Study Desk

^(C1)Hear this, all peoples; Listen, all ^(C2)inhabitants of the world,

Both ^(C1)low and high, Rich and poor together.

My mouth will ^(C1)speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be ^(C2)understanding.

I will incline my ear to ^(C1)a proverb; ^(C2)I will ^(F1)express my ^(C3)riddle on the harp.

Why should I ^(C1)fear in days of adversity, When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me,

Those who ^(C1)trust in their wealth And boast in the abundance of their riches?

No one can by any means ^(C1)redeem another Or give God a ^(C2)ransom for him—

For ^(C1)the redemption of ^(F1)his soul is priceless, And he should cease imagining forever—

That he might ^(C1)live on eternally, That he might not ^(F1)(C2)undergo decay.

For he sees that even ^(C1)wise people die; The ^(C2)foolish and the stupid alike perish And ^(C3)leave their wealth to others.

Their ^(F1)(C1)inner thought is that their houses ^(C2)are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have ^(C3)named their lands after their own names.

But ^(C1)man in his splendor will not endure; He is like the animals that ^(F1)perish.

This is the ^(C1)way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who ^(C2)approve their words. Selah

Like sheep they sink down ^(C1)to ^(F1)Sheol; Death will be their shepherd; And the ^(C2)upright will rule over them in the morning, And their form shall be for ^(F1)Sheol ^(C3)to consume ^(F2)So that they have no lofty home.

But God will ^(C1)redeem my soul from the ^(F1)power of ^(F2)Sheol, For ^(C2)He will receive me. Selah

Do not be afraid ^(C1)when a person becomes rich, When the splendor of his house is increased;

For when he dies, he will ^(C1)take nothing with him; His ^(F1)wealth will not descend after him.

Though while he lives he ^(C1)congratulates ^(F1)himself— And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—

^(F1)He will ^(C1)go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see ^(C2)the light.

^(C1)Mankind in its splendor, yet without understanding, Is ^(C2)like the animals that ^(F1)perish.

^(C1)The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken And summoned the earth, ^(C2)from ^(F1)the rising of the sun to its setting.

Out of Zion, ^(C1)the perfection of beauty, God ^(C2)has shone.

May our God ^(C1)come and not keep silent; ^(C2)Fire devours before Him, And a storm is violently ^(C3)raging around Him.

He ^(C1)summons the heavens above, And the earth, to judge His people:

"Gather My ^(C1)godly ones to Me, Those who have made a ^(C2)covenant with Me by ^(C3)sacrifice."

And the ^(C1)heavens declare His righteousness, For ^(C2)God Himself is judge. Selah

"^(C1)Hear, My people, and I will speak; Israel, I will testify ^(F1)against you; I am God, ^(C2)your God.

-"I do ^(C1)not rebuke you for your sacrifices, And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.

-"I will not take a ^(C1)bull from your house, Nor male goats from your folds.

-"For ^(C1)every animal of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.

-"I know every ^(C1)bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is ^(F1)Mine.

-"If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the ^(C1)world is Mine, and ^(F1)everything it contains.

-"Shall I eat the flesh of ^(F1)(C1)bulls Or drink the blood of male goats?

-"Offer God ^(C1)a sacrifice of thanksgiving And ^(C2)pay your vows to the Most High;

^(C1)Call upon Me on the day of trouble; I will ^(C2)rescue you, and you will ^(C3)honor Me."

But to the wicked God says, "What right do you have to tell of My statutes And to take ^(C1)My covenant in your mouth?

-"For you yourself ^(C1)hate discipline, And you ^(C2)throw My words behind you.

-"When you see a thief, you ^(C1)become friends with him, And ^(F1)you ^(C2)associate with adulterers.

-"You ^(F1)(C1)let your mouth loose in evil, And your ^(C2)tongue harnesses deceit.

-"You sit and ^(C1)speak against your brother; You slander your own mother's son.

-"These things you have done and ^(C1)I kept silent; You thought that I was just like you; I will ^(C2)rebuke you and present the case before your eyes.

"Now consider this, you who ^(C1)forget God, Or I will ^(C2)tear you in pieces, and there will be no one to save you.

-"He who ^(C1)offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who ^(C2)sets his way properly I will ^(C3)show the salvation of God."

^(C1)Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness; According to the greatness of ^(C2)Your compassion, ^(C3)wipe out my wrongdoings.

^(C1)Wash me thoroughly from my guilt And ^(C2)cleanse me from my sin.

For I ^(C1)know my wrongdoings, And my sin is constantly before me.

^(C1)Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is ^(C2)evil in Your sight, So that ^(C3)You ^(F1)are justified ^(F2)when You speak And ^(F3)blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was ^(C1)brought forth in guilt, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Behold, You desire ^(C1)truth in the ^(F1)innermost being, And in secret You will ^(C2)make wisdom known to me.

^(F1)Purify me ^(C1)with hyssop, and I will be clean; ^(F2)Cleanse me, and I will be ^(C2)whiter than snow.

^(F1)Let me hear ^(C1)joy and gladness, Let the ^(C2)bones You have broken rejoice.

^(C1)Hide Your face from my sins And wipe out all my guilty deeds.