Today's Reading

Psalms 41-45

Psalms Chapter 41
1 - Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
2 - The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
3 - The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
4 - I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
5 - Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?
6 - And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.
7 - All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.
8 - An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
9 - Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
10 - But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
11 - By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
12 - And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever.
13 - Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

Psalms Chapter 42
1 - As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2 - My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
3 - My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
4 - When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
5 - Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
6 - O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
7 - Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
8 - Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
9 - I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
10 - As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
11 - Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Psalms Chapter 43
1 - Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 - For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 - O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4 - Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
5 - Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Psalms Chapter 44
1 - We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
2 - How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
3 - For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
4 - Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.
5 - Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 - For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7 - But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8 - In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
9 - But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.
10 - Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
11 - Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12 - Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
13 - Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
14 - Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.
15 - My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 - For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.
17 - All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18 - Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
19 - Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 - If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
21 - Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 - Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 - Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
24 - Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 - For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26 - Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

Psalms Chapter 45
1 - My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 - Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
3 - Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
4 - And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
5 - Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.
6 - Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
7 - Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
8 - All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
9 - Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 - Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house;
11 - So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
12 - And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.
13 - The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
14 - She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.
15 - With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace.
16 - Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
17 - I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.