Psalm 23 A Prayer Song by David God is my shepherd.
I will lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He guides me in the path of righteousness for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For You are with me.
Your rod and Your staff,
They comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and love and kindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in God's house forever.
Psalm 4 For the chief musician on stringed instruments.
A prayer song by David.
Answer me when I call,
God of my righteousness.
Give me relief from my suffering.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
People,
How long will my glory be turned into shame?
Will you love arrogance and chase after lies?
Know that God has set apart for Himself those who are godly.
God will hear me when I call Him.
Stand in awe and don't sin.
Search your own heart on your bed and be still.
Offer righteous sacrifices.
Put your trust in God.
Many say,
Who will bless us?
God,
Let the light of Your face shine on us.
You have put joy in my heart more than when grain and new wine increase.
In peace,
I will lay and sleep,
For You,
God alone,
Make me live in safety.
Psalm 121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from God,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved.
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold,
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
God is your keeper.
God is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not harm you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
God will keep you from all evil.
He will keep your soul.
God will keep your going out and your coming in,
From this time forward and forevermore.
Psalm 131 by David God,
My heart isn't arrogant or my eyes disdainful,
And I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me to understand.
Truly,
I have stilled and quieted my heart like a toddler with his mother.
Like a toddler is my heart within me.
Israel,
Hope in God,
From this time forward and forevermore.
Psalm 16 A poem by David Protect me,
God,
For I take shelter in you.
I have said to God,
You are my Lord.
Apart from you I have nothing good.
As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the excellent ones that I greatly admire.
Those who offer gifts to another God will have their sorrows multiplied.
I will not participate in their drink offerings of blood or speak the names of their gods.
God,
You have given me my share and my cup.
You have made me secure.
You have greatly blessed me.
Yes,
I have a good inheritance.
I will praise God,
Who has given me instruction.
Yes,
In my heart He instructs me in the night.
I have set God always before me,
Because He is at my right hand.
I will not be moved.
Therefore,
My heart is glad,
And I proclaim my joy.
My body will also be safe,
For you will not leave my soul in the grave.
Neither will you allow your Holy One to remain in the tomb.
You will show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy.
In your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
Let us exalt His name together.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger,
But those who seek God will not lack any good thing.
Come,
You children,
Listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of God.
Who is someone who wants a long and prosperous life?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
Stay far from evil and do good.
Seek peace and pursue it.
God's eyes are on the righteous.
His ears listen to their cry.
God's face is against those who do evil,
To cut off their memory from the earth.
The righteous cry,
And God hears,
And He delivers them out of all their troubles.
God is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves those who have a crushed spirit.
Many are the difficulties of the righteous,
But God delivers Him out of them all.
He protects all of His bones,
Not one of them is broken.
Evil will kill the wicked.
Those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
God redeems the soul of His servants.
None of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
Psalm 46,
For the Chief Musician,
By the Sons of Korah.
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore,
We won't be afraid,
Though the earth shakes,
Though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas,
Though its waters roar and are troubled,
Though the mountains tremble with their swelling.
There is a river,
The streams of which make the city of God glad,
The holy place of the tents of the Most High.
God is within her,
She will not be moved,
God will help her at dawn.
The nations raged,
The kingdoms were shaken,
He lifted His voice,
And the earth melted.
God of the armies is with us,
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come,
See God's works,
What devastation He has made in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
He burns the chariots in the fire.
Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
God of the armies is with us,
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Psalm 55,
For the Chief Musician,
On stringed instruments,
A contemplation by David.
Listen to my prayer,
God.
Don't hide yourself from my prayer.
Be with me and answer me.
I am restless in my complaint and moan because of the voice of my enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked,
For they bring suffering on me.
In anger they hold a grudge against me.
My heart is in agony.
The terrors of death have fallen on me.
Fearfulness and trembling have come on me.
Horror has overwhelmed me.
I said,
Oh,
That I had wings like a dove.
Then I would fly away and be at rest.
Then I would wander far off.
I would live in the wilderness.
I would hurry to His shelter from the stormy wind and storm.
Confuse them,
Lord,
And confound their language.
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they prowl around on its walls.
Hatred and abuse are also within her.
Destructive forces are within her.
Threats and lies don't depart from her streets.
For it was not my enemy who insulted me.
Then I could have endured it.
Neither was it he who hated me,
Who raised himself up against me.
Then I would have hidden myself from him.
But it was you,
A man like me,
My companion,
And my close friend.
We took sweet fellowship together.
We walked in God's house with others.
Let death come suddenly on them.
Let them go down alive into the grave.
For wickedness is among them in their dwelling.
As for me,
I will call on God.
God will save me.
Evening,
Morning,
And at noon,
I will cry out in distress.
He will hear my voice.
He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me.
Although there are many who oppose me,
God,
Who is enthroned forever,
Will hear and answer them.
They never change and don't fear God.
This man raises his hands against his friends.
He has violated his covenant.
His mouth was smooth as butter,
But his heart was war.
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.
Cast your burden on God,
And He will sustain you.
He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
But you,
God,
Will bring them down into the pit of destruction.
Bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days,
But I will trust in You.
Psalm 56 For the chief musician,
To the tune of Silent Dove in Distant Lands,
A poem by David,
When the Philistines seized him in Gath.
Be merciful to me,
God,
For a man wants to swallow me up.
All day long,
He attacks and oppresses me.
My enemies want to swallow me up all day long,
For there are many who proudly fight against me.
When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
In God,
I praise His Word.
In God,
I put my trust.
I will not be afraid.
What can people do to me?
All day long,
They twist my words.
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
They conspire and lurk,
Watching my steps.
They are eager to take my life.
Will they escape my sin and anger?
Cast down the people,
God.
You keep count of my misery.
You put my tears in Your container.
Aren't they in Your book?
Then my enemies will turn back in the day that I call.
I know this,
That God is for me.
In God,
I will praise His Word.
In God,
I will praise His Word.
I have put my trust in God.
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
Your vows are on me,
God.
I will give thank offerings to You,
For You have delivered my soul from death and prevented my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God in the light of the living.
Be careful that you don't do your acts of righteousness and charity just to be seen by people,
Or else you'll have no reward from your Father in heaven.
When you do righteous acts,
Don't blow a trumpet to call attention to yourself as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,
So that they will be praised by people.
Most certainly,
I tell you,
That is the only reward they will receive.
But when you do righteous acts,
Don't let your left hand know what you're receiving.
So that your righteous acts are done in secret,
Then your Father,
Who sees what is done in secret,
Will reward you openly.
When you pray,
Don't be like the hypocrites,
Because they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners,
So that they may be seen by people.
Most definitely,
I tell you,
That is the only reward they will receive.
But when you pray,
Enter into your private room and shut the door,
Then pray to your Father in secret,
And your Father,
Who sees what is done in secret,
Will reward you openly.
When you are praying,
Don't use vain repetitions like the Gentiles do,
For they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
So,
Don't be like them,
Because your Father knows what things you need before you ask Him.
Pray like this,
Our Father in heaven,
May your name be honored.
Let your kingdom come.
Let your will be done on earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
Don't let us be led into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom,
The power and the glory forever.
Amen.
For if you forgive others when they sin,
Your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you don't forgive others,
Neither will your Father forgive you.
Furthermore,
When you fast,
Don't be like the hypocrites who put on sad faces,
For they make faces so that others will see that they are fasting.
Most definitely,
I tell you,
That is the only reward they will receive.
But you,
When you fast,
Make yourself presentable and wash your face,
So that your fasting is not seen by others,
But it will be by your Father who sees what is done in secret,
And He will reward you.
