Bible Reading Plan

Prayer for God's Mercy upon the Nation.

¹ LORD, You showed ^(C1)favor to Your land;
You ^(C2)restored the fortunes of Jacob.

² You ^(C1)forgave the guilt of Your people;
You ^(C2)covered all their sin. Selah

³ You ^(C1)withdrew all Your fury;
You ^(C2)turned away from Your burning anger.

^4 (C1)Restore us, God of our salvation,
And ^(C2)cause Your indignation toward us to cease.

⁵ Will ^(C1)You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to ^(F1)all generations?

⁶ Will You not ^(F1)(C1)revive us again,
So that Your people may ^(C2)rejoice in You?

⁷ Show us Your mercy, LORD,
And ^(C1)grant us Your salvation.

^8 (F1)I will hear what God the LORD will say;
For He will ^(C1)speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
And may they not ^(C2)turn back to ^(F2)foolishness.

⁹ Certainly ^(C1)His salvation is near to those who ^(F1)fear Him,
That ^(C2)glory may dwell in our land.

^10 (C1)Graciousness and ^(F1)truth have met together;
^(C2)Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

^11 (F1)Truth ^(C1)sprouts from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.

¹² Indeed, ^(C1)the LORD will give what is good,
And our ^(C2)land will yield its produce.

^13 (C1)Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.

Pleading and Trust.

^1 (C1)Incline Your ear, LORD, and answer me;
For I am ^(C2)afflicted and needy.

^2 (C1)Protect my ^(F1)soul, for I am ^(C2)godly;
You my God, save Your servant who ^(C3)trusts in You.

³ Be ^(C1)gracious to me, Lord,
For ^(C2)I call upon You all day long.

⁴ Make the soul of Your servant joyful,
For to You, Lord, ^(C1)I lift up my soul.

⁵ For You, Lord, are ^(C1)good, and ^(C2)ready to forgive,
And ^(C3)abundant in mercy to all who call upon You.

^6 (C1)Listen, LORD, to my prayer;
And give Your attention to the sound of my pleading!

⁷ On ^(C1)the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For ^(C2)You will answer me.

⁸ There is ^(C1)no one like You among the gods, Lord,
Nor are there any works ^(C2)like Yours.

^9 (C1)All nations whom You have made will come and worship before You, Lord,
And they will glorify Your name.

¹⁰ For You are ^(C1)great, and You ^(C2)do ^(F1)wondrous deeds;
You alone ^(C3)are God.

^11 (C1)Teach me Your way, LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
^(C2)Unite my heart to fear Your name.

¹² I will ^(C1)give thanks to You, Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forever.

¹³ For Your graciousness toward me is great,
And You have ^(C1)saved my soul from the ^(F1)depths of ^(F2)Sheol.

¹⁴ God, arrogant men have ^(C1)risen up against me,
And a gang of violent men have sought my ^(F1)life,
And they have not set You before them.

¹⁵ But You, Lord, are a ^(C1)compassionate and gracious God,
Slow to anger and abundant in mercy and ^(F1)truth.

^16 (C1)Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
^(C2)Grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the ^(C3)son of Your maidservant.

^17 (C1)Show me a sign of good,
That those who hate me may ^(C2)see it and be ashamed,
Because You, LORD, ^(C3)have helped me and comforted me.

The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion.

¹ His ^(C1)foundation is in the holy mountains.

² The LORD ^(C1)loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.

^3 (C1)Glorious things are spoken of you,
^(C2)City of God. Selah

⁴ "I shall mention ^(F1)(C1)Rahab and Babylon ^(F2)among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and ^(C2)Tyre with ^(F3)(C3)Cush:
'This one was born there.'"

⁵ But of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her";
And the Most High Himself will ^(C1)establish her.

⁶ The LORD will count when He ^(C1)registers the peoples,
"This one was born there." Selah

⁷ Then those who ^(C1)sing as well as those who ^(F1)(C2)play the flutes will say,
"All my ^(C3)springs of joy are in you."

