Psalm 60

1You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us;

you have been angry—now restore us!

2You have shaken the land and torn it open;

mend its fractures, for it is quaking.

3You have shown your people desperate times;

you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

4But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner

to be unfurled against the bow.

5Save us and help us with your right hand,

that those you love may be delivered.

6God has spoken from his sanctuary:

“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem

and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.

7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;

Ephraim is my helmet,

Judah is my scepter.

8Moab is my washbasin,

on Edom I toss my sandal;

over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

9Who will bring me to the fortified city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

10Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us

and no longer go out with our armies?

11Give us aid against the enemy,

for human help is worthless.

12With God we will gain the victory,

and he will trample down our enemies.

Psalm 75

1We praise you, God,

we praise you, for your Name is near;

people tell of your wonderful deeds.

2You say, “I choose the appointed time;

it is I who judge with equity.

3When the earth and all its people quake,

it is I who hold its pillars firm.

4To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’

and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.

5Do not lift your horns against heaven;

do not speak so defiantly.’ ”

6No one from the east or the west

or from the desert can exalt themselves.

7It is God who judges:

He brings one down, he exalts another.

8In the hand of the Lord is a cup

full of foaming wine mixed with spices;

he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth

drink it down to its very dregs.

9As for me, I will declare this forever;

I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,

10who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,

but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”

Psalm 50

1The Mighty One, God, the Lord,

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to where it sets.

2From Zion, perfect in beauty,

God shines forth.

3Our God comes

and will not be silent;

a fire devours before him,

and around him a tempest rages.

4He summons the heavens above,

and the earth, that he may judge his people:

5“Gather to me this consecrated people,

who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

6And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,

for he is a God of justice.

7“Listen, my people, and I will speak;

I will testify against you, Israel:

I am God, your God.

8I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices

or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.

9I have no need of a bull from your stall

or of goats from your pens,

10for every animal of the forest is mine,

and the cattle on a thousand hills.

11I know every bird in the mountains,

and the insects in the fields are mine.

12If I were hungry I would not tell you,

for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

13Do I eat the flesh of bulls

or drink the blood of goats?

14“Sacrifice thank offerings to God,

fulfill your vows to the Most High,

15and call on me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

16But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws

or take my covenant on your lips?

17You hate my instruction

and cast my words behind you.

18When you see a thief, you join with him;

you throw in your lot with adulterers.

19You use your mouth for evil

and harness your tongue to deceit.

20You sit and testify against your brother

and slander your own mother’s son.

21When you did these things and I kept silent,

you thought I was exactly like you.

But I now arraign you

and set my accusations before you.

22“Consider this, you who forget God,

or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:

23Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,

and to the blamelessI will show my salvation.”

Psalm 53

1The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;

there is no one who does good.

2God looks down from heaven

on all mankind

to see if there are any who understand,

any who seek God.

3Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.

4Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;

they never call on God.

5But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,

where there was nothing to dread.

God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;

you put them to shame, for God despised them.

6Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When God restores his people,

let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

David’s Victories

1In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines.

2David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to him and brought him tribute.

3Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, in the vicinity of Hamath, when he went to set up his monument atthe Euphrates River. 4David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

5When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought him tribute. The Lordgave David victory wherever he went.

7David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8From Tebahand Kun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea, the pillars and various bronze articles.

9When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, 10he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold, of silver and of bronze.

11King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold he had taken from all these nations: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek.

12Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David’s Officials

14David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. 15Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 16Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelekson of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was secretary; 17Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.

David and Mephibosheth

1David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

2Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

“At your service,” he replied.

3The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”

Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”

4“Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

5So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

6When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.

David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“At your service,” he replied.

7“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

8Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

9Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

11Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.

12Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.

David’s Victories

1In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

2David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.

3Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his monument at the Euphrates River. 4David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

5When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

7David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8From Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

9When Touking of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 10he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold and of bronze.

11King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: 12Edomand Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

14He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David’s Officials

15David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. 16Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 17Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary; 18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.

Psalm 36

1I have a message from God in my heart

concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:

There is no fear of God

before their eyes.

2In their own eyes they flatter themselves

too much to detect or hate their sin.

3The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;

they fail to act wisely or do good.

4Even on their beds they plot evil;

they commit themselves to a sinful course

and do not reject what is wrong.

5Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the skies.

6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,

your justice like the great deep.

You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.

7How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8They feast on the abundance of your house;

you give them drink from your river of delights.

9For with you is the fountain of life;

in your light we see light.

10Continue your love to those who know you,

your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11May the foot of the proud not come against me,

nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12See how the evildoers lie fallen—

thrown down, not able to rise!

Psalm 39

1I said, “I will watch my ways

and keep my tongue from sin;

I will put a muzzle on my mouth

while in the presence of the wicked.”

2So I remained utterly silent,

not even saying anything good.

But my anguish increased;

3my heart grew hot within me.

While I meditated, the fire burned;

then I spoke with my tongue:

4“Show me, Lord, my life’s end

and the number of my days;

let me know how fleeting my life is.

5You have made my days a mere handbreadth;

the span of my years is as nothing before you.

Everyone is but a breath,

even those who seem secure.

6“Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;

in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth

without knowing whose it will finally be.

7“But now, Lord, what do I look for?

My hope is in you.

8Save me from all my transgressions;

do not make me the scorn of fools.

9I was silent; I would not open my mouth,

for you are the one who has done this.

10Remove your scourge from me;

I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

11When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin,

you consume their wealth like a moth—

surely everyone is but a breath.

12“Hear my prayer, Lord,

listen to my cry for help;

do not be deaf to my weeping.

I dwell with you as a foreigner,

a stranger, as all my ancestors were.

13Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again

before I depart and am no more.”

1Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

2Praise the Lord with the harp;

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

3Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

4For the word of the Lord is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

5The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

6By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;

he puts the deep into storehouses.

8Let all the earth fear the Lord;

let all the people of the world revere him.

9For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood firm.

10The Lord foils the plans of the nations;

he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

11But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people he chose for his inheritance.

13From heaven the Lord looks down

and sees all mankind;

14from his dwelling place he watches

all who live on earth—

15he who forms the hearts of all,

who considers everything they do.

16No king is saved by the size of his army;

no warrior escapes by his great strength.

17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

despite all its great strength it cannot save.

18But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19to deliver them from death

and keep them alive in famine.

20We wait in hope for the Lord;

he is our help and our shield.

21In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

22May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

even as we put our hope in you.