Don't store up treasures for yourself on the earth,
Where moth and rust consume and where thieves break through and steal.
But store up for yourself treasures in heaven,
Where neither moth nor rust consume and where thieves don't break in and steal.
For where your treasure is,
There your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body.
If your eye is healthy,
Your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eye is evil,
Your whole body will be full of darkness.
If the light that is in you is darkness,
How great is that darkness!
No one can serve two masters,
For either he will hate the one and love the other,
Or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other.
You can't serve both God and money.
So,
I tell you,
Don't be worried about your life,
What you will eat or what you will drink,
Or for your body,
What you will wear.
Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing?
See the birds of the sky,
That they don't plant,
Harvest or store food in barns.
Your Heavenly Father feeds them.
Aren't you of much more value than they are?
Which of you,
By worrying,
Can add one moment to his lifespan?
Why are you worried about clothing?
Think about how the lilies of the field grow.
They don't work,
Neither do they make clothes.
Yet I tell you that even Solomon,
In all of his glory,
Was not dressed as nice as one of these.
But if God clothes the grass of the field,
Which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,
Won't he much more clothe you?
You of little faith?
So,
Don't be worried saying,
What will we eat?
What will we drink?
Or what will we wear?
For the Gentiles search after all of these things.
But your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore,
Don't be worried about tomorrow.
For tomorrow will have its own worries.
But each day's own trouble is enough.
Matthew 11 When Jesus had finished instructing his 12 disciples,
He left there to teach and preach in their cities.
Now,
When John,
Who was in prison,
Heard about the works of Christ,
He sent two of his disciples to ask him,
Are you the one who comes or should we look for another?
Jesus answered them,
Go and tell John the things that you see and hear.
The blind receive their sight,
The lame walk,
The lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised up,
And the poor have good news preached to them.
Blessed is he who does not stumble because of me.
As John's disciples left,
Jesus spoke to the crowds concerning John.
What did you go out into the wilderness to see?
A reed shaken by the wind?
What did you go out to see?
A man in nice clothes?
Those who wear nice clothes are in king's houses.
But why did you go out?
To see a prophet?
Yes,
I tell you,
And much more than a prophet,
For he is the one who was written about in Malachi.
Look,
I will send a messenger before you who will prepare the way before you.
Most definitely,
I tell you,
Of all who have ever lived,
There has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist.
Yet even the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force.
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came.
If you are willing to accept it,
This is Elijah who is to come.
He who has ears to hear,
Let him hear.
But what will I compare this generation to?
It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who say to one another,
We played the flute for you and you didn't dance.
We mourned for you and you didn't cry.
For John came neither eating or drinking and they say he has a demon.
The son of man came eating and drinking and they say,
Look,
He is a glutton and a drunk,
A friend of tax collectors and sinners.
But wisdom is justified by our actions.
Then he began to condemn the cities in which most of his miracles had been done because they didn't repent.
There is sorrow coming to you,
Corazin and Bethsaida.
For if the miracles I did in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
They would have repented long ago in funeral clothes and ashes.
But I tell you,
It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
You,
Capernaum,
Who are exalted to heaven,
You will go down to hell.
For if the miracles I had done in you were done in Sodom,
It would still be here today.
But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.
Then Jesus said,
I thank you,
Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
That you hid these things from those who think themselves wise and understanding and have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes,
Father,
For it was well-pleasing in your sight.
All things have been given to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father.
Neither does anyone know the Father except the Son and those the Son desires to reveal Him.
Come to me,
All you who work and are heavily burdened,
And I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
For I am gentle and humble in heart,
And you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy,
And my burden is light.
John 14 Don't let your heart be troubled.
Believe in God.
Believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms.
If it weren't so,
I would have told you.
I am going to prepare a place for you.
If I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you with me so that where I am,
You will also be.
You know where I am going,
And you know the way.
Thomas said to him,
Lord,
We don't know where you are going.
How can we know the way?
Jesus said to him,
I am the way,
The truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you had known me,
You would have known my Father also.
From now on,
You know Him and have seen Him.
Philip said to him,
Lord,
Show us the Father,
And that will be good enough for us.
Jesus said to him,
Have I been with you all this time,
And you don't know me,
Philip?
He who has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say show us the Father?
Don't you believe that I am in the Father,
And the Father is in me?
The words that I tell you,
They are not my own.
They are from the Father who lives in me and does His works.
Believe me that I am in the Father,
And the Father is in me.
Or at least believe because of the very works you've seen me do.
Most certainly I tell you,
Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.
He will do even greater works than these because I am going to my Father.
Whatever you will ask in my name,
I will do it so that the Father will be glorified in the Son.
If you will ask anything in my name,
I will do it.
If you love me,
Keep my commandments.
I will pray to the Father,
And He will give you the Holy Spirit so that He may be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of Truth who the world can't receive for it doesn't see Him and doesn't know Him.
You know Him,
For He lives with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans.
I will come to you.
In a little while,
The world will no longer see me,
But you will see me.
Because I live,
You will live also.
On that day,
You will know that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them,
That person is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me is loved by my Father,
And I will love him and will reveal myself to him.
Judas,
Not Iscariot,
Said to him,
Lord,
Why are you about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?
Jesus answered him,
If a man loves me,
He will keep my word.
My Father will love him and will come to him and make our home with him.
He who doesn't love me doesn't keep my words.
The word which you hear isn't mine.
It is the Father's who sent me.
I have said these things to you while I am still living with you.
But the Counselor,
The Holy Spirit,
Who the Father will send in my name,
Will teach you all things and will remind you of everything that I said to you.
Peace I leave with you.
My peace I give to you.
I do not give like the world gives.
Don't let your heart be troubled and don't be afraid.
You heard me tell you,
I am going away and I will come back to you.
If you loved me,
You would have rejoiced.
Because I have said,
I am going to my Father,
For the Father is greater than me.
Now I have told you before it happens,
So that when it happens,
You will believe.
I will not speak with you much longer,
For the Prince of this world comes and he has no power over me.
But so that the world may know that I love the Father,
I do as the Father commanded me.
Get up.
Let's be going.
Psalm 27 by David God is my light and my salvation.
Whom will I fear?
God is the strength of my life.
Of whom will I be afraid?
When evil people came at me to eat up my flesh,
Those who are my enemies,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army should take position against me,
My heart will not fear.
Though war should rise against me,
Even then I will be confident.
One thing I have asked of God,
That I desire the most,
That I may live in God's house all the days of my life,
To see God's beauty and to learn in His temple.
For in the day of trouble,
He will keep me secretly in His pavilion.
In the secret place of His tabernacle,
He will hide me.
He will lift me up on a rock.
Now,
My head will be lifted up above my enemies around me.
I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tent.
I will sing.
Yes,
I will sing praises to God.
Hear,
God,
When I cry with my voice.
Have mercy on me and answer me.
When you said,
Seek my face,
My heart said to you,
I will seek your face,
God.
Don't hide your face from me.
Don't put your servant away in anger.
You have been my help.
Don't abandon me or forsake me,
God of my salvation.
If my father and mother forsake me,
Then God will lift me up.
Teach me your way,
God.
Lead me in a straight path because of my enemies.
Don't deliver me over to the desire of my enemies,
For liars have risen up against me and breathe out cruelty.
I am still confident of this.
I will see the goodness of God in the land of the living.
I wait for God.
Be strong and let your heart take courage.
Yes,
Wait for God.
Psalm 62,
For the chief musician.
To Jedithon,
A prayer song by David.