A Petition to Be Saved from Death.

¹ LORD, the ^(C1)God of my salvation,
I have ^(C2)cried out by day and in the night before You.

² Let my prayer ^(C1)come before You;
^(C2)Incline Your ear to my cry!

³ For my ^(C1)soul has ^(F1)had enough troubles,
And ^(C2)my life has approached ^(F2)Sheol.

⁴ I am counted among those who ^(C1)go down to the pit;
I have become like a man ^(C2)without strength,

^5 (F1)Abandoned ^(C1)among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You no longer remember,
And they are ^(C2)cut off from Your hand.

⁶ You have put me in ^(C1)the lowest pit,
In ^(C2)dark places, in the ^(C3)depths.

⁷ Your wrath ^(C1)has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with ^(C2)all Your waves. Selah

⁸ You have removed ^(C1)my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an ^(F1)(C2)object of loathing to them;
I am ^(C3)shut up and cannot go out.

⁹ My ^(C1)eye grows dim from misery;
I have ^(C2)called upon You every day, LORD;
I have ^(C3)spread out my ^(F1)hands to You.

¹⁰ Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Or will ^(C1)the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah

¹¹ Will Your graciousness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in ^(F1)Abaddon?

¹² Will Your wonders be made known in the ^(C1)darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³ But I, LORD, have cried out ^(C1)to You for help,
And ^(C2)in the morning my prayer comes before You.

¹⁴ LORD, why ^(C1)do You reject my soul?
Why do You ^(C2)hide Your face from me?

¹⁵ I was miserable and ^(C1)about to die from my youth on;
I suffer ^(C2)Your terrors; I grow weary.

¹⁶ Your ^(C1)burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have ^(F1)(C2)destroyed me.

¹⁷ They have ^(C1)surrounded me ^(C2)like water all day long;
They have ^(C3)encircled me altogether.

¹⁸ You have removed ^(C1)lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in a hiding place.

The LORD'S Covenant with David and Israel's Afflictions.

¹ I will ^(C1)sing of the graciousness of the LORD forever;
To all generations I will ^(C2)make Your ^(C3)faithfulness known with my mouth.

² For I have said, "^(C1)Graciousness will be built up forever;
In the heavens You will establish Your ^(C2)faithfulness."

³ "I have made a covenant with ^(C1)My chosen;
I have ^(C2)sworn to My servant David,

⁴ I will establish your ^(F1)(C1)descendants forever
And build up your ^(C2)throne to all generations." Selah

⁵ The ^(C1)heavens will praise Your wonders, LORD;
Your faithfulness also ^(C2)in the assembly of the ^(C3)holy ones.

⁶ For ^(C1)who in the skies is comparable to the LORD?
Who among the ^(F1)(C2)sons of the mighty is like the LORD,

⁷ A God ^(C1)greatly feared in the council of the ^(C2)holy ones,
And ^(C3)awesome above all those who are around Him?

⁸ LORD God of armies, ^(C1)who is like You, mighty ^(F1)LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.

⁹ You rule the surging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You ^(C1)calm them.

¹⁰ You Yourself crushed ^(F1)(C1)Rahab like one who is slain;
You ^(C2)scattered Your enemies with ^(F2)Your mighty arm.

¹¹ The ^(C1)heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The ^(C2)world and ^(F1)all it contains, You have established them.

¹² The ^(C1)north and the south, You have created them;
^(C2)Tabor and ^(C3)Hermon ^(C4)shout for joy at Your name.

¹³ You have ^(F1)a strong arm;
Your hand is mighty, Your ^(C1)right hand is exalted.

^14 (C1)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
^(C2)Mercy and ^(F1)truth go before You.

¹⁵ Blessed are the people who know the ^(F1)(C1)joyful sound!
LORD, they walk in the ^(C2)light of Your face.

¹⁶ In ^(C1)Your name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.

¹⁷ For You are the glory of ^(C1)their strength,
And by Your favor ^(F1)our ^(C2)horn is exalted.

