The Lectio Room

Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.

3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.

4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.

6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Psalm 73

1 Truly, God is good to Israel,*
to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped;*
I had almost tripped and fallen;

3 Because I envied the proud*
a d saw the prosperity of the wicked:

4 For they suffer no pain,*
and their bodies are sleek and sound;

5 In the misfortunes of others they have no share;*
they are not afflicted as others are;

6 Therefore they wear their pride like a necklace*
and wrap their violence about them like a cloak.

7 Their iniquity comes from gross minds,*
and their hearts overflow with wicked thoughts.

8 They scoff and speak maliciously;*
out of their haughtiness they plan oppression.

9 They set their mouths against the heavens,*
and their evil speech runs through the world.

10 And so the people turn to them*
and find in them no fault.

11 They say, “How should God know?*
is there knowledge in the Most High?”

12 So then, these are the wicked;*
always at ease, they increase their wealth.

13 In vain have I kept my heart clean,*
and washed my hands in innocence.

14 I have been afflicted all day long,*
and punished every morning.

15 Had I gone on speaking this way,*
I should have betrayed the generation of your children.

16 When I tried to understand these things,*
it was too hard for me;

17 Until I entered the sanctuary of God*
and discerned the end of the wicked.

18 Surely, you set them in slippery places;*
you cast them down in ruin.

19 Oh, how suddenly do they come to destruction,*
come to an end, and perish from terror!

20 Like a dream when one awakens, O Lord,*
when you arise you will make their image vanish.

21 When my mind became embittered,*
I was sorely wounded in my heart.

22 I was stupid and had no understanding;*
I was like a brute beast in your presence.

23 Yet I am always with you;*
you hold me by my right hand.

24 You will guide me by your counsel,*
and afterwards receive me with glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?*
and having you I desire nothing upon earth.

26 Though my flesh and my heart should waste away,*
God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

27 Truly, those who forsake you will perish;*
you destroy all who are unfaithful.

28 But it is good for me to be near God;*
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge.

29 I will speak of all your works*
in the gates of the city of Zion.

Psalm 74

1 O God, why have you utterly cast us off? *
why is your wrath so hot against the sheep of your pasture?

2 Remember your congregation that you purchased long ago, *
the tribe you redeemed to be your inheritance,
and Mount Zion where you dwell.

3 Turn your steps toward the endless ruins; *
the enemy has laid waste everything in your sanctuary.

4 Your adversaries roared in your holy place; *
they set up their banners as tokens of victory.

5 They were like men coming up with axes to a grove of trees; *
they broke down all your carved work with hatchets and hammers.

6 They set fire to your holy place; *
they defiled the dwelling-place of your Name
and razed it to the ground.

7 They said to themselves, “Let us destroy them altogether.” *
They burned down all the meeting-places of God in the land.

8 There are no signs for us to see;
there is no prophet left; *
there is not one among us who knows how long.

9 How long, O God, will the adversary scoff? *
will the enemy blaspheme your Name for ever?

10 Why do you draw back your hand? *
why is your right hand hidden in your bosom?

11 Yet God is my King from ancient times, *
victorious in the midst of the earth.

12 You divided the sea by your might *
and shattered the heads of the dragons upon the waters;

13 You crushed the heads of Leviathan *
and gave him to the people of the desert for food.

14 You split open spring and torrent; *
you dried up ever-flowing rivers.

15 Yours is the day, yours also the night; *
you established the moon and the sun.

16 You fixed all the boundaries of the earth; *
you made both summer and winter.

17 Remember, O LORD, how the enemy scoffed, *
how a foolish people despised your Name.

18 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; *
never forget the lives of your poor.

19 Look upon your covenant; *
the dark places of the earth are haunts of violence.

20 Let not the oppressed turn away ashamed; *
let the poor and needy praise your Name.

21 Arise, O God, maintain your cause; *
remember how fools revile you all day long.

22 Forget not the clamor of your adversaries, *
the unending tumult of those who rise up against you.

Psalm 119:73-96

73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me; *
give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments.

