Bible Reading Plan – Day 123

₁How wonderful it is, how pleasant,

for God's people to live together in harmony!

₂It is like the precious anointing oil

running down from Aaron's head and beard,

down to the collar of his robes.

₃It is like the dew on Mount Hermon,

falling on the hills of Zion.

That is where the LORD has promised his blessing —

life that never ends.

₁Come, praise the LORD,

all his servants,

all who serve in his Temple at night.

₂Raise your hands in prayer in the Temple,

and praise the LORD!

₃May the LORD, who made heaven and earth,

bless you from Zion!

₁Praise the LORD!

Praise his name, you servants of the LORD,

₂who stand in the LORD's house,

in the Temple of our God.

₃Praise the LORD, because he is good;

sing praises to his name, because he is kind.

₄He chose Jacob for himself,

the people of Israel for his own.

₅I know that our LORD is great,

greater than all the gods.

₆He does whatever he wishes

in heaven and on earth,

in the seas and in the depths below.

₇He brings storm clouds from the ends of the earth;

he makes lightning for the storms,

and he brings out the wind from his storeroom.

₈In Egypt he killed all the firstborn

of people and animals alike.

₉There he performed miracles and wonders

to punish the king and all his officials.

₁₀He destroyed many nations

and killed powerful kings:

₁₁Sihon, king of the Amorites,

Og, king of Bashan,

and all the kings in Canaan.

₁₂He gave their lands to his people;

he gave them to Israel.

₁₃LORD, you will always be proclaimed as God;

all generations will remember you.

₁₄The LORD will defend his people;

he will take pity on his servants.

₁₅The gods of the nations are made of silver and gold;

they are formed by human hands.

₁₆They have mouths, but cannot speak,

and eyes, but cannot see.

₁₇They have ears, but cannot hear;

they are not even able to breathe.

₁₈May all who made them and who trust in them

become like the idols they have made!

₁₉Praise the LORD, people of Israel;

praise him, you priests of God!

₂₀Praise the LORD, you Levites;

praise him, all you that worship him!

₂₁Praise the LORD in Zion,

in Jerusalem, his home.

Praise the LORD!

₁Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good;

his love is eternal.

₂Give thanks to the greatest of all gods;

his love is eternal.

₃Give thanks to the mightiest of all lords;

his love is eternal.

₄He alone performs great miracles;

his love is eternal.

₅By his wisdom he made the heavens;

his love is eternal;

₆he built the earth on the deep waters;

his love is eternal.

₇He made the sun and the moon;

his love is eternal;

₈the sun to rule over the day;

his love is eternal;

₉the moon and the stars to rule over the night;

his love is eternal.

₁₀He killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians;

his love is eternal.

₁₁He led the people of Israel out of Egypt;

his love is eternal;

₁₂with his strong hand, his powerful arm;

his love is eternal.

₁₃He divided the Red Sea;

his love is eternal;

₁₄he led his people through it;

his love is eternal;

₁₅but he drowned the king of Egypt and his army;

his love is eternal.

₁₆He led his people through the desert;

his love is eternal.

₁₇He killed powerful kings;

his love is eternal;

₁₈he killed famous kings;

his love is eternal;

₁₉Sihon, king of the Amorites;

his love is eternal;

₂₀and Og, king of Bashan;

his love is eternal.

₂₁He gave their lands to his people;

his love is eternal;

₂₂he gave them to Israel, his servant;

his love is eternal.

₂₃He did not forget us when we were defeated;

his love is eternal;

₂₄he freed us from our enemies;

his love is eternal.

₂₅He gives food to every living creature;

his love is eternal.

₂₆Give thanks to the God of heaven;

his love is eternal.

₁By the rivers of Babylon we sat down;

there we wept when we remembered Zion.

₂On the willows near by

we hung up our harps.

₃Those who captured us told us to sing;

they told us to entertain them:

“Sing us a song about Zion.”