¹⁸ For our ^(C1)shield belongs to the LORD,
^(F1)And our king to the ^(C2)Holy One of Israel.

^19 (F1)Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ^(F2)ones,
And said, "I have ^(F3)given help to one who is ^(C1)mighty;
I have exalted one ^(C2)chosen from the people.

²⁰ "I have ^(C1)found My servant David;
With My holy ^(C2)oil I have anointed him,

²¹ With whom ^(C1)My hand will be established;
My arm also will ^(C2)strengthen him.

²² "The enemy will not ^(F1)deceive him,
Nor will the ^(F2)(C1)son of wickedness afflict him.

²³ "But I will ^(C1)crush his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.

²⁴ "My ^(C1)faithfulness and My favor will be with him,
And in My name his ^(C2)horn will be exalted.

²⁵ "I will also place his hand ^(C1)on the sea,
And his right hand on the rivers.

²⁶ "He will call to Me, 'You are ^(C1)my Father,
My God, and the ^(C2)rock of my salvation.'

²⁷ "I will also make him My ^(C1)firstborn,
The ^(C2)highest of the kings of the earth.

²⁸ "I will maintain My ^(C1)favor for him forever,
And My ^(C2)covenant shall be confirmed to him.

²⁹ "So I will establish his ^(F1)(C1)descendants forever,
And his ^(C2)throne ^(C3)as the days of heaven.

³⁰ "If his sons ^(C1)abandon My Law
And do not walk in My judgments,

³¹ If they ^(F1)violate My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,

³² Then I will punish their wrongdoing with the ^(C1)rod,
And their guilt with ^(F1)afflictions.

³³ "But I will not ^(F1)withhold ^(C1)My favor from him,
Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.

³⁴ "I will not ^(F1)violate My ^(C1)covenant,
Nor will I ^(C2)alter ^(F2)the utterance of My lips.

³⁵ "^(F1)Once I have ^(C1)sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.

³⁶ "His ^(F1)(C1)descendants shall endure forever,
And his ^(C2)throne ^(C3)as the sun before Me.

³⁷ "It shall be established forever ^(C1)like the moon,
And a ^(C2)witness in the sky is faithful." Selah

³⁸ But You have ^(C1)rejected and ^(C2)refused,
You have been full of wrath ^(F1)against Your ^(C3)anointed.

³⁹ You have ^(F1)(C1)repudiated the covenant of Your servant;
You have ^(C2)profaned ^(C3)his crown ^(F2)in the dust.

⁴⁰ You have ^(C1)broken down all his walls;
You have ^(C2)brought his strongholds to ruin.

^41 (C1)All who pass along the way plunder him;
He has become a ^(C2)disgrace to his neighbors.

⁴² You have ^(C1)exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have ^(C2)made all his enemies rejoice.

⁴³ You also turn back the edge of his sword,
And have ^(C1)not made him stand in battle.

⁴⁴ You have put an end to his ^(F1)(C1)splendor
And cast his throne to the ground.

⁴⁵ You have ^(C1)shortened the days of his youth;
You have ^(C2)covered him with shame. Selah

^46 (C1)How long, LORD?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your ^(C2)wrath burn like fire?

^47 (C1)Remember ^(F1)what my lifespan is;
For what ^(C2)futility ^(F2)You have created all the sons of mankind!

⁴⁸ What man can live and not ^(C1)see death?
Can he ^(C2)save his soul from the ^(F1)power of ^(F2)Sheol? Selah

⁴⁹ Where are Your former acts of favor, Lord,
Which You ^(C1)swore to David in Your faithfulness?

⁵⁰ Remember, Lord, the ^(C1)taunt against Your servants;
^(F1)How I carry in my heart the taunts of all the many peoples,

⁵¹ With which ^(C1)Your enemies have taunted, LORD,
With which they have taunted the footsteps of ^(C2)Your anointed.

^52 (C1)Blessed be the LORD forever!
Amen and Amen.

