Today's Reading

Psalms 16-20

Psalms Chapter 16
1 - Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
2 - O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
3 - But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
4 - Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
5 - The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 - The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 - I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 - I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 - Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 - For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 - Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalms Chapter 17
1 - Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
2 - Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
3 - Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
4 - Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
5 - Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
6 - I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
7 - Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
8 - Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9 - From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
10 - They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
11 - They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
12 - Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 - Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
14 - From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
15 - As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Psalms Chapter 18
1 - I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
2 - The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 - I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 - The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
5 - The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
6 - In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
7 - Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 - There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9 - He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
10 - And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 - He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 - At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13 - The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 - Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 - Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 - He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 - He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 - They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
19 - He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 - The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
21 - For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 - For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 - I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 - Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 - With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
26 - With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
27 - For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
28 - For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 - For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30 - As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 - For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
32 - It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 - He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
34 - He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
35 - Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
36 - Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
37 - I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
38 - I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
39 - For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40 - Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41 - They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
42 - Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
43 - Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 - As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
45 - The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46 - The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 - It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
48 - He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
49 - Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
50 - Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

Psalms Chapter 19
1 - The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 - Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 - There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 - Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 - Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 - His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7 - The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 - The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 - The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 - More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 - Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12 - Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 - Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14 - Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalms Chapter 20
1 - The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
2 - Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;
3 - Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
4 - Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.
5 - We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.
6 - Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
7 - Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
8 - They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
9 - Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.