My soul rests in God alone.
My salvation is from Him.
He alone is my rock,
My salvation and my fortress.
I will never be greatly shaken.
How long will you assault a man?
Would all of you throw him down like a leaning wall,
Like a tottering fence?
They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place.
They delight in lies.
They bless with their mouth but they curse inwardly.
My soul,
Wait in silence for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
My fortress.
I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor is with God.
The rock of my strength and my refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times,
You people.
Pour out your heart to Him.
God is a refuge for us.
Surely men of low standing are just a breath and men of high standing are a lie.
In the balances they will go up.
They are together lighter than a breath.
Don't trust in oppression.
Don't become vain in robbery.
If riches increase,
Don't set your heart on them.
God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this,
That power belongs to God.
Also to you,
Lord,
Belongs love and kindness,
For you reward every man according to his work.
Psalm 91 He who lives in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of God,
He is my refuge and my fortress,
My God in whom I trust.
For He will deliver you from the trap of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His feathers.
Under His wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night or of the arrow that flies by day or of the pestilence that walks in darkness or of the destruction that wastes in the day.
A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand,
But it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked,
Because you have made God your refuge and the Most High your home.
No evil will happen to you,
Neither will any plague come near your home.
For He will put His angels in charge of you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their hands so that you won't dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and cobra.
You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.
Because He has set His love on me,
Therefore I will deliver Him.
I will set Him on high because He has known my name.
He will call on me and I will answer Him.
I will be with Him in trouble.
I will deliver Him and honor Him.
I will satisfy Him with long life and show Him my salvation.
Philippians 4 Because of this,
Believers,
Loved and missed,
My joy and crown,
Stand firm in the Lord in this way,
My loved ones.
I urge Euodia and Syntyche to think the same way in the Lord.
Yes,
I beg you also,
True partner,
Help these women,
For they worked with me in advancing the good news with Clement also and the rest of my fellow believers whose names are in the Book of Life.
Rejoice in the Lord always.
Again,
I say,
Rejoice.
Let your gentleness be known to all men.
The Lord is near.
Be anxious about nothing.
Instead,
In everything,
By prayer,
With thanksgiving,
Let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
Which exceeds all understanding,
Will guard your hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Finally,
Brothers,
Whatever things are true,
Honorable,
Just,
Pure,
Lovely,
Admirable,
If there is any virtue and if there is any praise,
Think about these types of things.
The things which you learned,
Received,
Heard and saw in me,
Do them and the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me.
You did have concern before,
But you lacked opportunity to help.
I don't say this because I am in need,
For I have learned in whatever condition I am to be content in it.
I know how to live in humble circumstances and also in prosperity.
In all things,
I learned the secret,
Whether I am filled or hungry,
Rich or in need,
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
However,
You did well and that you shared in my difficulty.
You Philippians yourselves know that when I first brought you the good news and then I departed from Macedonia,
No other church shared with me in the matter of financial giving and receiving,
But you only.
For even when I was in Thessalonica,
You sent aid more than once for my need.
Not that I am seeking for a gift,
But I seek that you will have fruit that will increase to your account.
But I have everything I need and more.
I am well supplied after receiving from Epaphroditus the things that came from you.
They are a sweet-smelling fragrance,
An acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.
My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.
Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.
The brothers who are with me greet you.
All the saints greet you,
Especially those who are of Caesar's household.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen.
Colossians 3 Since you were raised with Christ,
Pursue the things that are above,
Where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on the things that are above,
Not on the things that are on the earth.
For you died,
And your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ,
Who is our life,
Is revealed,
Then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
So put to death the sinful desires in you,
Which are of the earth,
Sexual immorality,
Impurity,
Immoral passion,
Evil desire,
And greed,
Which is idolatry.
Because of these things,
The anger of God comes on the children of disobedience.
You used to walk in these ways when you lived in them,
But now be done with them all.
Anger,
Rage,
Hatred,
Slander,
And disgraceful speaking.
Don't lie to one another,
Since you have put off your old sinful man with his doings and have put on the new man,
Who is being renewed in the knowledge like the image of his Creator.
In this,
There can't be Greek or Jew,
Circumcision and uncircumcision,
Barbarian,
Scythian,
Slave,
Or free person.
But only Christ,
Who is all and is in all.
So,
As God's chosen ones,
Holy and loved,
Apply a heart of compassion,
Kindness,
Modesty,
Humility,
And perseverance.
Bearing with one another and forgiving each other.
And if anyone has a complaint against another person,
Forgive each other,
Just as Christ forgave you.
Above all these things,
Walk in love,
Which is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
As you were called in one body,
And be thankful.
Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly.
In all wisdom,
Teach and caution one another with psalms,
Hymns,
And spiritual songs,
Singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
Whatever you do,
In word or in action,
Do it in the name of the Lord Jesus,
Giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Wives,
Be subject to your husbands,
As is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands,
Love your wives and don't be bitter against them.
Children,
Obey your parents in all things,
For this pleases the Lord.
Fathers,
Don't irritate your children so that they won't be discouraged.
Servants,
Obey your masters in all things,
Not just when they are looking to please them,
But wholeheartedly,
Fearing God.
And whatever you do,
Work wholeheartedly,
As for the Lord and not for men,
Knowing that from the Lord,
You will receive the reward of the inheritance,
For you serve the Lord Christ.
But he who does wrong will likewise receive for the wrong that he has done,
And there is no favoritism.
In that day,
This song will be sung in the land of Judah.
We have a strong city.
God appoints salvation for walls and barricades.
Open the gates so that the righteous nation may enter,
The one that keeps faith.
You will keep whoever's mind is committed in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For God is an everlasting rock,
For he has brought down those who live on high,
The lofty city.
He lays it low.
He lays it low to the ground.
He brings it to the dust.
The foot will trample it down,
The foot of the poor and the steps of the needy.
The way of the righteous is level.
You who are upright,
Make the path of the righteous straight.
Yes,
On the path of your laws,
God,
We have waited for you.
Your name and your renown are the desire of our heart.
With my soul,
I have looked for you in the night.
Yes,
With my spirit within me,
I will seek you earnestly.
For when your laws are in the earth,
The people learn righteousness.
If favor is shown to the wicked,
He will not learn righteousness.
In the land of honesty,
He will still do evil and will not see God's majesty.
God,
Your hand is lifted up,
But they don't see.
But they will see your passion for the people and be disappointed.
Yes,
Fire will consume your enemies.
God,
You will order peace for us.
For all we have accomplished,
You have done the work for us.
Lord,
Our God,
Other lords beside you have had power over us,
But we will only acknowledge your name.
The dead will not live again.
The departed spirits will not rise.
You have visited and destroyed them and caused all memory of them to perish.
You have increased the nation,
God.
You have increased the nation.
You are glorified.
You have extended all the borders of the land.
God,
In trouble,
They looked to you.
They poured out a prayer when your discipline was on them.
Just as a woman with child who is close to giving birth is in pain and cries out,
So we have been before you,
God.
We have been with child.
We have been in pain.
We gave birth,
It seems,
Only to win.
We have not brought any deliverance on the earth and the people of the world have not been brought to life.
But your dead will live.
Their dead bodies will rise.
Awake and sing,
You who live in the dust,
For your dew is like the dew of the herbs and the earth will give up the departed spirits.
Come,
My people,
Enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you.
Hide yourself for a little moment until the anger is passed.
For look,
God comes from his place to punish the people of the earth for their sin.
The earth will also reveal her blood and will no longer cover her slain.
Isaiah 41 Who has worked and done it?
