with frogs
Even in the chambers of their kings.
He spoke, and there came a swarm of flies
And gnats in all their territory.
He gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
He struck down their vines also and their fig trees,
And shattered the trees of their territory.
He spoke, and locusts came,
And young locusts, even without number,
And ate up all vegetation in their land,
And ate up the fruit of their ground.
He also struck down all the firstborn in their land,
The first fruits of all their vigor.

Then He brought them out with silver and gold,
And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled.
Egypt was glad when they departed,
For the dread of them had fallen upon them.
He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to illumine by night.
They asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock and water flowed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.
For He remembered His holy word
With Abraham His servant;
And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful shout.
He gave them also the lands of the nations,
That they might take possession of the fruit of the peoples' labor,
So that they might keep His statutes
And observe His laws,
Praise the LORD!

~Psalm 105 (NASB 1977)

Psalm 18

"I love Thee, O LORD, my strength."
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.

The cords of death encompassed me,
And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.
The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called upon the LORD,
And cried to my God for help; 

He heard my voice out of His temple,
And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.
Then the earth shook and quaked;
And the foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
He rode upon a cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and coals of fire.

The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
He sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.
Then the channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were laid bare
At Thy rebuke, O LORD,
At the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils.

He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my stay.
He brought me forth also into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all His ordinances were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
I was also blameless with Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

With the kind Thou dost show Thyself kind;
With the blameless Thou dost show Thyself blameless;
With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure,
And with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself astute.
For Thou dost save an afflicted people,
But haughty eyes Thou dost abase.
For Thou dost light my lamp;
The LORD my God illumines my darkness.
For by Thee I can run upon a troop;
And by my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God,
The God who girds me with strength
And makes my way blameless?
He makes my feet like hinds' feet,
And sets me upon my high places.
He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation,
And Thy right hand upholds me;
And Thy gentleness makes me great.
Thou dost enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
And I did not turn back until they were consumed.
I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise;
They fell under my feet.
For Thou hast girded me with strength for battle;
Thou hast subdued under me those who rose up against me.
Thou hast also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I destroyed those who hated me.
They cried for help, but there was none to save,
Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
Then I beat them fine as the dust before the wind;
I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.

Thou hast delivered me from the contentions of the people;
Thou hast placed me as head of the nations;
A people whom I have not known serve me.
As soon as they hear, they obey me;
Foreigners submit to me.
Foreigners fade away,
And come trembling out of their fortresses.

The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be the God of my salvation,
The God who executes vengeance for me,
And subdues peoples under me.
He delivers me from my enemies;
Surely Thou dost lift me above those who rise up against me;
Thou dost rescue me from the violent man.

Therefore I will give thanks to Thee among the nations, O LORD,
And I will sing praises to Thy name.
He gives great deliverance to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever.

~Psalm 18 (NASB 1977)