Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Colossians 3:16 NLT

Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Colossians 3:16 NLT

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Psalm 74


1 Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? 2 Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed-- Mount Zion, where you dwelt. 3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary. 4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs. 5 They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees. 6 They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets. 7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name. 8 They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land. 9 We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. 10 How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? 11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them! 12 But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth. 13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. 14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. 15 It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. 16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. 17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. 18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name. 19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. 20 Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. 21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name. 22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long. 23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.
 1 Surely God is good to Israel,
   to those who are pure in heart.
 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
   I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
   when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
 4 They have no struggles;
   their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
   they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
   they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
   the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
   in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
   and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
   and drink up waters in abundance.
11 They say, “How can God know?
   Does the Most High have knowledge?”
 12 This is what the wicked are like—
   always carefree, they increase in wealth.
 13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
   in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been plagued;
   I have been punished every morning.
 15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
   I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
   it was oppressive to me
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
   then I understood their final destiny.
 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
   you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
   completely swept away by terrors!
20 As a dream when one awakes,
   so when you arise, O Lord,
   you will despise them as fantasies.
 21 When my heart was grieved
   and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
   I was a brute beast before you.
 23 Yet I am always with you;
   you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
   and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
   And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
   but God is the strength of my heart
   and my portion forever.
 27 Those who are far from you will perish;
   you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
   I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
   I will tell of all your deeds.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Psalm 72

 1 Endow the king with your justice, O God,
   the royal son with your righteousness.
2 He will judge your people in righteousness,
   your afflicted ones with justice.
3 The mountains will bring prosperity to the people,
   the hills the fruit of righteousness.
4 He will defend the afflicted among the people
   and save the children of the needy;
   he will crush the oppressor.
 5 He will endure as long as the sun,
   as long as the moon, through all generations.
6 He will be like rain falling on a mown field,
   like showers watering the earth.
7 In his days the righteous will flourish;
   prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.
 8 He will rule from sea to sea
   and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 The desert tribes will bow before him
   and his enemies will lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
   will bring tribute to him;
the kings of Sheba and Seba
   will present him gifts.
11 All kings will bow down to him
   and all nations will serve him.
 12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
   the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy
   and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
   for precious is their blood in his sight.
 15 Long may he live!
   May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
   and bless him all day long.
16 Let grain abound throughout the land;
   on the tops of the hills may it sway.
Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon;
   let it thrive like the grass of the field.
17 May his name endure forever;
   may it continue as long as the sun.
   All nations will be blessed through him,
   and they will call him blessed.
18 Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
   who alone does marvelous deeds.
19 Praise be to his glorious name forever;
   may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
            Amen and Amen.
20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

Psalm 71

1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
   let me never be put to shame.
2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness;
   turn your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock of refuge,
   to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
   for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
   from the grasp of evil and cruel men.
 5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD,
   my confidence since my youth.
6 From birth I have relied on you;
   you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
   I will ever praise you.
7 I have become like a portent to many,
   but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
   declaring your splendor all day long.
 9 Do not cast me away when I am old;
   do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies speak against me;
   those who wait to kill me conspire together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken him;
   pursue him and seize him,
   for no one will rescue him.”
12 Be not far from me, O God;
   come quickly, O my God, to help me.
13 May my accusers perish in shame;
   may those who want to harm me
   be covered with scorn and disgrace.
 14 But as for me, I will always have hope;
   I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
   of your salvation all day long,
   though I know not its measure.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;
   I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,
   and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray,
   do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
   your might to all who are to come.
 19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
   you who have done great things.
   Who, O God, is like you?
20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
   you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
   you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor
   and comfort me once again.
 22 I will praise you with the harp
   for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
   O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy
   when I sing praise to you—
   I, whom you have redeemed.
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
   all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
   have been put to shame and confusion.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Psalm 70

For the choir director: A psalm of David, asking God to remember him.
 1 Please, God, rescue me!
      Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
 2 May those who try to kill me
      be humiliated and put to shame.
   May those who take delight in my trouble
      be turned back in disgrace.
 3 Let them be horrified by their shame,
      for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
 4 But may all who search for you
      be filled with joy and gladness in you.
   May those who love your salvation
      repeatedly shout, “God is great!”
 5 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
      please hurry to my aid, O God.
   You are my helper and my savior;
      O Lord, do not delay.

