Bible Reading Plan

⁵ Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
     He will snatch you up and pluck^(j) you from your tent;
     he will uproot^(k) you from the land of the living.^(l)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
     they will laugh^(m) at you, saying,
⁷ "Here now is the man
     who did not make God his stronghold⁽ⁿ⁾
but trusted in his great wealth^(o)
     and grew strong by destroying others!"

⁸ But I am like an olive tree^(p)
     flourishing in the house of God;
I trust^(q) in God's unfailing love
     for ever and ever.
⁹ For what you have done I will always praise you^(r)
     in the presence of your faithful people.^(s)
And I will hope in your name,^(t)
     for your name is good.^(u)

² God looks down from heaven^(d)
     on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,^(e)
     any who seek God.^(f)
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
     there is no one who does good,
     not even one.^(g)

⁴ Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;
     they never call on God.
⁵ But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
     where there was nothing to dread.^(h)
God scattered the bones⁽ⁱ⁾ of those who attacked you;^(j)
     you put them to shame,^(k) for God despised them.^(l)

⁶ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
     When God restores his people,
     let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

³ Arrogant foes are attacking me;^(f)
     ruthless people^(g) are trying to kill me^(h)—
     people without regard for God.^[c](i)

⁴ Surely God is my help;^(j)
     the Lord is the one who sustains me.^(k)

⁵ Let evil recoil^(l) on those who slander me;
     in your faithfulness^(m) destroy them.

⁶ I will sacrifice a freewill offering⁽ⁿ⁾ to you;
     I will praise^(o) your name, Lord , for it is good.^(p)
7 You have delivered me^(q) from all my troubles,
     and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.^(r)

⁴ My heart is in anguish^(g) within me;
     the terrors^(h) of death have fallen on me.
⁵ Fear and trembling⁽ⁱ⁾ have beset me;
     horror^(j) has overwhelmed me.
⁶ I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
     I would fly away and be at rest.
⁷ I would flee far away
     and stay in the desert;^[c](k)
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,^(l)
     far from the tempest and storm.^(m)"

⁹ Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,⁽ⁿ⁾
     for I see violence and strife^(o) in the city.^(p)
10 Day and night they prowl^(q) about on its walls;
     malice and abuse are within it.
¹¹ Destructive forces^(r) are at work in the city;
     threats and lies^(s) never leave its streets.

¹² If an enemy were insulting me,
     I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
     I could hide.
¹³ But it is you, a man like myself,
     my companion, my close friend,^(t)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship^(u)
     at the house of God,^(v)
as we walked about
     among the worshipers.

¹⁵ Let death take my enemies by surprise;^(w)
     let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,^(x)
     for evil finds lodging among them.

¹⁶ As for me, I call to God,
     and the Lord saves me.
¹⁷ Evening,^(y) morning^(z) and noon^(aa)
     I cry out in distress,
     and he hears my voice.
¹⁸ He rescues me unharmed
     from the battle waged against me,
     even though many oppose me.
¹⁹ God, who is enthroned from of old,^(ab)
     who does not change—
he will hear^(ac) them and humble them,
     because they have no fear of God.^(ad)

²⁰ My companion attacks his friends;^(ae)
     he violates his covenant.^(af)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,^(ag)
     yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,^(ah)
     yet they are drawn swords.^(ai)

²² Cast your cares on the Lord
     and he will sustain you;^(aj)
he will never let
     the righteous be shaken.^(ak)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
     into the pit^(al) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful^(am)
     will not live out half their days.^(an)

But as for me, I trust in you.^(ao)

³ When I am afraid,^(f) I put my trust in you.^(g)
4       In God, whose word I praise—^(h)
in God I trust and am not afraid.⁽ⁱ⁾
     What can mere mortals do to me?^(j)

⁵ All day long they twist my words;^(k)
     all their schemes are for my ruin.
⁶ They conspire,^(l) they lurk,
     they watch my steps,^(m)
     hoping to take my life.^(n)
7 Because of their wickedness do not^[c] let them escape;^(o)
     in your anger, God, bring the nations down.^(p)

⁸ Record my misery;
     list my tears on your scroll^[d](q)—
     are they not in your record?^(r)
9 Then my enemies will turn back^(s)
     when I call for help.^(t)
     By this I will know that God is for me.^(u)

¹⁰ In God, whose word I praise,
     in the Lord , whose word I praise—
¹¹ in God I trust and am not afraid.
     What can man do to me?

¹² I am under vows^(v) to you, my God;
     I will present my thank offerings to you.
¹³ For you have delivered me from death^(w)
     and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
     in the light of life.^(x)

² I cry out to God Most High,
     to God, who vindicates me.^(f)
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,^(g)
     rebuking those who hotly pursue me—^[c](h)
     God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.⁽ⁱ⁾

⁴ I am in the midst of lions;^(j)
     I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
     whose tongues are sharp swords.^(k)

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
     let your glory be over all the earth.^(l)

⁶ They spread a net for my feet^(m)—
     I was bowed down⁽ⁿ⁾ in distress.
They dug a pit^(o) in my path—
     but they have fallen into it themselves.^(p)

⁷ My heart, O God, is steadfast,
     my heart is steadfast;^(q)
     I will sing and make music.
⁸ Awake, my soul!
     Awake, harp and lyre!^(r)
     I will awaken the dawn.

⁹ I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
     I will sing of you among the peoples.
¹⁰ For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
     your faithfulness reaches to the skies.^(s)

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;^(t)
     let your glory be over all the earth.^(u)