74 Those who fear you will be glad when they see me, *
because I trust in your word.

75 I know, O LORD, that your judgments are right *
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

76 Let your loving-kindness be my comfort, *
as you have promised to your servant.

77 Let your compassion come to me, that I may live, *
for your law is my delight.

78 Let the arrogant be put to shame, for they wrong me with lies; *
but I will meditate on your commandments.

79 Let those who fear you turn to me, *
and also those who know your decrees.

80 Let my heart be sound in your statutes, *
that I may not be put to shame.

81 My soul has longed for your salvation; *
I have put my hope in your word.

82 My eyes have failed from watching for your promise, *
and I say, “When will you comfort me?”

83 I have become like a leather flask in the smoke, *
but I have not forgotten your statutes.

84 How much longer must I wait? *
when will you give judgment against those who persecute me?

85 The proud have dug pits for me; *
they do not keep your law.

86 All your commandments are true; *
help me, for they persecute me with lies.

87 They had almost made an end of me on earth, *
but I have not forsaken your commandments.

88 In your loving-kindness, revive me, *
that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.

89 O LORD, your word is everlasting; *
it stands firm in the heavens.

90 Your faithfulness remains from one generation to another; *
you established the earth, and it abides.

91 By your decree these continue to this day, *
for all things are your servants.

92 If my delight had not been in your law, *
I should have perished in my affliction.

93 I will never forget your commandments, *
because by them you give me life.

94 I am yours; oh, that you would save me! *
for I study your commandments.

95 Though the wicked lie in wait for me to destroy me, *
I will apply my mind to your decrees.

96 I see that all things come to an end, *
but your commandment has no bounds.

Psalm 68

1 Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; *
let those who hate him flee before him.

2 Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away; *
as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; *
let them also be merry and joyful.

4 Sing to God, sing praises to his Name;
exalt him who rides upon the heavens; *
YAHWEH is his Name, rejoice before him!

5 Father of orphans, defender of widows, *
God in his holy habitation!

6 God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners into freedom; *
but the rebels shall live in dry places.

7 O God, when you went forth before your people, *
when you marched through the wilderness,

8 The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain,
at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, *
at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9 You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *
you refreshed the land when it was weary.

10 Your people found their home in it; *
in your goodness, O God, you have made provision for the poor.

11 The Lord gave the word; *
great was the company of women who bore the tidings:

12 “Kings with their armies are fleeing away; *
the women at home are dividing the spoils.”

13 Though you lingered among the sheepfolds, *
you shall be like a dove whose wings are covered with silver,
whose feathers are like green gold.

14 When the Almighty scattered kings, *
it was like snow falling in Zalmon.

15 O mighty mountain, O hill of Bashan! *
O rugged mountain, O hill of Bashan!

16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountain,
at the hill which God chose for his resting place? *
truly, the LORD will dwell there for ever.

17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
even thousands of thousands; *
the Lord comes in holiness from Sinai.

18 You have gone up on high and led captivity captive;
you have received gifts even from your enemies, *
that the LORD God might dwell among them.

19 Blessed be the Lord day by day, *
the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens.

20 He is our God, the God of our salvation; *
God is the LORD, by whom we escape death.

21 God shall crush the heads of his enemies, *
and the hairy scalp of those who go on still in their wickedness.

22 The Lord has said, “I will bring them back from Bashan; *
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea;

23 That your foot may be dipped in blood, *
the tongues of your dogs in the blood of your enemies.”

24 They see your procession, O God, *
your procession into the sanctuary, my God and my King.

25 The singers go before, musicians follow after, *
in the midst of maidens playing upon the hand-drums.

26 Bless God in the congregation; *
bless the LORD, you that are of the fountain of Israel.

27 There is Benjamin, least of the tribes, at the head;
the princes of Judah in a company; *
and the princes of Zebulon and Naphtali.

28 Send forth your strength, O God; *
establish, O God, what you have wrought for us.

29 Kings shall bring gifts to you, *
for your temple’s sake at Jerusalem.

30 Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds, *
and the peoples, a herd of wild bulls with its calves.

31 Trample down those who lust after silver; *
scatter the peoples that delight in war.

32 Let tribute be brought out of Egypt; *
let Ethiopia stretch out her hands to God.

33 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; *
sing praises to the Lord.

34 He rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; *
he sends forth his voice, his mighty voice.

35 Ascribe power to God; *
his majesty is over Israel;
his strength is in the skies.

36 How wonderful is God in his holy places! *
the God of Israel giving strength and power to his people!
Blessed be God!