Calling the generations from the beginning?
I,
God,
The first,
And with the last,
I am he.
The islands have seen and fear.
The ends of the earth tremble.
They approach and come.
Everyone helps his neighbor.
They say to their brothers,
Be strong.
So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith.
He who smooths it with the hammer encourages him who strikes the anvil,
Saying of the work,
It is good.
And he fastens it with nails so that it will not fall over.
But you,
Israel,
My servant,
Jacob,
Whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham,
My friend,
You who I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth and called from its corners and said to you,
You are my servant.
I have chosen you and haven't tossed you aside.
Don't you be afraid,
For I am with you.
Don't be dismayed,
For I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
Yes,
I will help you.
Yes,
I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
See,
All those who are angry with you will be disappointed and confused.
Those who strive with you will be like nothing and will perish.
You will seek them and won't find them.
Even those who oppose you,
Those who war against you will be like nothing,
Like a non-existent thing.
For I,
The Lord,
Your God,
Will hold your right hand,
Saying to you,
Don't be afraid,
I will help you.
Don't be afraid,
You worm,
Jacob.
And you men of Israel,
I will help you,
Says God.
Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
See,
I have made you into a new sharp threshing tool with teeth.
You will thresh the mountains and beat them small.
And you will make the hills like chaff.
You will winnow them,
And the wind will carry them away.
The whirlwind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in God.
You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The poor and needy seek water,
And there is none.
Their tongue fails for thirst.
I,
God,
Will answer them.
I,
The God of Israel,
Will not desert them.
I will open rivers on the bare hills,
And springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will make the desert a pool of water,
And the dry lands springs of water.
I will put cedar,
Acacia,
Myrtle,
And olive trees in the wilderness.
I will set cypress trees,
Pines,
And evergreen trees together in the desert,
So that people will see,
Know,
Consider,
And understand that God's hand has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
State your case,
Says God.
Bring out your strong reasons,
Says the King of Jacob.
Let your idols announce and tell us what will happen.
Tell us the former things,
What they were,
So that we may consider them and know what became of them.
Or show us things to come.
Tell us the things that are to come after,
So that we will know that you are gods.
Yes,
Do good or do evil,
So that we may be discouraged and see it together.
See,
You are nothing,
And your work is nothing.
Whoever chooses you is a disgrace.
I have raised up one from the north,
And he has come.
From the rising of the sun,
One who calls on my name.
And he will come on rulers like on mortar,
And like the potter beats the clay.
Who has told of it from the beginning,
So that we will know?
And before,
So that we will say,
He is right.
For certain,
There is no one who tells.
There is no one who shows.
There is no one who hears your words.
I am the first to say to Zion,
Look at them.
And I will send a messenger with good news to Jerusalem.
When I look,
There is none.
Even among them there is no advisor who,
When I ask,
Can answer even a word.
Look,
All of their deeds are useless and nothing.
Their images are just wind and confusion.
Psalm 139 For the Chief Musician A Prayer Song by David God,
You have searched me,
And you know me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up.
You observe my thoughts from far away.
You know my path,
And when I am lying down,
And are familiar with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
God,
That you do not know.
You border me in front and back.
You put your hand on me.
This knowledge is beyond me,
And not understandable to me.
I can't imagine it.
Where could I go from your spirit?
Or where could I run from your presence?
If I go up into heaven,
You are there.
If I make my bed in the grave,
You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn and settle in the remotest parts of the sea,
Even there your hand will lead me,
And your right hand will hold me.
If I say surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
The light around me will be night.
Even the darkness doesn't hide from you.
But the night shines like the day.
The darkness is like light to you.
For you form my body.
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to you,
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful.
My soul knows that very well.
My being wasn't hidden from you when I was made in secret,
Woven together in the depths of the earth.
You saw my body.
In your book they were all written,
The days that were ordained for me,
Even before I was born.
How precious to me are your thoughts,
God.
How vast is their sum.
If I would count them,
They would be more in number than grains of sand.
When I wake up,
I am still with you.
If only,
God,
You would kill the wicked.
Get away from me,
You bloodthirsty men,
For they speak against you wickedly.
Your enemies take your name in vain.
God,
Don't I hate those who hate you?
Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you?
I hate them with perfect hatred.
They have become my enemies.
Search me,
God,
And know my heart.
Try me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the everlasting way.
Psalm 3,
A prayer song by David when he fled from his son Absalom.
I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who are against me on every side.
Arise,
God,
Save me,
My God.
For you have struck all of my enemies on the cheek.
You have broken the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to God.
May your blessing be on your people.
Psalm 29,
A prayer song by David.
Worship God in holy living.
God's voice is on the waters.
The God of glory thunders on many waters.
God's voice is powerful.
God's voice is full of majesty.
God's voice breaks the cedar.
Yes,
God breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also to skip like a calf.
Lebanon and Syrian like a young wild ox.
God's voice strikes with flashes of lightning.
God's voice shatters the wilderness.
God shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
God's voice makes the deer give birth and strips the forest bare.
In his temple,
Everything says glory.
God sat as king over the flood.
Yes,
God sits as king forever.
God will give strength to his people.
God will bless his people with peace.
Psalm 61,
For the chief musician,
For a stringed instrument,
By David.
Hear my cry,
God.
Listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than me.
For you have been a refuge for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will live in your tent forever.
I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
For you,
God,
Have heard my vows.
You have given me the heritage of those who fear,
Respect your name.
You will prolong the king's life.
His years will be for generations.
He will be enthroned in God's presence forever.
Appoint your love and kindness and truth that they may preserve him.
So I will sing praise to your name forever that I may fulfill my vows daily.
Psalm 63,
A prayer song by David when he was in the desert of Judah.
God,
You are my God.
I will earnestly seek you.
My soul thirsts for you.
I long for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have seen you in the sanctuary,
Watching your power and your glory.
Because your love and kindness is better than life,
My lips will praise you.
So I will bless you while I live.
I will lift up my hands in your name.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest food.
My mouth will praise you with joyful lips when I remember when I laid asleep and think about you in the middle of the night.
For you have been my help.
I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
My soul stays close to you.
Your right hand holds me up.
But those who seek my soul to destroy it will go into the lower parts of the earth.
They will be given over to the power of the sword.
They will be food for jackals.
But the king will rejoice in God.
Everyone who swears by him will praise him.
For the mouth of those who speak lies will be silenced.
Psalm 84,
For the chief musician.
On an instrument of Gath,
A psalm by the sons of Korah.
How lovely is the place you inhabit,
God of armies.
My soul longs and even faints for the courts of God.
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Yes,
The sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest for herself where she may have her young.
Near your altars,
God of armies,
My king and my God.
Blessed are those who live in your house.
They are always praising you.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
Who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage.
Passing through the valley of weeping,
They make it a place of springs.
Yes,
The autumn rain covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength.
Every one of them appears before God in Zion.
God of armies,
Hear my prayer.
Listen,
God of Jacob.
God is our shield.
Look at the face of your anointed.
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to live in the luxury of the wicked.
For God is a sun and a shield.
God will give grace and glory.
He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.
God of armies,
Blessed is the man who trusts in you.
Psalm 23,
A prayer song by David.
God is my shepherd.
I will lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He guides me in the path of righteousness for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For you are with me.
Your rod and your staff,
They comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and love and kindness will follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in God's house forever.
Psalm 4,
For the chief musician on stringed instruments,
A prayer song by David.
Answer me when I call,
God of my righteousness.
Give me relief from my suffering.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
People,
How long will my glory be turned into shame?
Will you love arrogance and chase after lies?
