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Bible in 90 Days

An intensive Bible reading plan that walks through the entire Bible in 90 days.
Duration: 88 days
American Standard Version (ASV)
Version
Psalm 25:1-45:14

Prayer for protection, guidance, and pardon.

A Psalm of David.

25 Unto thee, O Jehovah, do I lift up my soul.
O my God, in thee have I trusted,
Let me not be put to shame;
Let not mine enemies triumph over me.
Yea, none that wait for thee shall be put to shame:
They shall be put to shame that deal treacherously without cause.
Show me thy ways, O Jehovah;
Teach me thy paths.
Guide me in thy truth, and teach me;
For thou art the God of my salvation;
For thee do I wait all the day.
Remember, O Jehovah, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindness;
For they have been ever of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:
According to thy lovingkindness remember thou me,
For thy goodness’ sake, O Jehovah.
Good and upright is Jehovah:
Therefore will he instruct sinners in the way.
The meek will he guide in justice;
And the meek will he teach his way.
10 All the paths of Jehovah are lovingkindness and truth
Unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For thy name’s sake, O Jehovah,
Pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.
12 What man is he that feareth Jehovah?
Him shall he instruct in the way that he shall choose.
13 His soul shall dwell at ease;
And his seed shall inherit the land.
14 The [a]friendship of Jehovah is with them that fear him;
[b]And he will show them his covenant.
15 Mine eyes are ever toward Jehovah;
For he will pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;
For I am desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart [c]are enlarged:
Oh bring thou me out of my distresses.
18 Consider mine affliction and my travail;
And forgive all my sins.
19 Consider mine enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 Oh keep my soul, and deliver me:
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for thee.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all his troubles.

Protestation of integrity, and prayer for protection.

A Psalm of David.

26 Judge me, O Jehovah, for I have walked in mine integrity:
I have trusted also in Jehovah [d]without wavering.
Examine me, O Jehovah, and prove me;
Try my [e]heart and my mind.
For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes;
And I have walked in thy truth.
I have not sat with men of falsehood;
Neither will I go in with dissemblers.
I hate the assembly of evil-doers,
And will not sit with the wicked.
I will wash my hands in innocency:
So will I compass thine altar, O Jehovah;
That I may [f]make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard,
And tell of all thy wondrous works.
Jehovah, I love the habitation of thy house,
And the place [g]where thy glory dwelleth.
[h]Gather not my soul with sinners,
Nor my life with men of blood;
10 In whose hands is wickedness,
And their right hand is full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity:
Redeem me, and be merciful unto me.
12 My foot standeth in an even place:
In the congregations will I bless Jehovah.

A psalm of fearless trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 Jehovah is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
Jehovah is the [i]strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh,
Even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.
Though a host should encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear:
Though war should rise against me,
[j]Even then will I be confident.
One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after:
That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life,
To behold [k]the beauty of Jehovah,
And to [l]inquire in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion:
In the covert of his [m]tabernacle will he hide me;
He will lift me up upon a rock.
And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me;
And I will offer in his [n]tabernacle sacrifices of [o]joy;
I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto Jehovah.

Hear, O Jehovah, when I cry with my voice:
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, Jehovah, will I seek.
Hide not thy face from me;
Put not thy servant away in anger:
Thou hast been my help;
Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 [p]When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then Jehovah will take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, O Jehovah;
And lead me in a plain path,
Because of [q]mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine adversaries:
For false witnesses are risen up against me,
And such as breathe out cruelty.
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of Jehovah
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for Jehovah:
Be strong, and let thy heart take courage;
Yea, wait thou for Jehovah.

A prayer for help, and praise for its answer.

A Psalm of David.

28 Unto thee, O Jehovah, will I call:
My rock, be not thou deaf unto me;
Lest, if thou be silent unto me,
I become like them that go down into the pit.
Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee,
When I lift up my hands [r]toward thy holy oracle.
Draw me not away with the wicked,
And with the workers of iniquity;
That speak peace with their neighbors,
But mischief is in their hearts.
Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings:
Give them after the operation of their hands;
Render to them their desert.
Because they regard not the works of Jehovah,
Nor the operation of his hands,
He will break them down and not build them up.

