Bible Reading Plan

⁴ The One enthroned^(f) in heaven laughs;^(g)
     the Lord scoffs at them.
⁵ He rebukes them in his anger^(h)
     and terrifies them in his wrath,⁽ⁱ⁾ saying,
⁶ "I have installed my king^(j)
     on Zion,^(k) my holy mountain.^(l)"

He said to me, "You are my son;^(m)
     today I have become your father.^(n)
8 Ask me,
     and I will make the nations^(o) your inheritance,^(p)
     the ends of the earth^(q) your possession.
⁹ You will break them with a rod of iron^[b];^(r)
     you will dash them to pieces^(s) like pottery.^(t)"

¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise;^(u)
     be warned, you rulers^(v) of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear^(w)
     and celebrate his rule^(x) with trembling.^(y)
12 Kiss his son,^(z) or he will be angry
     and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath^(aa) can flare up in a moment.
     Blessed^(ab) are all who take refuge^(ac) in him.

³ But you, Lord , are a shield^(c) around me,
     my glory, the One who lifts my head high.^(d)
4 I call out to the Lord ,^(e)
     and he answers me from his holy mountain.^(f)

⁵ I lie down and sleep;^(g)
     I wake again,^(h) because the Lord sustains me.
⁶ I will not fear⁽ⁱ⁾ though tens of thousands
     assail me on every side.^(j)

⁷ Arise,^(k) Lord !
     Deliver me,^(l) my God!
Strike^(m) all my enemies on the jaw;
     break the teeth⁽ⁿ⁾ of the wicked.

⁸ From the Lord comes deliverance.^(o)
     May your blessing^(p) be on your people.

² How long will you people turn my glory^(e) into shame?^(f)
     How long will you love delusions and seek false gods^[b]?^[c](g)
3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant^(h) for himself;
     the Lord hears⁽ⁱ⁾ when I call to him.

⁴ Tremble and^[d] do not sin;^(j)
     when you are on your beds,^(k)
     search your hearts and be silent.
⁵ Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
     and trust in the Lord .^(l)

⁶ Many, Lord , are asking, "Who will bring us prosperity?"
     Let the light of your face shine on us.^(m)
7 Fill my heart⁽ⁿ⁾ with joy^(o)
     when their grain and new wine^(p) abound.

⁸ In peace^(q) I will lie down and sleep,^(r)
     for you alone, Lord ,
     make me dwell in safety.^(s)

³ In the morning,^(e) Lord , you hear my voice;
     in the morning I lay my requests before you
     and wait expectantly.^(f)
4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
     with you, evil people^(g) are not welcome.
⁵ The arrogant^(h) cannot stand⁽ⁱ⁾
     in your presence.
You hate^(j) all who do wrong;
⁶       you destroy those who tell lies.^(k)
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
     you, Lord , detest.
⁷ But I, by your great love,
     can come into your house;
in reverence^(l) I bow down^(m)
     toward your holy temple.⁽ⁿ⁾

⁸ Lead me, Lord , in your righteousness^(o)
     because of my enemies—
     make your way straight^(p) before me.
⁹ Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
     their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;^(q)
     with their tongues they tell lies.^(r)
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
     Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,^(s)
     for they have rebelled^(t) against you.
¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
     let them ever sing for joy.^(u)
Spread your protection over them,
     that those who love your name^(v) may rejoice in you.^(w)

¹² Surely, Lord , you bless the righteous;^(x)
     you surround them^(y) with your favor as with a shield.^(z)

⁴ Turn,^(h) Lord , and deliver me;
     save me because of your unfailing love.^(i)
5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
     Who praises you from the grave?^(j)

⁶ I am worn out^(k) from my groaning.^(l)

All night long I flood my bed with weeping^(m)
     and drench my couch with tears.^(n)
7 My eyes grow weak^(o) with sorrow;
     they fail because of all my foes.

⁸ Away from me,^(p) all you who do evil,^(q)
     for the Lord has heard my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;^(r)
     the Lord accepts my prayer.
¹⁰ All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;^(s)
     they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.^(t)

³  Lord my God, if I have done this
     and there is guilt on my hands^(g)—
⁴ if I have repaid my ally with evil
     or without cause^(h) have robbed my foe—
⁵ then let my enemy pursue and overtake⁽ⁱ⁾ me;
     let him trample my life to the ground^(j)
     and make me sleep in the dust.^[c](k)

⁶ Arise,^(l) Lord , in your anger;
     rise up against the rage of my enemies.^(m)
     Awake,⁽ⁿ⁾ my God; decree justice.
⁷ Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
     while you sit enthroned over them on high.^(o)
8       Let the Lord judge^(p) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord , according to my righteousness,^(q)
     according to my integrity,^(r) O Most High.^(s)
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
     and make the righteous secure—^(t)
you, the righteous God^(u)
     who probes minds and hearts.^(v)

¹⁰ My shield^[d](w) is God Most High,
     who saves the upright in heart.^(x)
11 God is a righteous judge,^(y)
     a God who displays his wrath^(z) every day.
¹² If he does not relent,^(aa)
     he^[e] will sharpen his sword;^(ab)
     he will bend and string his bow.^(ac)
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
     he makes ready his flaming arrows.^(ad)

¹⁴ Whoever is pregnant with evil
     conceives trouble and gives birth^(ae) to disillusionment.
¹⁵ Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
     falls into the pit^(af) they have made.^(ag)
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
     their violence comes down on their own heads.