Know that God has set apart for Himself those who are godly.
God will hear me when I call Him.
Stand in awe and don't sin.
Search your own heart on your bed and be still.
Offer righteous sacrifices.
Put your trust in God.
Many say,
Who will bless us?
God,
Let the light of your face shine on us.
You have put joy in my heart more than when grain and new wine increase.
In peace,
I will lay and sleep.
For you,
God alone,
Make me live in safety.
Psalm 121,
I will lift up my eyes to the hills.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from God,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved.
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold,
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
God is your keeper.
God is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not harm you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
God will keep you from all evil.
He will keep your soul.
God will keep your going out and your coming in,
From this time forward and forevermore.
Psalm 131 by David God,
My heart isn't arrogant or my eyes disdainful,
And I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me to understand.
Truly,
I have stilled and quieted my heart like a toddler with his mother.
Like a toddler is my heart within me.
Israel,
Hope in God,
From this time forward and forevermore.
Psalm 16,
A poem by David Protect me,
God,
For I take shelter in you.
I have said to God,
You are my Lord.
Apart from you I have nothing good.
As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the excellent ones that I greatly admire.
Those who offer gifts to another God will have their sorrows multiplied.
I will not participate in their drink offerings of blood or speak the names of their gods.
God,
You have given me my share and my cup.
You have made me secure.
You have greatly blessed me.
Yes,
I have a good inheritance.
I will praise God,
Who has given me instruction.
Yes,
In my heart he instructs me in the night.
I have said,
God,
Always be for me,
Because he is at my right hand.
I will not be moved.
Therefore,
My heart is glad and I proclaim my joy.
My body will also be safe.
For you will not leave my soul in the grave.
Neither will you allow your Holy One to remain in the tomb.
You will show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy.
In your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 34 by David When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech,
Who drove him away,
And he departed.
I will bless God at all times.
His praise will always be in my mouth.
My soul will boast in God.
The humble will hear of it and be glad.
O magnify God with me.
Let us exalt his name together.
I sought God and he answered me and delivered me from all of my fears.
Those who trust in him are radiant.
Their faces will never be covered with shame.
This poor man cried and God heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
God's angel,
Surround those who respect him and delivers them.
O taste and see that God is good.
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
O fear God,
You his saints,
For there is no lack with those who fear him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger.
But those who seek God will not lack any good thing.
Come,
You children,
Listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of God.
Who is someone who wants a long and prosperous life?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
Stay far from evil and do good.
Seek peace and pursue it.
God's eyes are on the righteous.
His ears listen to their cry.
God's face is against those who do evil to cut off their memory from the earth.
The righteous cry and God hears and he delivers them out of all their troubles.
God is near to those who have a broken heart and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
Many are the difficulties of the righteous,
But God delivers him out of them all.
He protects all of his bones.
Not one of them is broken.
Evil will kill the wicked.
Those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
God redeems the soul of his servants.
None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 46,
For the Chief Musician,
By the Sons of Korah.
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore,
We won't be afraid,
Though the earth shakes,
Though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas,
Though its waters roar and are troubled,
Though the mountains tremble with their swelling.
There is a river,
The streams of which make the city of God glad,
The holy place of the tents of the Most High.
God is within her.
She will not be moved.
God will help her at dawn.
The nations raged.
The kingdoms were shaken.
He lifted his voice and the earth melted.
God of the armies is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come,
See God's works,
What devastation he has made in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear.
He burns the chariots in the fire.
Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth.
God of the armies is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Psalm 55 For the Chief Musician On Stringed Instruments A Contemplation by David Listen to my prayer,
God.
Don't hide yourself from my prayer.
Be with me and answer me.
I am restless in my complaint and moan because of the voice of my enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they bring suffering on me.
In anger they hold a grudge against me.
My heart is in agony.
The terrors of death have fallen on me.
Fearfulness and trembling have come on me.
Horror has overwhelmed me.
I said,
Oh,
That I had wings like a dove.
Then I would fly away and be at rest.
Then I would wander far off.
I would live in the wilderness.
I would hurry to his shelter from the stormy wind and storm.
Confuse them,
Lord,
And confound their language.
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they prowl around on its walls.
Hatred and abuse are also within her.
Destructive forces are within her.
Threats and lies don't depart from her streets.
For it was not my enemy who insulted me.
Then I could have endured it.
Neither was it he who hated me,
Who raised himself up against me.
Then I would have hidden myself from him.
But it was you,
A man like me,
My companion and my close friend.
We took sweet fellowship together.
We walked in God's house with others.
Let death come suddenly on them.
Let them go down alive into the grave.
For wickedness is among them in their dwelling.
As for me,
I will call on God.
God will save me.
Evening,
Morning,
And at noon,
I will cry out in distress.
He will hear my voice.
He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
Although there are many who oppose me.
God,
Who is enthroned forever,
Will hear and answer them.
They never change and don't fear God.
This man raises his hands against his friends.
He has violated his covenant.
His mouth was smooth as butter,
But his heart was war.
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.
Cast your burden on God,
And He will sustain you.
He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
But you,
God,
Will bring them down into the pit of destruction.
Bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days,
But I will trust in you.
Psalm 56 Be merciful to me,
God,
For a man wants to swallow me up.
All day long,
He attacks and oppresses me.
My enemies want to swallow me up all day long,
For there are many who proudly fight against me.
When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in you.
In God,
I praise His Word.
In God,
I put my trust.
I will not be afraid.
What can people do to me?
All day long,
They twist my words.
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
They conspire and lurk,
Watching my steps.
They are eager to take my life.
Will they escape my sin and anger?
Cast down the people,
God.
You keep count of my misery.
You put my tears in your container.
Aren't they in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back in the day that I call.
I know this,
That God is for me.
In God,
I will praise His Word.
In God,
I will praise His Word.
I have put my trust in God.
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
Your vows are on me,
God.
I will give thank offerings to you,
For you have delivered my soul from death and prevented my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God in the light of the living.
Matthew 6 Be careful that you don't do your acts of righteousness and charity just to be seen by people,
Or else you'll have no reward from your Father in heaven.
When you do righteous acts,
Don't blow a trumpet to call attention to yourself as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,
So that they will be praised by people.
Most certainly,
I tell you,
That is the only reward they will receive.
But when you do righteous acts,
Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
So that your righteous acts are done in secret.
Then your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you openly.
When you pray,
Don't be like the hypocrites,
Because they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners,
So that they may be seen by people.
Most definitely,
I tell you,
That is the only reward they will receive.
But when you pray,
Enter into your private room and shut the door.
Then pray to your Father in secret,
And your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you openly.
When you are praying,
Don't use vain repetitions like the Gentiles do,
For they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
So,
Don't be like them,
Because your Father knows what things you need before you ask Him.
Pray like this,
Our Father in heaven,
May your name be honored.
Let your kingdom come.
Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Don't let us be led into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom,
The power and the glory forever.
Amen.
For if you forgive others when they sin,
Your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you don't forgive others,
Neither will your Father forgive you.
Furthermore,
When you fast,
Don't be like the hypocrites who put on sad faces,
For they make faces so that others will see that they are fasting.
Most definitely,
I tell you,
That is the only reward they will receive.
But you,
When you fast,
Make yourself presentable and wash your face,
So that your fasting is not seen by others,
But it will be by your Father who sees what is done in secret,
And He will reward you.
Don't store up treasures for yourself on the earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break through and steal.
But store up for yourself treasures in heaven,
Where neither moth nor rust consume and where thieves don't break in and steal.
For where your treasure is,
There your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body.