Blessed be Jehovah,
Because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.
Jehovah is my strength and my shield;
My heart hath trusted in him, and I am helped:
Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth;
And with my song will I praise him.
Jehovah is their strength,
And he is a stronghold of salvation to his anointed.
Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance:
Be their shepherd also, and bear them up for ever.

The voice of Jehovah in the storm.

A Psalm of David.

29 Ascribe unto Jehovah, O ye [s]sons of the [t]mighty,
Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength.
Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name;
Worship Jehovah [u]in holy array.

The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters:
The God of glory thundereth,
Even Jehovah upon [v]many waters.
The voice of Jehovah is powerful;
The voice of Jehovah is full of majesty.
The voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedars;
Yea, Jehovah breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He maketh them also to skip like a calf;
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild-ox.
The voice of Jehovah [w]cleaveth the flames of fire.
The voice of Jehovah shaketh the wilderness;
Jehovah shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve,
And strippeth the forests bare:
And in his temple everything saith, Glory.

10 Jehovah sat as King at the Flood;
Yea, Jehovah sitteth as King for ever.
11 Jehovah will give strength unto his people;
Jehovah will bless his people with peace.

Thanksgiving for deliverance from death.

A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House. A Psalm of David.

30 I will extol thee, O Jehovah; for thou hast [x]raised me up,
And hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
O Jehovah my God,
I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
O Jehovah, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol;
Thou hast kept me alive, [y]that I should not go down to the pit.
Sing praise unto Jehovah, O ye saints of his,
And give thanks to his holy memorial name.
For his anger is but for a moment;
[z]His favor is for a life-time:
Weeping [aa]may tarry for the night,
But joy cometh in the morning.
As for me, I said in my prosperity,
I shall never be moved.
Thou, Jehovah, of thy favor hadst made my mountain to stand strong:
Thou didst hide thy face; I was troubled.
I cried to thee, O Jehovah;
And unto Jehovah I made supplication:
What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit?
Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
10 Hear, O Jehovah, and have mercy upon me:
Jehovah, be thou my helper.
11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;
Thou hast loosed my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.
O Jehovah my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

A psalm of complaint and of praise.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

31 In thee, O Jehovah, do I take refuge;
Let me never be put to shame:
Deliver me in thy righteousness.
Bow down thine ear unto me; deliver me speedily:
Be thou to me a strong rock,
A house of [ab]defence to save me.
For thou art my rock and my fortress;
Therefore for thy name’s sake lead me and guide me.
Pluck me out of the net that they have laid privily for me;
For thou art my stronghold.
Into thy hand I commend my spirit:
Thou hast redeemed me, O Jehovah, thou God of truth.
I hate them that regard lying vanities;
But I trust in Jehovah.
I will be glad and rejoice in thy lovingkindness;
For thou hast seen my affliction:
Thou hast known [ac]my soul in adversities;
And thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;
Thou hast set my feet in a large place.
Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah, for I am in distress:
Mine eye wasteth away with grief, yea, my soul and my body.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
And my years with sighing:
My strength faileth because of mine iniquity,
And my bones are wasted away.
11 Because of all mine adversaries I am become a reproach,
Yea, unto my neighbors exceedingly,
And a fear to mine acquaintance:
They that did see me without fled from me.
12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind:
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the defaming of many,
Terror on every side:
While they took counsel together against me,
They devised to take away my life.
14 But I trusted in thee, O Jehovah:
I said, Thou art my God.
15 My times are in thy hand:
Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant:
Save me in thy lovingkindness.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O Jehovah; for I have called upon thee:
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be dumb,
Which speak against the righteous insolently,
With pride and contempt.
19 Oh how great is thy goodness,
Which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee,
Which thou hast wrought for them that take refuge in thee,
Before the sons of men!
20 In the covert of thy presence wilt thou hide them from the plottings of man:
Thou wilt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be Jehovah;
For he hath showed me his marvellous lovingkindness in a strong city.
22 As for me, I said in my [ad]haste,
I am cut off from before thine eyes:
Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications,
When I cried unto thee.
23 Oh love Jehovah, all ye his saints:
Jehovah preserveth [ae]the faithful,
And plentifully rewardeth him that dealeth proudly.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
All ye that [af]hope in Jehovah.

