Bible Reading Plan

The Reign of the LORD'S Anointed.

¹ Why are ^(C1)the ^(F1)nations restless
And the peoples ^(C2)plotting in vain?

² The ^(C1)kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers conspire together
^(C2)Against the LORD and against His ^(F1)(C3)Anointed, saying,

³ "Let's ^(C1)tear their shackles apart
And throw their ropes away from us!"

⁴ He who ^(F1)sits in the heavens ^(C1)laughs,
The Lord ^(C2)scoffs at them.

⁵ Then He will speak to them in His ^(C1)anger
And ^(C2)terrify them in His fury, saying,

⁶ "But as for Me, I have installed ^(C1)My King
Upon Zion, ^(C2)My holy mountain."

⁷ "I will announce the ^(F1)decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, 'You are ^(C1)My Son,
Today I have fathered You.

⁸ 'Ask it of Me, and ^(C1)I will certainly give ^(C2)the ^(F1)nations as Your inheritance,
And the ^(C3)ends of the earth as Your possession.

⁹ 'You shall ^(F1)(C1)break them with a ^(F2)rod of iron,
You shall ^(C2)shatter them like ^(F3)earthenware.'"

¹⁰ Now then, you kings, ^(C1)use insight;
Let yourselves be instructed, you ^(F1)judges of the earth.

¹¹ Serve the LORD with ^(F1)(C1)reverence
And rejoice with ^(C2)trembling.

^12 (F1)Kiss ^(C1)the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way,
For ^(C2)His wrath may be kindled quickly.
How blessed are all who ^(C3)take refuge in Him!

Morning Prayer of Trust in God.

¹ LORD, how ^(C1)my enemies have increased!
Many are rising up against me.

² Many are saying of my soul,
"There is no ^(C1)salvation for him in God." Selah

³ But You, LORD, are ^(C1)a shield around me,
My ^(C2)glory, and the One who ^(C3)lifts my head.

⁴ I was crying out to the LORD with my voice,
And He ^(C1)answered me from ^(C2)His holy ^(F1)mountain. Selah

^5 (F1)I ^(C1)lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.

⁶ I will ^(C1)not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have ^(C2)set themselves against me all around.

^7 (C1)Arise, LORD; ^(C2)save me, my God!
For You ^(F1)have ^(C3)struck all my enemies on the ^(F2)cheek;
You ^(F3)have ^(C4)shattered the teeth of the wicked.

^8 (F1)(C1)Salvation belongs to the LORD;
May Your ^(C2)blessing ^(F2)be upon Your people! Selah

Evening Prayer of Trust in God.

^1 (C1)Answer me when ^(C2)I call, God ^(F1)of my righteousness!
You have ^(F2)(C3)relieved me in my distress;
Be ^(C4)gracious to me and ^(C5)hear my prayer.

² You sons of man, how long will ^(C1)my ^(F1)honor be treated as ^(C2)an insult?
How long will you love ^(C3)what is worthless and strive for a ^(C4)lie? Selah

³ But know that the LORD has ^(F1)(C1)set apart the ^(C2)godly person for Himself;
The LORD ^(C3)hears when I call to Him.

^4 (F1)(C1)Tremble, ^(F2)(C2)and do not sin;
^(F3)(C3)Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah

⁵ Offer ^(F1)the ^(C1)sacrifices of righteousness,
And ^(C2)trust in the LORD.

⁶ Many are saying, "^(C1)Who will show us anything good?"
^(C2)Lift up the light of Your face upon us, LORD!

⁷ You have put ^(C1)joy in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine are abundant.

⁸ In peace I will ^(F1)both ^(C1)lie down and sleep,
For You alone, LORD, have me ^(C2)dwell in safety.

Prayer for Protection from the Wicked.

^1 (C1)Listen to my words, LORD,
Consider my ^(C2)sighing.

² Listen to ^(C1)the sound of my cry for help, ^(C2)my King and my God,
For to You I pray.

³ In the morning, LORD, ^(F1)You will hear my voice;
In the ^(C1)morning I will present my ^(F2)prayer to You and be on the ^(C2)watch.

⁴ For You are not a God ^(C1)who takes pleasure in wickedness;
^(C2)No evil can dwell with You.

⁵ The ^(C1)boastful will not ^(C2)stand before Your eyes;
You ^(C3)hate all who do injustice.

⁶ You ^(C1)destroy those who speak lies;
The LORD loathes ^(C2)the person of bloodshed and deceit.

⁷ But as for me, ^(C1)by Your abundant graciousness I will enter Your house,
^(F1)At Your holy temple I will ^(C2)bow in ^(C3)reverence for You.

⁸ LORD, ^(C1)lead me ^(C2)in Your righteousness ^(C3)because of my enemies;
Make Your way ^(F1)straight before me.