Psalm 69

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Lilies.”
 1 Save me, O God,
      for the floodwaters are up to my neck.
 2 Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;
      I can’t find a foothold.
   I am in deep water,
      and the floods overwhelm me.
 3 I am exhausted from crying for help;
      my throat is parched.
   My eyes are swollen with weeping,
      waiting for my God to help me.
 4 Those who hate me without cause
      outnumber the hairs on my head.
   Many enemies try to destroy me with lies,
      demanding that I give back what I didn’t steal. 5 O God, you know how foolish I am;
      my sins cannot be hidden from you.
 6 Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me,
      O Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
   Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated,
      O God of Israel.
 7 For I endure insults for your sake;
      humiliation is written all over my face.
 8 Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me;
      they treat me like a stranger.
 9 Passion for your house has consumed me,
      and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
 10 When I weep and fast,
      they scoff at me.
 11 When I dress in burlap to show sorrow,
      they make fun of me.
 12 I am the favorite topic of town gossip,
      and all the drunks sing about me.
 13 But I keep praying to you, Lord,
      hoping this time you will show me favor.
   In your unfailing love, O God,
      answer my prayer with your sure salvation.
 14 Rescue me from the mud;
      don’t let me sink any deeper!
   Save me from those who hate me,
      and pull me from these deep waters.
 15 Don’t let the floods overwhelm me,
      or the deep waters swallow me,
      or the pit of death devour me.
 16 Answer my prayers, O Lord,
      for your unfailing love is wonderful.
   Take care of me,
      for your mercy is so plentiful.
 17 Don’t hide from your servant;
      answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble!
 18 Come and redeem me;
      free me from my enemies.
 19 You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace.
      You see all that my enemies are doing.
 20 Their insults have broken my heart,
      and I am in despair.
   If only one person would show some pity;
      if only one would turn and comfort me.
 21 But instead, they give me poison for food;
      they offer me sour wine for my thirst.
 22 Let the bountiful table set before them become a snare
      and their prosperity become a trap.
 23 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
      and make their bodies shake continually
 24 Pour out your fury on them;
      consume them with your burning anger.
 25 Let their homes become desolate
      and their tents be deserted.
 26 To the one you have punished, they add insult to injury;
      they add to the pain of those you have hurt.
 27 Pile their sins up high,
      and don’t let them go free.
 28 Erase their names from the Book of Life;
      don’t let them be counted among the righteous.
 29 I am suffering and in pain.
      Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.
 30 Then I will praise God’s name with singing,
      and I will honor him with thanksgiving.
 31 For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle,
      more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.
 32 The humble will see their God at work and be glad.
      Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.
 33 For the Lord hears the cries of the needy;
      he does not despise his imprisoned people.
 34 Praise him, O heaven and earth,
      the seas and all that move in them.
 35 For God will save Jerusalem
      and rebuild the towns of Judah.
   His people will live there
      and settle in their own land.
 36 The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land,
      and those who love him will live there in safety.

Psalm 68

1 Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
      Let those who hate God run for their lives.
 2 Blow them away like smoke.
      Melt them like wax in a fire.
      Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
 3 But let the godly rejoice.
      Let them be glad in God’s presence.
      Let them be filled with joy.
 4 Sing praises to God and to his name!
      Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
   His name is the Lord
      rejoice in his presence!
 5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
      this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
 6 God places the lonely in families;
      he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
   But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
 7 O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
      when you marched through the dry wasteland,
                         Interlude

 8 the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain
      before you, the God of Sinai,
      before God, the God of Israel.
 9 You sent abundant rain, O God,
      to refresh the weary land.
 10 There your people finally settled,
      and with a bountiful harvest, O God,
      you provided for your needy people.
 11 The Lord gives the word,
      and a great army brings the good news.
 12 Enemy kings and their armies flee,
      while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
 13 Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—
      doves with wings of silver
      and feathers of gold.
 14 The Almighty scattered the enemy kings
      like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.
 15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic,
      with many peaks stretching high into the sky.
 16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,
      at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,
      where the Lord himself will live forever?
 17 Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,
      the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
 18 When you ascended to the heights,
      you led a crowd of captives.
   You received gifts from the people,
      even from those who rebelled against you.
      Now the Lord God will live among us there.
 19 Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!
      For each day he carries us in his arms.
                         Interlude

 20 Our God is a God who saves!
      The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.
 21 But God will smash the heads of his enemies,
      crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.
 22 The Lord says, “I will bring my enemies down from Bashan;
      I will bring them up from the depths of the sea.
 23 You, my people, will wash your feet in their blood,
      and even your dogs will get their share!”
 24 Your procession has come into view, O God—
      the procession of my God and King as he goes into the sanctuary.
 25 Singers are in front, musicians behind;
      between them are young women playing tambourines.
 26 Praise God, all you people of Israel;
      praise the Lord, the source of Israel’s life.
 27 Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way.
      Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah
      and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.
 28 Summon your might, O God.
      Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.
 29 The kings of the earth are bringing tribute
      to your Temple in Jerusalem.
 30 Rebuke these enemy nations—
      these wild animals lurking in the reeds,
      this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.
   Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute.
      Scatter the nations that delight in war.
 31 Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals;
      let Ethiopia bow in submission to God.
 32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.
      Sing praises to the Lord.
                         Interlude

 33 Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens,
      his mighty voice thundering from the sky.
 34 Tell everyone about God’s power.
      His majesty shines down on Israel;
      his strength is mighty in the heavens.
 35 God is awesome in his sanctuary.
      The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
   Praise be to God!