Blessedness of forgiveness and of trust in God.

A Psalm of David. Maschil.

32 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man unto whom Jehovah imputeth not iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no guile.
When I kept silence, my bones wasted away
Through my [ag]groaning all the day long.
For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me:
My moisture was changed [ah]as with the drought of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin unto thee,
And mine iniquity did I not hide:
I said, I will confess my transgressions unto Jehovah;
And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah
For this let every one that is godly pray unto thee [ai]in a time when thou mayest be found:
Surely when the great waters overflow they shall not reach unto him.
Thou art my hiding-place; thou wilt preserve me from trouble;
Thou wilt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go:
I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee.
Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding;
Whose trappings must be bit and bridle to hold them in,
[aj]Else they will not come near unto thee.
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he that trusteth in Jehovah, lovingkindness shall compass him about.
11 Be glad in Jehovah, and rejoice, ye righteous;
And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Praise to the Creator and Preserver.

33 Rejoice in Jehovah, O ye righteous:
Praise is comely for the upright.
Give thanks unto Jehovah with the harp:
Sing praises unto him with the psaltery of ten strings.
Sing unto him a new song;
Play skilfully with a loud noise.
For the word of Jehovah is right;
And all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loveth righteousness and justice:
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of Jehovah.
By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made,
And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap:
He layeth up the deeps in store-houses.
Let all the earth fear Jehovah:
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spake, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10 Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought;
He maketh the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.
11 The counsel of Jehovah standeth fast for ever,
The thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah,
The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
13 Jehovah looketh from heaven;
He beholdeth all the sons of men;
14 From the place of his habitation he looketh forth
Upon all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He that fashioneth the hearts of them all,
That considereth all their works.
16 There is no king saved by [ak]the multitude of a host:
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a vain thing for safety;
Neither doth he deliver any by his great power.
18 Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him,
Upon them that [al]hope in his lovingkindness;
19 To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul hath waited for Jehovah:
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him,
Because we have trusted in his holy name.
22 Let thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, be upon us,
According as we [am]have hoped in thee.

Jehovah a provider and deliverer.

A Psalm of David; [an]when he [ao]changed his behavior before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

34 I will bless Jehovah at all times:
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in Jehovah:
The meek shall hear thereof, and be glad.
Oh magnify Jehovah with me,
And let us exalt his name together.
I sought Jehovah, and he answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked unto him, and were radiant;
And their faces shall never be confounded.
This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him,
And delivereth them.
Oh taste and see that Jehovah is good:
Blessed is the man that taketh refuge in him.
Oh fear Jehovah, ye his saints;
For there is no want to them that fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger;
But they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good thing.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me:
I will teach you the fear of Jehovah.
12 What man is he that desireth life,
And loveth many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep thy tongue from evil,
And thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good;
Seek peace, and pursue it.
15 The eyes of Jehovah are toward the righteous,
And his ears are open unto their cry.
16 The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cried, and Jehovah heard,
And delivered them out of all their troubles.
18 Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart,
And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous;
But Jehovah delivereth him out of them all.
20 He keepeth all his bones:
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked;
And they that hate the righteous shall be [ap]condemned.
22 Jehovah redeemeth the soul of his servants;
And none of them that take refuge in him shall be condemned.

Prayer for rescue from enemies.

A Psalm of David.