⁹ For there is ^(C1)nothing ^(F1)trustworthy in ^(F2)their mouth;
Their ^(C2)inward part is destruction itself.
Their ^(C3)throat is an open grave;
They ^(F3)flatter with their tongue.

¹⁰ Make them pay, God;
^(C1)Have them fall by their own schemes!
^(C2)Scatter them in the multitude of their wrongdoings,
For they are ^(C3)rebellious against You.

¹¹ But ^(C1)rejoice, all who ^(C2)take refuge in You,
Sing for joy forever!
And ^(F1)may You ^(C3)shelter them,
That those who ^(C4)love Your name may rejoice in You.

¹² For You ^(C1)bless the righteous person, LORD,
You ^(C2)surround him with favor as with a shield.

Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.

¹ LORD, ^(C1)do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor discipline me in Your wrath.

² Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am ^(C1)frail;
^(C2)Heal me, LORD, for ^(C3)my bones are horrified.

³ And my ^(C1)soul is greatly horrified;
But You, LORD—^(C2)how long?

⁴ Return, LORD, ^(C1)rescue my ^(F1)soul;
Save me because of Your mercy.

⁵ For ^(C1)there is no ^(F1)mention of You in death;
In ^(F2)Sheol, who will praise You?

⁶ I am ^(C1)weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I flood my couch with ^(C2)my tears.

⁷ My ^(C1)eye has wasted away with grief;
It has grown old because of all my enemies.

^8 (C1)Leave me, all you who practice injustice,
For the LORD ^(C2)has heard the sound of my weeping.

⁹ The LORD ^(C1)has heard my pleading,
The LORD ^(C2)receives my prayer.

¹⁰ All my enemies will ^(C1)be put to shame and greatly horrified;
They shall ^(F1)turn back, they will ^(C2)suddenly be put to shame.

The LORD Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked.

¹ O LORD my God, ^(C1)in You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and ^(C2)rescue me,

² Or he will tear ^(F1)my soul ^(C1)like a lion,
Dragging me away, while there is no one to rescue me.

³ O LORD my God, if I have done this,
If there is ^(C1)injustice in my hands,

⁴ If I have ^(C1)done evil to ^(F1)my friend,
Or have ^(C2)plundered ^(F2)my enemy for no reason,

⁵ Let the enemy pursue ^(F1)my soul and overtake ^(F2)it;
And let him trample my life to the ground
And lay my glory in the dust. Selah

^6 (C1)Arise, LORD, in Your anger;
^(C2)Raise Yourself against ^(C3)the rage of my enemies,
And ^(C4)stir Yourself ^(F1)for me; You have ordered judgment.

⁷ Let the assembly of the ^(C1)peoples encompass You,
And return on high over it.

⁸ The LORD ^(C1)judges the peoples;
^(F1)(C2)Vindicate me, LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.

⁹ Please let ^(C1)the evil of the wicked come to an end, but ^(C2)establish the righteous;
For the righteous God ^(C3)puts hearts and ^(F1)minds to the test.

¹⁰ My ^(C1)shield is ^(F1)with God,
Who ^(C2)saves the upright in heart.

¹¹ God is a ^(C1)righteous judge,
And a God who ^(C2)shows indignation every day.

¹² If one ^(C1)does not repent, He will ^(C2)sharpen His sword;
He has ^(C3)bent His bow and taken aim.

¹³ He has also prepared deadly weapons for Himself;
He makes His ^(C1)arrows fiery shafts.

¹⁴ Behold, an evil person is pregnant with injustice,
And he ^(C1)conceives harm and gives birth to lies.

¹⁵ He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has ^(C1)fallen into the hole which he made.

¹⁶ His ^(C1)harm will return on his own head,
And his ^(C2)violence will descend on the top of his own head.

¹⁷ I will give thanks to the LORD ^(C1)according to His righteousness
And will ^(C2)sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

The LORD'S Glory and Mankind's Dignity.

¹ LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
You who have ^(F1)(C1)displayed Your splendor above the heavens!

^2 (C1)From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established ^(F1)(C2)strength
Because of Your enemies,
To do away with ^(C3)the enemy and the revengeful.

³ When I ^(F1)(C1)consider ^(C2)Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The ^(C3)moon and the stars, which You have set in place;

^4 (C1)What is man that You think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him?

⁵ Yet You have made him a ^(C1)little lower than ^(F1)God,
And ^(C2)You crown him with ^(C3)glory and majesty!

⁶ You have him ^(C1)rule over the works of Your hands;
You have ^(C2)put everything under his feet,

⁷ All sheep and oxen,
And also the animals of the field,

⁸ The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

^9 (C1)LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Thanksgiving for God's Justice.

¹ I will give thanks to the LORD with all ^(C1)my heart;
I will ^(C2)tell of all Your ^(F1)wonders.