¹⁷ I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;^(ah)
     I will sing the praises^(ai) of the name of the Lord Most High.^(aj)

You have set your glory^(b)
     in the heavens.^(c)
2 Through the praise of children and infants
     you have established a stronghold^(d) against your enemies,
     to silence the foe^(e) and the avenger.
³ When I consider your heavens,^(f)
     the work of your fingers,^(g)
the moon and the stars,^(h)
     which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
     human beings that you care for them?^[c](i)

⁵ You have made them^[d] a little lower than the angels^[e](j)
     and crowned them^[f] with glory and honor.^(k)
6 You made them rulers^(l) over the works of your hands;^(m)
     you put everything under their^[g] feet:^(n)
7 all flocks and herds,^(o)
     and the animals of the wild,^(p)
8 the birds in the sky,
     and the fish in the sea,^(q)
     all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹  Lord , our Lord,
     how majestic is your name in all the earth!^(r)

³ My enemies turn back;
     they stumble and perish before you.
⁴ For you have upheld my right^(f) and my cause,^(g)
     sitting enthroned^(h) as the righteous judge.^(i)
5 You have rebuked the nations^(j) and destroyed the wicked;
     you have blotted out their name^(k) for ever and ever.
⁶ Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
     you have uprooted their cities;^(l)
     even the memory of them^(m) has perished.

⁷ The Lord reigns forever;⁽ⁿ⁾
     he has established his throne^(o) for judgment.
⁸ He rules the world in righteousness^(p)
     and judges the peoples with equity.^(q)
9 The Lord is a refuge^(r) for the oppressed,^(s)
     a stronghold in times of trouble.^(t)
10 Those who know your name^(u) trust in you,
     for you, Lord , have never forsaken^(v) those who seek you.^(w)

¹¹ Sing the praises^(x) of the Lord , enthroned in Zion;^(y)
     proclaim among the nations^(z) what he has done.^(aa)
12 For he who avenges blood^(ab) remembers;
     he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.^(ac)

¹³  Lord , see how my enemies^(ad) persecute me!
     Have mercy^(ae) and lift me up from the gates of death,^(af)
14 that I may declare your praises^(ag)
     in the gates of Daughter Zion,^(ah)
     and there rejoice in your salvation.^(ai)

¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;^(aj)
     their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.^(ak)
16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
     the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.^[c](al)
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,^(am)
     all the nations that forget God.^(an)
18 But God will never forget the needy;
     the hope^(ao) of the afflicted^(ap) will never perish.

¹⁹ Arise,^(aq) Lord , do not let mortals triumph;^(ar)
     let the nations be judged^(as) in your presence.
²⁰ Strike them with terror,^(at) Lord ;
     let the nations know they are only mortal.^(au)

² In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,^(c)
     who are caught in the schemes he devises.
³ He boasts^(d) about the cravings of his heart;
     he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord .^(e)
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
     in all his thoughts there is no room for God.^(f)
5 His ways are always prosperous;
     your laws are rejected by^[b] him;
     he sneers at all his enemies.
⁶ He says to himself, "Nothing will ever shake me."
     He swears, "No one will ever do me harm."^(g)

⁷ His mouth is full^(h) of lies and threats;⁽ⁱ⁾
     trouble and evil are under his tongue.^(j)
8 He lies in wait^(k) near the villages;
     from ambush he murders the innocent.^(l)
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
⁹       like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;^(m)
     he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.^(n)
10 His victims are crushed,^(o) they collapse;
     they fall under his strength.
¹¹ He says to himself, "God will never notice;^(p)
     he covers his face and never sees."^(q)

¹² Arise,^(r) Lord ! Lift up your hand,^(s) O God.
     Do not forget the helpless.^(t)
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?^(u)
     Why does he say to himself,
     "He won't call me to account"?^(v)
14 But you, God, see the trouble^(w) of the afflicted;
     you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;^(x)
     you are the helper^(y) of the fatherless.
¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked man;^(z)
     call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
     that would not otherwise be found out.

¹⁶ The Lord is King for ever and ever;^(aa)
     the nations^(ab) will perish from his land.
¹⁷ You, Lord , hear the desire of the afflicted;^(ac)
     you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,^(ad)
18 defending the fatherless^(ae) and the oppressed,^(af)
     so that mere earthly mortals
     will never again strike terror.