35 Strive thou, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me:
Fight thou against them that fight against me.
Take hold of shield and buckler,
And stand up for my help.
Draw out also the spear, [aq]and stop the way against them that pursue me:
Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
Let them be put to shame and brought to dishonor that seek after my soul:
Let them be turned back and confounded that devise my hurt.
Let them be as chaff before the wind,
And the angel of Jehovah driving them on.
Let their way be [ar]dark and slippery,
And the angel of Jehovah pursuing them.
For without cause have they hid for me [as]their net in a pit;
Without cause have they digged a pit for my soul.
Let destruction come upon him unawares;
And let his net that he hath hid catch himself:
[at]With destruction let him fall therein.
And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah:
It shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like unto thee,
Who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him,
Yea, the poor and the needy from him that robbeth him?
11 [au]Unrighteous witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I know not.
12 They reward me evil for good,
To the bereaving of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth:
I afflicted my soul with fasting;
And my prayer [av]returned into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother:
I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother.
15 But in [aw]mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together:
The [ax]abjects gathered themselves together against me, and [ay]I knew it not;
They did tear me, and ceased not:
16 [az]Like the profane mockers in feasts,
They gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on?
Rescue my soul from their destructions,
My [ba]darling from the lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great assembly:
I will praise thee among [bb]much people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies [bc]wrongfully rejoice over me;
Neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace;
But they devise deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 Thou hast seen it, O Jehovah; keep not silence:
O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to the justice due unto me,
Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their heart, [bd]Aha, so would we have it:
Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 Let them be put to shame and confounded together that rejoice at my hurt:
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that [be]favor my righteous cause:
Yea, let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified,
Who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness
And of thy praise all the day long.

Wickedness of men and lovingkindness of God.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of Jehovah.

[bf]36 The transgression of the wicked [bg]saith within my heart,
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
For [bh]he flattereth himself in his own eyes,
[bi]That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated.
The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit:
He hath ceased to be wise and to do good.
He deviseth iniquity upon his bed;
He setteth himself in a way that is not good;
He abhorreth not evil.

Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, is in the heavens;
Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the skies.
Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Thy judgments are a great deep:
O Jehovah, thou preservest man and beast.
How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings.
They shall be [bj]abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house;
And thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
For with thee is the fountain of life:
In thy light shall we see light.
10 Oh continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee,
And thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen:
They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.

Security of those who trust in Jehovah, and insecurity of the wicked.

A Psalm of David.

37 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers,
Neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
Trust in Jehovah, and do good;
[bk]Dwell in the land, and [bl]feed on his faithfulness.
[bm]Delight thyself also in Jehovah;
And he will give thee the [bn]desires of thy heart.
[bo]Commit thy way unto Jehovah;
Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass.
And he will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light,
And thy justice as the noon-day.
[bp]Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him:
Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way,
Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:
Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing.
For evil-doers shall be cut off;
But those that wait for Jehovah, they shall inherit [bq]the land.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:
Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and [br]he shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just,
And gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord will laugh at him;
For he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay such as are upright in the way.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous hath
Than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken;
But Jehovah upholdeth the righteous.
18 Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect;
And their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be put to shame in the time of evil;
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish,
And the enemies of Jehovah shall be as [bs]the fat of lambs:
They shall consume; [bt]in smoke shall they consume away.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again;
But the righteous dealeth graciously, and giveth.
22 For such as are blessed of him shall inherit the land;
And they that are cursed of him shall be cut off.
23 A man’s goings are established of Jehovah;
And he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For Jehovah [bu]upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old;
Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his seed begging bread.
26 All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth;
And his seed is blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell for evermore.
28 For Jehovah loveth justice,
And forsaketh not his saints;
They are preserved for ever:
But the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous talketh of wisdom,
And his tongue speaketh justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous,
And seeketh to slay him.
33 Jehovah will not leave him in his hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way,
And he will exalt thee to inherit the land:
When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.
36 [bv]But one passed by, and, lo, he was not:
Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright;
For there is a happy end to the man of peace.
38 As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together:
The end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of Jehovah:
He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 And Jehovah helpeth them, and rescueth them:
He rescueth them from the wicked, and saveth them,
Because they have taken refuge in him.

Prayer of a suffering penitent.

A Psalm of David, [bw]to bring to remembrance.