₄How can we sing a song to the LORD

in a foreign land?

₅May I never be able to play the harp again

if I forget you, Jerusalem!

₆May I never be able to sing again

if I do not remember you,

if I do not think of you as my greatest joy!

₇Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did

the day Jerusalem was captured.

Remember how they kept saying,

“Tear it down to the ground!”

₈Babylon, you will be destroyed.

Happy are those who pay you back

for what you have done to us —

₉who take your babies

and smash them against a rock.

₁I thank you, LORD, with all my heart;

I sing praise to you before the gods.

₂I face your holy Temple,

bow down, and praise your name

because of your constant love and faithfulness,

because you have shown that your name and your commands are supreme.

₃You answered me when I called to you;

with your strength you strengthened me.

₄All the kings in the world will praise you, LORD,

because they have heard your promises.

₅They will sing about what you have done

and about your great glory.

₆Even though you are so high above,

you care for the lowly,

and the proud cannot hide from you.

₇When I am surrounded by troubles,

you keep me safe.

You oppose my angry enemies

and save me by your power.

₈You will do everything you have promised;

LORD, your love is eternal.

Complete the work that you have begun.

₁LORD, you have examined me and you know me.

₂You know everything I do;

from far away you understand all my thoughts.

₃You see me, whether I am working or resting;

you know all my actions.

₄Even before I speak,

you already know what I will say.

₅You are all round me on every side;

you protect me with your power.

₆Your knowledge of me is too deep;

it is beyond my understanding.

₇Where could I go to escape from you?

Where could I get away from your presence?

₈If I went up to heaven, you would be there;

if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there.

₉If I flew away beyond the east

or lived in the farthest place in the west,

₁₀you would be there to lead me,

you would be there to help me.

₁₁I could ask the darkness to hide me

or the light round me to turn into night,

₁₂but even darkness is not dark for you,

and the night is as bright as the day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

₁₃You created every part of me;

you put me together in my mother's womb.

₁₄I praise you because you are to be feared;

all you do is strange and wonderful.

I know it with all my heart.

₁₅When my bones were being formed,

carefully put together in my mother's womb,

when I was growing there in secret,

you knew that I was there —

₁₆you saw me before I was born.

The days allotted to me

had all been recorded in your book,

before any of them ever began.

₁₇O God, how difficult I find your thoughts;

how many of them there are!

₁₈If I counted them, they would be more than the grains of sand.

When I awake, I am still with you.

₁₉O God, how I wish you would kill the wicked!

How I wish violent people would leave me alone!

₂₀They say wicked things about you;

they speak evil things against your name.

₂₁O LORD, how I hate those who hate you!

How I despise those who rebel against you!

₂₂I hate them with a total hatred;

I regard them as my enemies.

₂₃Examine me, O God, and know my mind;

test me, and discover my thoughts.

₂₄Find out if there is any evil in me

and guide me in the everlasting way.

₁Save me, LORD, from evildoers;

keep me safe from violent people.

₂They are always plotting evil,

always stirring up quarrels.

₃Their tongues are like deadly snakes;

their words are like a cobra's poison.

₄Protect me, LORD, from the power of the wicked;

keep me safe from violent people

who plot my downfall.

₅The proud have set a trap for me;

they have laid their snares

and along the path they have set traps to catch me.

₆I say to the LORD, “You are my God.”

Hear my cry for help, LORD!

₇My Sovereign LORD, my strong defender,

you have protected me in battle.

₈LORD, don't give the wicked what they want;

don't let their plots succeed.

₉Don't let my enemies be victorious;

make their threats against me fall back on them.

₁₀May red-hot coals fall on them;

may they be thrown into a pit and never get out.

₁₁May those who accuse others falsely not succeed;

may evil overtake violent people and destroy them.

₁₂LORD, I know that you defend the cause of the poor

and the rights of the needy.

₁₃The righteous will praise you indeed;

they will live in your presence.