God's Eternity and the Brevity of Human Life.

¹ Lord, You have been our ^(F1)(C1)dwelling place in all generations.

² Before ^(C1)the mountains were born
^(F1)Or You ^(C2)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even ^(C3)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

³ You ^(C1)turn mortals back into dust
And say, "Return, you sons of mankind."

⁴ For ^(C1)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like ^(C2)yesterday when it passes by,
^(F1)Or like a ^(C3)watch in the night.

⁵ You ^(C1)have ^(F1)swept them away like a flood, they ^(F2)(C2)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like ^(C3)grass that ^(F3)sprouts anew.

⁶ In the morning it ^(C1)flourishes and ^(F1)sprouts anew;
Toward evening it ^(C2)wilts and ^(C3)withers away.

⁷ For we have been ^(C1)consumed by Your anger,
And we have been terrified by Your wrath.

⁸ You have ^(C1)placed our guilty deeds before You,
Our ^(C2)hidden sins in the light of Your presence.

⁹ For ^(C1)all our days have dwindled away in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a ^(F1)sigh.

¹⁰ As for the days of our ^(F1)life, ^(F2)they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, ^(C1)eighty years,
Yet their pride is only ^(C2)trouble and tragedy;
For it quickly passes, and we ^(C3)disappear.

¹¹ Who ^(F1)understands the ^(C1)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the ^(C2)fear ^(F2)that is due You?

¹² So ^(C1)teach us to number our days,
That we may ^(F1)(C2)present to You a heart of wisdom.

¹³ Do ^(C1)return, LORD; ^(C2)how long will it be?
And ^(F1)be ^(C3)sorry for Your servants.

^14 (C1)Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness,
That we may ^(C2)sing for joy and rejoice all our days.

^15 (C1)Make us glad ^(F1)according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the ^(C2)years we have seen ^(F2)evil.

¹⁶ Let Your ^(C1)work appear to Your servants
And Your ^(C2)majesty ^(F1)to their children.

¹⁷ May the ^(C1)kindness of the Lord our God be upon us;
And ^(F1)(C2)confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, ^(F1)confirm the work of our hands.

Security of One Who Trusts in the LORD.

¹ One who dwells in the ^(C1)shelter of the Most High
Will lodge in the ^(C2)shadow of the Almighty.

² I will say to the LORD, "My ^(C1)refuge and my ^(C2)fortress,
My God, in whom I ^(C3)trust!"

³ For it is He who rescues you from the ^(C1)net of the trapper
And from the deadly ^(C2)plague.

⁴ He will ^(C1)cover you with His pinions,
And ^(C2)under His wings you may take refuge;
His ^(C3)faithfulness is a ^(C4)shield and wall.

⁵ You ^(C1)will not be afraid of the ^(C2)terror by night,
Or of the ^(C3)arrow that flies by day;

⁶ Of the ^(C1)plague that ^(F1)stalks in darkness,
Or of the ^(C2)destruction that devastates at noon.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But ^(C1)it shall not approach you.

⁸ You will only look on with your eyes
And ^(C1)see the retaliation against the wicked.

^9 (F1)For you have made the LORD, ^(C1)my refuge,
The Most High, ^(C2)your dwelling place.

^10 (C1)No evil will happen to you,
Nor will any plague come near your ^(F1)tent.

¹¹ For He will give ^(C1)His angels orders concerning you,
To protect you in all your ways.

¹² On their hands they will ^(C1)lift you up,
So that you do not strike your foot against a stone.

¹³ You will ^(C1)walk upon the lion and cobra,
You will trample the young lion and the ^(F1)serpent.

¹⁴ "^(C1)Because he has loved Me, I will save him;
I will ^(C2)set him securely on high, because he has ^(C3)known My name.

¹⁵ "He will ^(C1)call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in ^(F1)trouble;
I will rescue him and ^(C2)honor him.

¹⁶ "I will satisfy him with ^(F1)a ^(C1)long life,
And ^(F2)(C2)show him My salvation."