38 O Jehovah, rebuke me not in thy wrath;
Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
For thine arrows [bx]stick fast in me,
And thy hand [by]presseth me sore.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine indignation;
Neither is there any [bz]health in my bones because of my sin.
For mine iniquities are gone over my head:
As a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are loathsome and corrupt,
Because of my foolishness.
I am [ca]pained and bowed down greatly;
I go mourning all the day long.
For my loins are filled with burning;
And there is no soundness in my flesh.
I am faint and sore bruised:
I have [cb]groaned by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
Lord, all my desire is before thee;
And my groaning is not hid from thee.
10 My heart throbbeth, my strength faileth me:
As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me;
And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things,
And meditate deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, hear not;
And I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Yea, I am as a man that heareth not,
And in whose mouth are no [cc]reproofs.
15 For in thee, O Jehovah, do I hope:
Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, Lest they rejoice over me:
When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
17 For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity;
I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies are lively, and are strong;
And they that hate me [cd]wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good
Are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good.
21 Forsake me not, O Jehovah:
O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.

The vanity of life.

For the Chief Musician, for [ce]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, I will take heed to my ways,
That I sin not with my tongue:
I will keep [cf]my mouth with a bridle,
While the wicked is before me.
I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, [cg]even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred.
My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then spake I with my tongue:
Jehovah, make me to know mine end,
And the measure of my days, what it is;
Let me know how frail I am.
Behold, thou hast made my days as handbreadths;
And my life-time is as nothing before thee:
Surely every man [ch]at his best estate is altogether [ci]vanity. Selah
Surely every man walketh [cj]in a vain show;
Surely they are disquieted [ck]in vain:
He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
And now, Lord, what wait I for?
My hope is in thee.
Deliver me from all my transgressions:
Make me not the reproach of the foolish.
I was dumb, I opened not my mouth;
Because thou didst it.
10 Remove thy stroke away from me:
I am consumed by the [cl]blow of thy hand.
11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity,
Thou [cm]makest his beauty to consume away like a moth:
Surely every man is [cn]vanity. Selah
12 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, and give ear unto my cry;
Hold not thy peace at my tears:
For I am a stranger with thee,
A sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13 Oh [co]spare me, that I may [cp]recover strength,
Before I go hence, and be no more.

A sacrifice of praise, and prayer for help.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently for Jehovah;
And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of [cq]a horrible pit, out of the miry clay;
And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:
Many shall see it, and fear,
And shall trust in Jehovah.
Blessed is the man that maketh Jehovah his trust,
And respecteth not the proud, nor such as [cr]turn aside to lies.
Many, O Jehovah my God, are the wonderful works which thou hast done,
And thy thoughts which are to us-ward:
[cs]They cannot be set in order unto thee;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and [ct]offering thou hast no delight in;
[cu]Mine ears hast thou opened:
Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I am come;
In the roll of the book it is [cv]written of me:
I delight to do thy will, O my God;
Yea, thy law is within my heart.
I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great assembly;
Lo, I will not refrain my lips,
O Jehovah, thou knowest.
10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart;
I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation;
I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great assembly.
11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Jehovah;
Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about;
Mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
And my heart hath [cw]failed me.
13 Be pleased, O Jehovah, to deliver me:
Make haste to help me, O Jehovah.
14 Let them be put to shame and confounded together
That seek after my soul to destroy it:
Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor
That delight in my hurt.
15 Let them be [cx]desolate [cy]by reason of their shame
That say unto me, Aha, aha.
16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee:
Let such as love thy salvation say continually,
Jehovah be magnified.
17 But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinketh upon me:
Thou art my help and my deliverer;
Make no tarrying, O my God.

The psalmist in sickness complains of enemies and false friends.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

41 Blessed is he that considereth [cz]the poor:
Jehovah will deliver him in the day of evil.
Jehovah will preserve him, and keep him alive,
And he shall be blessed [da]upon the earth;
And deliver not thou him unto the will of his enemies.
Jehovah will support him upon the couch of languishing:
Thou [db]makest all his bed in his sickness.
I said, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me:
Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
Mine enemies speak evil against me, saying,
When will he die, and his name perish?
And if he come to see me, he speaketh falsehood;
His heart gathereth iniquity to itself:
When he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
All that hate me whisper together against me;
Against me do they devise my hurt.
[dc]An evil disease, say they, [dd]cleaveth fast unto him;
And now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,
Who did eat of my bread,
Hath lifted up his heel against me.
10 But thou, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me, and raise me up,
That I may requite them.
11 By this I know that thou delightest in me,
Because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity,
And settest me before thy face for ever.

