Sunday, March 1, 2015

Day 12: Psalms 34-36

Psalm 34

1  I will bless the LORD at all times; *
    his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

2  I will glory in the LORD; *
    let the humble hear and rejoice.
Proclaim with me the greatness of the LORD; *
    let us exalt his Name together.
4I sought the LORD, and he answered me *
    and delivered me out of all my terror.

5Look upon him and be radiant, *
    and let not your faces be ashamed.
6I called in my affliction and the LORD heard me *
    and saved me from all my troubles.
7The angel of the LORD encompasses those who fear him, *
    and he will deliver them.
8Taste and see that the LORD is good; *
    happy are they who trust in him!
9Fear the LORD, you that are his saints, *
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
10The young lions lack and suffer hunger, *
    but those who seek the L
ORD lack nothing that is good.
11Come, children, and listen to me; *
    I will teach you the fear of the L
ORD.
12Who among you loves life *
    and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?
13Keep your tongue from evil-speaking *
    and your lips from lying words.
14Turn from evil and do good; *
    seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, *
    and his ears are open to their cry.
16The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, *
    to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.

17The righteous cry, and the LORD hears them *
    and delivers them from all their troubles.
18The LORD is near to the brokenhearted *
    and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
19Many are the troubles of the righteous, *
    but the L
ORD will deliver him out of them all.
20He will keep safe all his bones; *
    not one of them shall be broken.
21Evil shall slay the wicked, *
    and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22The LORD ransoms the life of his servants, *
    and none will be punished who trust in him.

Psalm 35

1Fight those who fight me, O LORD; *
    attack those who are attacking me.
  
2Take up shield and armor *
    and rise up to help me.
  
3Draw the sword and bar the way against those
                              who pursue me; *
    say to my soul, "I am your salvation."
  
4Let those who seek after my life be shamed and humbled; *
    let those who plot my ruin fall back and be dismayed.
  
5Let them be like chaff before the wind, *
    and let the angel of the L
ORD drive them away.


6Let their way be dark and slippery, *
    and let the angel of the L
ORD pursue them.
  
7For they have secretly spread a net for me without a cause; *
    without a cause they have dug a pit to take me alive.
  
8Let ruin come upon them unawares; *
    let them be caught in the net they hid;
    let them fall into the pit they dug.
  
9Then I will be joyful in the LORD; *
    I will glory in his victory.
  
10My very bones will say, "LORD, who is like you? *
    You deliver the poor from those who are too strong for them,
    the poor and needy from those who rob them."
  
11Malicious witnesses rise up against me; *
    they charge me with matters I know nothing about.
  
12They pay me evil in exchange for good; *
    my soul is full of despair.
  
13But when they were sick I dressed in sack-cloth *
    and humbled myself by fasting.
  
14I prayed with my whole heart,
as one would for a friend or a brother; *
    I behaved like one who mourns for his mother,
    bowed down and grieving.
  
15But when I stumbled, they were glad and gathered together;
they gathered against me; *
    strangers whom I did not know tore me to pieces and
                              would not stop.
  
16They put me to the test and mocked me; *
    they gnashed at me with their teeth.

17O Lord, how long will you look on? *
    rescue me from the roaring beasts,
    and my life from the young lions.
  
18I will give you thanks in the great congregation; *
    I will praise you in the mighty throng.
  
19Do not let my treacherous foes rejoice over me, *
    nor let those who hate me without a cause
                               wink at each other.
  
20For they do not plan for peace, *
    but invent deceitful schemes against the
                               quiet in the land.
  
21They opened their mouths at me and said, *
    "Aha! we saw it with our own eyes."
  
22You saw it, O LORD; do not be silent; *
    O Lord, be not far from me.
  
23Awake, arise, to my cause! *
    to my defense, my God and my Lord!
  
24Give me justice, O LORD my God,
according to your righteousness; *
    do not let them triumph over me.
  
25Do not let them say in their hearts,
"Aha! just what we want!" *
    Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up."
  
26Let all who rejoice at my ruin be ashamed and disgraced; *
    let those who boast against me be clothed with
                               dismay and shame.
  
27Let those who favor my cause sing out with joy and be glad; *
    let them say always, "Great is the L
ORD,
    who desires the prosperity of his servant."
  

28And my tongue shall be talking of your righteousness *
    and of your praise all the day long.
 

Psalm 36

1There is a voice of rebellion deep in the heart of the wicked; *
    there is no fear of God before his eyes.
  
2He flatters himself in his own eyes *
    that his hateful sin will not be found out.
  
3The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; *
    he has left off acting wisely and doing good.
  
4He thinks up wickedness upon his bed
and has set himself in no good way; *
    he does not abhor that which is evil.
  
  
5Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, *
    and your faithfulness to the clouds.
  
6Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep; *
    you save both man and beast, O L
ORD.
  
7How priceless is your love, O God! *
    your people take refuge under the
                      shadow of your wings.
  
8They feast upon the abundance of your house; *
    you give them drink from the river of your delights.
  
9For with you is the well of life, *
    and in your light we see light.
  
10Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, *
    and your favor to those who are true of heart.
  
11Let not the foot of the proud come near me, *
    nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.
  
12See how they are fallen, those who work wickedness! *
    they are cast down and shall not be able to rise.