If your eye is healthy,
Your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eye is evil,
Your whole body will be full of darkness.
If the light that is in you is darkness,
How great is that darkness!
No one can serve two masters,
For either he will hate the one and love the other,
Or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other.
You can't serve both God and money.
So,
I tell you,
Don't be worried about your life,
What you will eat or what you will drink,
Or for your body,
What you will wear.
Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing?
See the birds of the sky,
That they don't plant,
Harvest or store food in barns.
Your Heavenly Father feeds them.
Aren't you of much more value than they are?
Which of you,
By worrying,
Can add one moment to his lifespan?
Why are you worried about clothing?
Think about how the lilies of the field grow.
They don't work,
Neither do they make clothes.
Yet I tell you that even Solomon,
In all of his glory,
Was not dressed as nice as one of these.
But if God clothes the grass of the field,
Which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,
Won't he much more clothe you,
You of little faith?
So,
Don't be worried saying,
What will we eat?
What will we drink?
Or what will we wear?
For the Gentiles search after all of these things.
But your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness,
And all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore,
Don't be worried about tomorrow.
For tomorrow will have its own worries,
But each day's own trouble is enough.
Matthew 11 When Jesus had finished instructing his 12 disciples,
He left there to teach and preach in their cities.
Now,
When John,
Who was in prison,
Heard about the works of Christ,
He sent two of his disciples to ask him,
Are you the one who comes,
Or should we look for another?
Jesus answered them,
Go and tell John the things that you see and hear.
The blind receive their sight,
The lame walk,
The lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised up,
And the poor have good news preached to them.
Blessed is he who does not stumble because of me.
As John's disciples left,
Jesus spoke to the crowds concerning John.
What did you go out into the wilderness to see?
A reed shaken by the wind?
What did you go out to see?
A man in nice clothes?
Those who wear nice clothes are in king's houses.
But why did you go out?
To see a prophet?
Yes,
I tell you,
And much more than a prophet.
For he is the one who was written about in Malachi.
Look,
I will send a messenger before you who will prepare the way before you.
Most definitely I tell you,
Of all who have ever lived,
There has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist.
Yet even the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force.
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came.
If you are willing to accept it,
This is Elijah who is to come.
He who has ears to hear,
Let him hear.
But what will I compare this generation to?
It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who say to one another,
We played the flute for you and you didn't dance.
We mourned for you and you didn't cry.
For John came neither eating nor drinking and they say he has a demon.
The son of man came eating and drinking and they say look,
He is a glutton and a drunk,
A friend of tax collectors and sinners.
But wisdom is justified by our actions.
Then he began to condemn the cities in which most of his miracles had been done because they didn't repent.
There is sorrow coming to you,
Chorazin and Bethsaida.
For if the miracles I did in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
They would have repented long ago in funeral clothes and ashes.
But I tell you it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
You,
Capernaum,
Who are exalted to heaven,
You will go down to hell.
For if the miracles I had done in you were done in Sodom,
It would still be here today.
But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.
Then Jesus said,
I thank you,
Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
That you hid these things from those who think themselves wise and understanding and have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes,
Father,
For it was well pleasing in your sight.
All things have been given to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father.
Neither does anyone know the Father except the Son and those the Son desires to reveal Him.
Come to me,
All you who work and are heavily burdened,
And I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
For I am gentle and humble in heart,
And you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
John 14.
Don't let your heart be troubled.
Believe in God.
Believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms.
If it weren't so,
I would have told you.
I am going to prepare a place for you.
If I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you with me so that where I am,
You will also be.
You know where I am going and you know the way.
Thomas said to him,
Lord,
We don't know where you are going.
How can we know the way?
Jesus said to him,
I am the way,
The truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you had known me,
You would have known my Father also.
From now on,
You know him and have seen him.
Philip said to him,
Lord,
Show us the Father and that will be good enough for us.
Jesus said to him,
Have I been with you all this time and you don't know me,
Philip?
He who has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say show us the Father?
Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I tell you,
They are not my own.
They are from the Father who lives in me and does his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.
Or at least believe because of the very works you have seen me do.
Most certainly I tell you,
Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.
He will do even greater works than these because I am going to my Father.
Whatever you will ask in my name,
I will do it so that the Father will be glorified in the Son.
If you will ask anything in my name,
I will do it.
If you love me,
Keep my commandments.
I will pray to the Father and he will give you the Holy Spirit so that he may be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of truth who the world can't receive for it doesn't see him and doesn't know him.
You know him for he lives with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans,
I will come to you.
In a little while,
The world will no longer see me,
But you will see me.
Because I live,
You will live also.
On that day,
You will know that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them,
That person is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me is loved by my Father.
And I will love him and will reveal myself to him.
Judas,
Not Iscariot,
Said to him,
Lord,
Why are you about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?
Jesus answered him,
If a man loves me,
He will keep my word.
My Father will love him and will come to him and make our home with him.
He who doesn't love me doesn't keep my words.
The word which you hear isn't mine,
It is the Father's who sent me.
I have said these things to you while I am still living with you.
But the Counselor,
The Holy Spirit,
Who the Father will send in my name,
Will teach you all things and will remind you of everything that I said to you.
Peace I leave with you.
My peace I give to you.
I do not give like the world gives.
Don't let your heart be troubled and don't be afraid.
You heard me tell you,
I am going away and I will come back to you.
If you loved me,
You would have rejoiced,
Because I have said,
I am going to my Father,
For the Father is greater than me.
Now I have told you before it happens,
So that when it happens,
You will believe.
I will not speak with you much longer,
For the Prince of this world comes,
And he has no power over me.
But so that the world may know that I love the Father,
I do as the Father commanded me.
Get up,
Let's be going.
Psalm 27,
By David.
God is my light and my salvation,
Whom will I fear?
God is the strength of my life,
Of whom will I be afraid?
When evil people came at me to eat up my flesh,
Those who are my enemies,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army should take position against me,
My heart will not fear.
Though war should rise against me,
Even then,
I will be confident.
One thing I have asked of God,
That I desire the most,
That I may live in God's house all the days of my life,
To see God's beauty and to learn in His temple.
For in the day of trouble,
He will keep me secretly in His pavilion.
In the secret place of His tabernacle,
He will hide me.
He will lift me up on a rock.
Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me.
I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tent.
I will sing,
Yes,
I will sing praises to God.
Hear God,
When I cry with my voice.
Have mercy on me and answer me.
When you said,
Seek my face,
My heart said to you,
I will seek your face,
God.
Don't hide your face from me,
Don't put your servant away in anger.
You have been my help,
Don't abandon me or forsake me,
God of my salvation.
If my father and mother forsake me,
Then God will lift me up.
Teach me your way,
God.
Lead me in a straight path because of my enemies.
Don't deliver me over to the desire of my enemies,
For liars have risen up against me and breathe out cruelty.
I am still confident of this.
I will see the goodness of God in the land of the living.
I wait for God.
Be strong and let your heart take courage.
Yes,
Wait for God.
Psalm 62,
For the chief musician.
To Jedithon,
A prayer song by David.
My soul rests in God alone.
My salvation is from Him.
He alone is my rock,
My salvation and my fortress.
I will never be greatly shaken.
How long will you assault a man?
Would all of you throw him down,
Like a leaning wall,
Like a tottering fence?
They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place.
They delight in lies.
They bless with their mouth but they curse inwardly.
My soul,
Wait in silence for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
My fortress.
I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor is with God.
The rock of my strength and my refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times,
You people.
Pour out your heart to Him.
God is a refuge for us.