13 Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel,
From everlasting and to everlasting.
Amen, and Amen.

Book II

Thirsting for God in trouble and exile.

For the Chief Musician. Maschil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
So panteth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
While they [de]continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
These things I remember, and pour out my soul [df]within me,
How I went with the throng, and [dg]led them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.
Why art thou [dh]cast down, O my soul?
And why art thou disquieted within me?
Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him
For the help of his countenance.

O my God, my soul is cast down within me:
Therefore do I remember thee from the land of the Jordan,
And the Hermons, from [di]the hill Mizar.
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterfalls:
All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
Yet Jehovah will command his lovingkindness in the day-time;
And in the night his song shall be with me,
Even a prayer unto the God of my life.
I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me?
Why go I mourning [dj]because of the oppression of the enemy?
10 As with [dk]a sword in my bones, mine adversaries reproach me,
While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
And why art thou disquieted within me?
Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him,
Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Prayer for deliverance.

43 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation:
Oh deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
For thou art the God of my strength; why hast thou cast me off?
Why go I mourning [dl]because of the oppression of the enemy?
Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me:
Let them bring me unto thy holy hill,
And to thy tabernacles.
Then will I go unto the altar of God,
Unto God [dm]my exceeding joy;
And upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
And why art thou disquieted within me?
Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him,
Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Former deliverances and present troubles.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil.

44 We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
What work thou didst in their days,
In the days of old.
Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand;
But them thou didst plant:
Thou didst afflict the peoples;
But them thou didst spread abroad.
For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword,
Neither did their own arm save them;
But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance,
Because thou wast favorable unto them.
Thou art my King, O God:
Command [dn]deliverance for Jacob.
Through thee will we push down our adversaries:
Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
For I will not trust in my bow,
Neither shall my sword save me.
But thou hast saved us from our adversaries,
And hast put them to shame that hate us.
In God have we made our boast all the day long,
And we will give thanks unto thy name for ever. Selah

But now thou hast cast us off, and brought us to dishonor,
And goest not forth with our hosts.
10 Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary;
And they that hate us take spoil for themselves.
11 Thou hast made us like sheep appointed for food,
And hast scattered us among the nations.
12 Thou sellest thy people for nought,
And hast not increased thy wealth by their price.
13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and a derision to them that are round about us.
14 Thou makest us a byword among the nations,
A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 All the day long is my dishonor before me,
And the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth,
By reason of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee,
Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18 Our heart is not turned back,
Neither have our steps declined from thy way,
19 [do]That thou hast sore broken us in the place of jackals,
And covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God,
Or spread forth our hands to a strange god;
21 Will not God search this out?
For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord?
Arise, cast us not off for ever.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face,
And forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust:
Our body cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Rise up for our help,
And redeem us for thy lovingkindness’ sake.

A song celebrating the king’s marriage.

For the Chief Musician; set to [dp]Shoshannim. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil. A Song of loves.

45 My heart overfloweth with a goodly matter;
[dq]I speak the things which I have made touching the king:
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Thou art fairer than the children of men;
Grace is poured [dr]into thy lips:
Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one,
Thy glory and thy majesty.
And in thy majesty ride on prosperously,
[ds]Because of truth and meekness and righteousness:
And [dt]thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
Thine arrows are sharp;
The peoples fall under thee;
They are in the heart of the king’s enemies.
[du]Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:
A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness:
Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee
With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia;
Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made thee glad.
Kings’ daughters are among thy honorable women:
At thy right hand doth stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear;
Forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house:
11 So will the king desire thy beauty;
For he is thy lord; and reverence thou him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift;
The rich among the people shall entreat thy favor.
13 The king’s daughter [dv]within the palace is all glorious:
Her clothing is inwrought with gold.
14 She shall be led unto the king [dw]in broidered work:
The virgins her companions that follow her
Shall be brought unto thee.