² I will rejoice and be ^(C1)jubilant in You;
I will ^(C2)sing praise to Your name, O ^(C3)Most High.

³ When my enemies turn back,
They stumble and ^(C1)perish before You.

⁴ For You have ^(C1)maintained ^(F1)my just cause;
You have sat on the throne ^(F2)(C2)judging righteously.

⁵ You have ^(C1)rebuked the nations, You have eliminated the wicked;
You have ^(C2)wiped out their name forever and ever.

^6 (F1)The enemy has come to an end in everlasting ruins,
And You have uprooted the cities;
The very ^(C1)memory of them has perished.

⁷ But the ^(C1)LORD ^(F1)sits as King forever;
He has established His ^(C2)throne for judgment,

⁸ And He will ^(C1)judge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the peoples fairly.

^9 (F1)The LORD will also be a ^(C1)stronghold for the oppressed,
A stronghold in times of trouble;

¹⁰ And ^(F1)those who ^(C1)know Your name will put their trust in You,
For You, LORD, have not ^(C2)abandoned those who seek You.

¹¹ Sing praises to the LORD, who ^(C1)dwells in Zion;
^(C2)Declare His deeds among the peoples.

¹² For ^(C1)He who ^(F1)requires blood remembers them;
He does not forget ^(C2)the cry of the needy.

¹³ Be gracious to me, LORD;
See my oppression from those ^(C1)who hate me,
You who ^(C2)lift me up from the gates of death,

¹⁴ So that I may tell of ^(C1)all Your praises,
That in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may ^(C2)rejoice in Your ^(F1)salvation.

¹⁵ The nations have sunk down ^(C1)into the pit which they have made;
In the ^(C2)net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.

¹⁶ The LORD has ^(C1)made Himself known;
He has ^(C2)executed judgment.
A wicked one is ensnared in the work of his own hands. ^(F1)Higgaion Selah

¹⁷ The wicked will ^(F1)(C1)return to ^(F2)Sheol,
All the nations who ^(C2)forget God.

¹⁸ For the ^(C1)needy will not always be forgotten,
Nor the ^(C2)hope of the afflicted perish forever.

^19 (C1)Arise, LORD, do not let mankind prevail;
Let the nations be ^(C2)judged before You.

²⁰ Put them ^(C1)in fear, LORD;
Let the nations know that they are ^(C2)merely human. Selah

A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked.

¹ Why ^(C1)do You stand far away, LORD?
Why ^(C2)do You hide ^(F1)Yourself in times of trouble?

² In ^(C1)arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the needy;
^(F1)Let them be ^(C2)caught in the plots which they have devised.

³ For the wicked ^(C1)boasts of his ^(C2)soul's desire,
And ^(F1)the greedy person curses and ^(C3)shows disrespect to the LORD.

⁴ The wicked, ^(F1)in his haughtiness, ^(C1)does not seek Him.
^(C2)There is no God in all his schemes.

⁵ His ways ^(C1)succeed at all times;
Yet Your judgments are on high, ^(C2)out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he snorts at them.

⁶ He says to himself, "^(C1)I will not be moved;
^(F1)Throughout the generations ^(C2)I will not be in adversity."

⁷ His ^(C1)mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and ^(C2)oppression;
^(C3)Under his tongue is harm and injustice.

⁸ He sits in the ^(C1)lurking places of the villages;
He ^(C2)kills the innocent in the secret places;
His eyes ^(F1)surreptitiously watch for the ^(F2)(C3)unfortunate.

⁹ He lurks in secret like ^(C1)a lion in his ^(F1)lair;
He ^(C2)lurks to catch ^(C3)the needy;
He catches the needy when he pulls him into his ^(C4)net.

¹⁰ Then he crushes the needy one, who cowers;
And ^(F1)unfortunate people fall by his mighty power.

¹¹ He ^(C1)says to himself, "God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it."

¹² Arise, LORD; God, ^(C1)lift up Your hand.
^(C2)Do not forget the humble.

¹³ Why has the wicked ^(C1)treated God disrespectfully?
He has said to himself, "^(F1)You will not require an account."

¹⁴ You have seen it, for You have looked at ^(C1)harm and provocation to ^(F1)take it into Your hand.
The ^(F2)(C2)unfortunate commits himself to You;
You have been the ^(C3)helper of the orphan.

^15 (C1)Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
^(F1)(C2)Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

¹⁶ The LORD is ^(C1)King forever and ever;
^(C2)Nations have perished from His land.

¹⁷ LORD, You have heard the ^(C1)desire of the humble;
You will ^(C2)strengthen their heart, ^(C3)You will make Your ear attentive

¹⁸ To ^(F1)vindicate the ^(C1)orphan and the ^(C2)oppressed,
So that mankind, which is of the earth, will no longer cause ^(C3)terror.