Surely men of low standing are just a breath and men of high standing are a lie.
In the balances they will go up.
They are together lighter than a breath.
Don't trust in oppression.
Don't become vain in robbery.
If riches increase,
Don't set your heart on them.
God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this,
That power belongs to God.
Also to you,
Lord,
Belongs love and kindness,
For you reward every man according to his work.
Psalm 91 For He will deliver you from the trap of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His feathers.
Under His wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night or of the arrow that flies by day or of the pestilence that walks in darkness or of the destruction that wastes in the day.
A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand,
But it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked,
Because you have made God your refuge and the Most High your home.
No evil will happen to you,
Neither will any plague come near your home,
For He will put His angels in charge of you to guard you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their hands so that you won't dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and cobra.
You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.
Because He has set His love on me,
Therefore I will deliver Him.
I will set Him on high because He has known my name.
He will call on me and I will answer Him.
I will be with Him in trouble.
I will deliver Him and honor Him.
I will satisfy Him with long life and show Him my salvation.
Philippians 4 Because of this,
Believers,
Loved and missed,
My joy and crown,
Stand firm in the Lord in this way,
My loved ones.
I urge Euodia and Sintaich to think the same way in the Lord.
Yes,
I beg you also,
True partner,
Help these women,
For they worked with me in advancing the good news with Clement also and the rest of my fellow believers whose names are in the Book of Life.
Rejoice in the Lord always,
In His love and in His mercy.
Again,
I say,
Rejoice.
Let your gentleness be known to all men.
The Lord is near.
Be anxious about nothing.
Instead,
In everything,
By prayer,
With thanksgiving,
Let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
Which exceeds all understanding,
Will guard your hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Finally,
Brothers,
Whatever things are true,
Honorable,
Just,
Pure,
Lovely,
Admirable,
If there is any virtue and if there is any praise,
Think about these types of things.
The things which you learned,
Received,
Heard,
And saw in me,
Do them,
And the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoice in the Lord greatly,
That now at last you have revived your concern for me.
You did have concern before,
But you lacked opportunity to help.
I don't say this because I am in need,
For I have learned in whatever condition I am,
To be content in it.
I know how to live in humble circumstances and also in prosperity.
In all things,
I learn the secret,
Whether I am filled or hungry,
Rich or in need.
I can do all things through Christ,
Who strengthens me.
However,
You did well,
And that you shared in my difficulty.
You Philippians yourselves know that when I first brought you the good news,
And then I departed from Macedonia,
No other church shared with me in the matter of financial giving and receiving,
But you only.
For even when I was in Thessalonica,
You sent aid more than once for my need.
Not that I am seeking for a gift,
But I seek that you will have fruit that will increase to your account.
But I have everything I need and more.
I am well supplied after receiving from Epaphroditus the things that came from you.
They are a sweet-smelling fragrance,
An acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.
My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.
Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.
The brothers who are with me greet you.
All the saints greet you,
Especially those who are of Caesar's household.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen.
Colossians 3 Since you were raised with Christ,
Pursue the things that are above,
Where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on the things that are above,
Not on the things that are on the earth.
For you died,
And your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ,
Who is our life,
Is revealed,
Then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
So put to death the sinful desires in you,
Which are of the earth,
Sexual immorality,
Impurity,
Immoral passion,
Evil desire,
And greed,
Which is idolatry.
Because of these things,
The anger of God comes on the children of disobedience.
You used to walk in these ways when you lived in them,
But now be done with them all.
Anger,
Rage,
Hatred,
Slander,
And disgraceful speaking.
Don't lie to one another,
Since you have put off your old sinful man with his doings,
And have put on the new man,
Who is being renewed in the knowledge like the image of his Creator.
In this,
There can't be Greek or Jew,
Circumcision and uncircumcision,
Barbarian,
Scythian,
Slave,
Or free person,
But only Christ,
Who is all and is in all.
So,
As God's chosen ones,
Holy and loved,
Apply a heart of compassion,
Kindness,
Modesty,
Humility,
And perseverance,
Bearing with one another and forgiving each other,
And if anyone has a complaint against another person,
Forgive each other,
Just as Christ forgave you.
Above all these things,
Walk in love,
Which is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
As you were called in one body,
And be thankful.
Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly.
In all wisdom,
Teach and caution one another with psalms,
Hymns,
And spiritual songs,
Singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
Whatever you do,
In word or in action,
Do it in the name of the Lord Jesus,
Giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Wives,
Be subject to your husbands,
As is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands,
Love your wives and don't be bitter against them.
Children,
Obey your parents in all things,
For this pleases the Lord.
Fathers,
Don't irritate your children so that they won't be discouraged.
Servants,
Obey your masters in all things,
Not just when they are looking to please them,
But wholeheartedly,
Fearing God.
And whatever you do,
Work wholeheartedly,
As for the Lord and not for men,
Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance,
For you serve the Lord Christ.
But he who does wrong will likewise receive for the wrong that he has done,
And there is no favoritism.
Isaiah 26 In that day,
This song will be sung in the land of Judah.
We have a strong city.
God appoints salvation for walls and barricades.
Open the gates so that the righteous nation may enter,
The one that keeps faith.
You will keep whoever's mind is committed in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For God is an everlasting rock,
For he has brought down those who live on high,
The lofty city.
He lays it low.
He lays it low to the ground.
He brings it to the dust.
The foot will trample it down,
The foot of the poor.
And the steps of the needy.
The way of the righteous is level.
You who are upright,
Make the path of the righteous straight.
Yes,
On the path of your laws,
God,
We have waited for you.
Your name and your renown are the desire of our heart.
With my soul,
I have looked for you in the night.
Yes,
With my spirit within me,
I will seek you earnestly.
For when your laws are in the earth,
The people learn righteousness.
If favor is shown to the wicked,
He will not learn righteousness.
In the land of honesty,
He will still do evil and will not see God's majesty.
God,
Your hand is lifted up,
But they don't see.
But they will see your passion for the people and be disappointed.
Yes,
Fire will consume your enemies.
God,
You will order peace for us.
For all we have accomplished,
You have done the work for us.
Lord,
Our God,
Other lords beside you have had power over us,
But we will only acknowledge your name.
The dead will not live again.
The departed spirits will not rise.
You have visited and destroyed them and caused all memory of them to perish.
You have increased the nation,
God.
You have increased the nation.
You are glorified.
You have extended all the borders of the land.
God,
In trouble,
They looked to you.
They poured out a prayer when your discipline was on them.
Just as a woman with child who is close to giving birth is in pain and cries out,
So we have been before you,
God.
We have been with child.
We have been in pain.
We gave birth,
It seems,
Only to wind.
We have not brought any deliverance on the earth.
And the people of the world have not been brought to life.
But your dead will live.
Their dead bodies will rise.
Awake and sing,
You who live in the dust.
For your dew is like the dew of the herbs.
And the earth will give up the departed spirits.
Come,
My people,
Enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you.
Hide yourself for a little moment until the anger is passed.
For look,
God comes from his place to punish the people of the earth for their sin.
The earth will also reveal her blood and will no longer cover her slain.
Keep silent before me,
Islands,
And let the nations renew their strength.
Let them come near.
Then let them speak.
Let's meet together for judgment.
Who has raised up one from the east?
Who has called him to his feet in righteousness?
He hands over nations to him and makes him rule over kings.
He gives them like the dust to his sword,
Like the driven stubble to his bow.
He pursues them and passes by safely,
Even by a way that he had not gone before.
Who has worked and done it,
Calling the generations from the beginning?
I,
God the first,
And with the last,
I am he.
