What follows is a selection of Psalms from the Old Testament Book of Psalms,
Read from the New King James Translation.
Use this recording as you will,
But our suggestion is to simply sit with it,
Head bowed,
In quiet contemplation.
Psalm 11 Faith in the Lord's Righteousness In the Lord I put my trust,
How can you say to my soul,
Flee as a bird to your mountain?
For look,
The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?
The Lord is in his holy temple,
The Lord's throne is in heaven,
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men,
The Lord tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence,
God's soul hates.
Upon the wicked he will rain coals,
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup.
For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness,
His countenance beholds the upright.
And now a moment of reflection.
Psalm 12 Man's Treachery and God's Constancy Help,
Lord,
For the godly man is gone,
For the faithful disappear from amongst the sons of men,
They speak idly with their neighbour,
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Who have said,
With our tongue we will prevail,
Our lips are our own,
Who is lord over us.
In response the Lord says,
For the oppression of the poor,
For the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise,
I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.
The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times,
You shall keep them,
O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
But still the wicked prowl on every side,
And vileness is exalted amongst the sons of men.
And now a moment of reflection.
Psalm 13 Trust in the salvation of the Lord How long,
O Lord,
Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and hear me,
O Lord my God,
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death,
Lest my enemy say,
I have prevailed against him,
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
But I have trusted in your mercy,
My God,
My heart shall rejoice in your salvation,
And so I will sing to you,
Because you have dealt bountifully with me.
And now a moment of reflection.
Psalm 14 Folly of the Godless and God's Final Triumph The fool has said in his heart,
There is no God.
These people are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand,
Any who seek God.
But they have all turned aside,
Together they have become corrupt,
There is none who does good,
No,
Not one.
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon God?
In time,
Though,
They will have plenty to fear,
For God is with the generation of the righteous,
You evildoers shame the counsel of the poor,
But the Lord is his refuge.
O that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion,
When the Lord restores his captive people,
Let Jacob rejoice,
And Israel be glad.
And now a moment of reflection.
Thank you for listening today.
I hope this recording has helped edify you and illuminates your path.
These words have been passed down through the ages by our living God for the sake of your sanctification.
How blessed we are to have him,
Kind and merciful in his ways.
And so we give thanks.
Amen.
