Bible Reading Plan

¹  Lord , I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.^(a)
2 In Your justice, rescue and deliver me;
listen closely to me and save me.^(b)
3 Be a rock of refuge for me,
where I can always go.
Give the command to save me,
for You are my rock and fortress.^(c)
4 Deliver me, my God, from the power of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and oppressive.^(d)
5 For You are my hope, Lord God ,
my confidence from my youth.^(e)
6 I have leaned on You from birth;
You took me from my mother's womb.^(f)
My praise is always about You.^(g)
7 I have become an ominous sign to many,
but You are my strong refuge.^(h)
8 My mouth is full of praise
and honor to You all day long.⁽ⁱ⁾

⁹ Don't discard me in my old age;
as my strength fails, do not abandon me.^(j)
10 For my enemies talk about me,
and those who spy on me plot together,^(k)
11 saying, "God has abandoned him;
chase him and catch him,
for there is no one to rescue him."^(l)
12 God, do not be far from me;
my God, hurry to help me.^(m)
13 May my adversaries be disgraced and destroyed;
may those who seek my harm
be covered with disgrace and humiliation.^(n)
14 But I will hope continually
and will praise You more and more.^(o)
15 My mouth will tell about Your righteousness
and Your salvation all day long,
though I cannot sum them up.^(p)
16 I come because of the mighty acts of the Lord God ;
I will proclaim Your righteousness, Yours alone.^(q)

¹⁷ God, You have taught me from my youth,
and I still proclaim Your wonderful works.^(r)
18 Even when I am old and gray,
God, do not abandon me.^(s)
Then I will^[a] proclaim Your power
to another generation,
Your strength to all who are to come.^(t)
19 Your righteousness reaches heaven, God,
You who have done great things;
God, who is like You?^(u)
20 You caused me to experience
many troubles and misfortunes,^(v)
but You will revive me again.^(w)
You will bring me up again,
even from the depths of the earth.^(x)
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.^(y)
22 Therefore, I will praise You with a harp
for Your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing to You with a lyre,
Holy One of Israel.^(z)
23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to You
because You have redeemed me.^(aa)
24 Therefore, my tongue will proclaim
Your righteousness all day long,
for those who seek my harm
will be disgraced and confounded.^(ab)

¹ God, give Your justice to the king
and Your righteousness to the king's son.^(b)
2 He will judge Your people with righteousness
and Your afflicted ones with justice.^(c)
3 May the mountains bring prosperity^[a] to the people
and the hills, righteousness.^(d)
4 May he vindicate the afflicted among the people,
help the poor,
and crush the oppressor.^(e)

⁵ May he continue^[b] while the sun endures
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.^(f)
6 May he be like rain that falls on the cut grass,
like spring showers that water the earth.^(g)
7 May the righteous^[c] flourish in his days
and prosperity^[d] abound
until the moon is no more.^(h)

⁸ May he rule from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.^(i)
9 May desert tribes kneel before him
and his enemies lick the dust.^(j)
10 May the kings of Tarshish
and the coasts and islands bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.^(k)
11 Let all kings bow down to him,
all nations serve him.^(l)

¹² For he will rescue the poor who cry out
and the afflicted who have no helper.^(m)
13 He will have pity on the poor and helpless
and save the lives of the poor.^(n)
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are^[e] precious^[f] in his sight.^(o)

¹⁵ May he live long!
May gold from Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be offered for him continually,
and may he be blessed all day long.^(p)
16 May there be plenty of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains.
May its crops be like Lebanon.
May people flourish in the cities
like the grass of the field.^(q)
17 May his name endure forever;
as long as the sun shines,
may his fame increase.
May all nations be blessed by him
and call him blessed.^(r)

¹⁸ May the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonders, be praised.^(s)
19 May His glorious name be praised forever;
the whole earth is filled with His glory.^(t)
Amen and amen.
²⁰ The prayers of David son of Jesse are concluded.^(u)

¹ God is indeed good to Israel,
to the pure in heart.^(b)
2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped;
my steps nearly went astray.^(c)
3 For I envied the arrogant;
I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(d)

⁴ They have an easy time until they die,^[a]
and their bodies are well fed.^[b](e)
5 They are not in trouble like others;
they are not afflicted like most people.^(f)
6 Therefore, pride is their necklace,
and violence covers them like a garment.^(g)
7 Their eyes bulge out from fatness;
the imaginations of their hearts run wild.^(h)
8 They mock, and they speak maliciously;
they arrogantly threaten oppression.^(i)
9 They set their mouths against heaven,
and their tongues strut across the earth.^(j)
10 Therefore His people turn to them^[c]
and drink in their overflowing words.^[d](k)
11 The wicked say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High know everything?"^(l)
12 Look at them—the wicked!
They are always at ease,
and they increase their wealth.^(m)

¹³ Did I purify my heart
and wash my hands in innocence for nothing?^(n)
14 For I am afflicted all day long
and punished every morning.^(o)
15 If I had decided to say these things aloud,
I would have betrayed Your people.^[e](p)
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it seemed hopeless^[f](q)
17 until I entered God's sanctuary.
Then I understood their destiny.^(r)
18 Indeed, You put them in slippery places;
You make them fall into ruin.^(s)
19 How suddenly they become a desolation!
They come to an end, swept away by terrors.^(t)
20 Like one waking from a dream,
Lord, when arising, You will despise their image.^(u)

²¹ When I became embittered
and my innermost being^[g] was wounded,^(v)
22 I was stupid and didn't understand;
I was an unthinking animal toward You.^(w)
23 Yet I am always with You;
You hold my right hand.^(x)
24 You guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward You will take me up in glory.^[h](y)
25 Who do I have in heaven but You?
And I desire nothing on earth but You.^(z)
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength^[i] of my heart,
my portion forever.^(aa)
27 Those far from You will certainly perish;
You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.^(ab)
28 But as for me, God's presence is my good.
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
so I can tell about all You do.^(ac)