The islands have seen and fear.
The ends of the earth tremble.
They approach and come.
Everyone helps his neighbor.
They say to their brothers,
Be strong.
So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith.
He who smooths it with the hammer encourages him who strikes the anvil,
Saying of the work,
It is good.
And he fastens it with nails so that it will not fall over.
But you,
Israel,
My servant,
Jacob,
Whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham,
My friend,
You who I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth,
And called from its corners,
And said to you,
You are my servant.
I have chosen you and haven't tossed you aside.
Don't you be afraid,
For I am with you.
Don't be dismayed,
For I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
Yes,
I will help you.
Yes,
I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
See,
All those who are angry with you will be disappointed and confused.
Those who strive with you will be like nothing and will perish.
You will seek them and won't find them.
Even those who oppose you,
Those who war against you,
Will be like nothing,
Like a non-existent thing.
For I,
The Lord your God,
Will hold your right hand,
Saying to you,
Don't be afraid,
I will help you.
Don't be afraid,
You worm,
Jacob.
And you men of Israel,
I will help you,
Says God.
Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
See,
I have made you into a new sharp threshing tool with teeth.
You will thresh the mountains and beat them small.
And you will make the hills like chaff.
You will winnow them,
And the wind will carry them away.
The whirlwind will scatter them.
You will rejoice in God.
You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The poor and needy seek water,
And there is none.
Their tongue fails for thirst.
I,
God,
Will answer them.
I,
The God of Israel,
Will not desert them.
I will open rivers on the bare hills,
And springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will make the desert a pool of water,
And the dry lands springs of water.
I will put cedar,
Acacia,
Myrtle,
And olive trees in the wilderness.
I will set cypress trees,
Pines,
And evergreen trees together in the desert,
So that people will see,
Know,
Consider,
And understand that God's hand has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
State your case,
Says God.
Bring out your strong reasons,
Says the King of Jacob.
Let your idols announce and tell us what will happen.
Tell us the former things,
What they were,
So that we may consider them and know what became of them.
Or show us things to come.
Tell us the things that are to come after,
So that we will know that you are gods.
Yes,
Do good or do evil,
So that we may be discouraged and see it together.
See,
You are nothing,
And your work is nothing.
Whoever chooses you is a disgrace.
I have raised up one from the north,
And he has come.
From the rising of the sun,
One who calls on my name.
And he will come on rulers like on mortar,
And like the potter beats the clay.
Who has told of it from the beginning,
So that we will know?
And before,
So that we will say,
He is right.
For certain,
There is no one who tells.
There is no one who shows.
There is no one who hears your words.
I am the first to say to Zion,
Look at them.
And I will send a messenger with good news to Jerusalem.
When I look,
There is none.
Even among them there is no advisor who,
When I ask,
Can answer even a word.
Look,
All of their deeds are useless and nothing.
Their images are just wind and confusion.
Psalm 139 For the Chief Musician A Prayer Song by David God,
You have searched me,
And you know me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up.
You observe my thoughts from far away.
You know my path and when I am lying down and are familiar with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
God,
That you do not know.
You border me in front and back.
You put your hand on me.
This knowledge is beyond me and not understandable to me.
I can't imagine it.
Where could I go from your Spirit,
Or where could I run from your presence?
If I go up into heaven,
You are there.
If I make my bed in the grave,
You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn and settle in the remotest parts of the sea,
Even there your hand will lead me,
And your right hand will hold me.
If I say surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
The light around me will be night.
Even the darkness doesn't hide from you.
But the night shines like the day.
The darkness is like light to you.
For you form my body.
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to you,
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful.
My soul knows that very well.
My being wasn't hidden from you when I was made in secret,
Woven together in the depths of the earth.
You saw my body.
In your book they were all written,
The days that were ordained for me,
Even before I was born.
How precious to me are your thoughts,
God.
How vast is their sum.
If I would count them,
They would be more in number than grains of sand.
When I wake up,
I am still with you.
If only,
God,
You would kill the wicked.
Get away from me,
You bloodthirsty men,
For they speak against you wickedly.
Your enemies take your name in vain.
God,
Don't I hate those who hate you?
Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you?
I hate them with perfect hatred.
They have become my enemies.
Search me,
God,
And know my heart.
Try me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Psalm 3,
A prayer song by David when he fled from his son Absalom.
God,
My enemies have increased.
There are many who rise against me.
Many say of me,
God will not help him.
But you,
God,
Are a shield around me.
You are my glory,
And the one who lifts up my head.
I cry out to God,
And he answers me out of his holy hill.
I laid down and slept,
And I woke up again because of my sin.
I will not be afraid of you,
Because God sustains me.
I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who are against me on every side.
Arise,
God.
Save me,
My God.
For you have struck all of my enemies on the cheek.
You have broken the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to God.
May your blessing be on your people.
Psalm 29,
A prayer song by David.
Honor God,
You sons of the mighty.
Honor God's glory and strength.
Honor,
For the glory of his name.
Worship God in holy living.
God's voice is on the waters.
The God of glory thunders on many waters.
God's voice is powerful.
God's voice is full of majesty.
God's voice breaks the cedar.
Yes,
God breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also to skip like a calf.
Lebanon and Syrian like a young wild ox.
God's voice strikes with flashes of lightning.
God's voice shatters the wilderness.
God shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
God's voice makes the deer give birth and strips the forest bare.
In his temple,
Everything says glory.
God sat as king over the flood.
Yes,
God sits as king forever.
God will give strength to his people.
God will bless his people with peace.
Psalm 61,
For the chief musician.
For a stringed instrument by David.
Hear my cry,
God.
Listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than me.
For you have been a refuge for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will live in your tent forever.
I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
For you,
God,
Have heard my vows.
You have given me the heritage of those who fear,
Respect your name.
You will prolong the king's life.
His years will be for generations.
He will be enthroned in God's presence forever.
Appoint your love and kindness and truth that they may preserve him.
So I will sing praise to your name forever that I may fulfill my vows daily.
Psalm 63,
A prayer sung by David when he was in the desert of Judah.
God,
You are my God.
I will earnestly seek you.
My soul thirsts for you.
I long for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have seen you in the sanctuary,
Watching your power and your glory.
Because your love and kindness is better than life,
My lips will praise you.
So I will bless you while I live.
I will lift up my hands in your name.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest food.
My mouth will praise you with joyful lips.
When I remember when I laid asleep and think about you in the middle of the night.
For you have been my help.
I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
My soul stays close to you.
Your right hand holds me up.
But those who seek my soul to destroy it will go into the lower parts of the earth.
They will be given over to the power of the sword.
They will be food for jackals.
But the king will rejoice in God.
Everyone who swears by him will praise him.
For the mouth of those who speak lies will be silenced.
Psalm 84 For the Chief Musician On an Instrument of Gath A Psalm by the Sons of Korah How lovely is the place you inhabit,
God of armies!
My soul longs,
And even faints,
For the courts of God.
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Yes,
The sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow will nest for herself where she may have her young.
Near your altars,
God of armies,
My King and my God.
Blessed are those who live in your house.
They are always praising you.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
Who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage.
Passing through the valley of weeping,
They make it a place of springs.
Yes,
The autumn rain covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength.
Every one of them appears before God and Zion.
God of armies,
Hear my prayer.
Listen,
God of Jacob.
God is our shield.
Look at the face of your anointed.
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God,
Than to live in the luxury of the wicked.
For God is a sun and a shield.
God will give grace and glory.
He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.
God of armies,
Blessed is the man who trusts in you.
