The Lectio Room

Psalm 56

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
for my enemies are hounding me; *
all day long they assault and oppress me.

2 They hound me all the day long; *
truly there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

3 Whenever I am afraid, *
I will put my trust in you.

4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust and will not be afraid, *
for what can flesh do to me?

5 All day long they damage my cause; *
their only thought is to do me evil.

6 They band together; they lie in wait; *
they spy upon my footsteps;
because they seek my life.

7 Shall they escape despite their wickedness? *
O God, in your anger, cast down the peoples.

8 You have noted my lamentation;
put my tears into your bottle; *
are they not recorded in your book?

9 Whenever I call upon you, my enemies will be put to flight; *
this I know, for God is on my side.

10 In God the LORD, whose word I praise,
in God I trust and will not be afraid, *
for what can mortals do to me?

11 I am bound by the vow I made to you, O God; *
I will present to you thank-offerings;

12 For you have rescued my soul from death and my feet from stumbling, *
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

Psalm 24

1 The earth is the LORD’S and all that is in it, *
the world and all who dwell therein.

2 For it is he who founded it upon the seas *
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

3 “Who can ascend the hill of the LORD? *
and who can stand in his holy place?”

4 “Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, *
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is a fraud.

5 They shall receive a blessing from the LORD *
and a just reward from the God of their salvation.”

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, *
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.

8 “Who is this King of glory?” *
“The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.”

9 Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.

10 “Who is he, this King of glory?” *
“The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory.”

Psalm 55

1 Hear my prayer,O God; *
do not hide yourself from my petition.

2 Listen to me and answer me; *
I have no peace, because of my cares.

3 I am shaken by the noise of the enemy *
and by the pressure of the wicked;

4 For they have cast an evil spell upon me *
and are set against me in fury.

5 My heart quakes within me, *
and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

6 Fear and trembling have come over me, *
and horror overwhelms me.

7 And I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! *
I would fly away and be at rest.

8 I would flee to a far-off place *
and make my lodging in the wilderness.

9 I would hasten to escape *
from the stormy wind and tempest.”

10 Swallow them up, O Lord;
confound their speech; *
for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

11 Day and night the watchmen make their rounds upon her walls, *
but trouble and misery are in the midst of her.

12 There is corruption at her heart; *
her streets are never free of oppression and deceit.

13 For had it been an adversary who taunted me,
then I could have borne it; *
or had it been an enemy who vaunted himself against me,
then I could have hidden from him.

14 But it was you, a man after my own heart, *
my companion, my own familiar friend.

15 We took sweet counsel together, *
and walked with the throng in the house of God.

16 Let death come upon them suddenly;
let them go down alive to the grave; *
for wickedness is in their dwellings, in their very midst.

17 But I will call upon God, *
and the LORD will deliver me.

18 In the evening, in the morning, and at noonday,
I will complain and lament, *
and he will hear my voice.

19 He will bring me safely back from the battle waged against me; *
for there are many who fight me.

20 God, who is enthroned of old, will hear me and bring them down; *
they never change; they do not fear God.

21 My companion stretched forth his hand against his comrade; *
he has broken his covenant.

22 His speech is softer than butter, *
but war is in his heart.

23 His words are smoother than oil, *
but they are drawn swords.

24 Cast your burden upon the LORD,
and he will sustain you; *
he will never let the righteous stumble.

25 For you will bring the bloodthirsty and deceitful *
down to the pit of destruction, O God.

26 They shall not live out half their days, *
but I will put my trust in you.

 

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently upon the LORD; *
he stooped to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; *
he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God; *
many shall see, and stand in awe,
and put their trust in the LORD.

4 Happy are they who trust in the LORD! *
they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.

5 Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God!
how great your wonders and your plans for us! *
there is none who can be compared with you.

6 Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! *
but they are more than I can count.

7 In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure *
(you have given me ears to hear you);

8 Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required, *
and so I said, “Behold, I come.

9 In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: *
‘I love to do your will, O my God;
your law is deep in my heart.'”

10 I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; *
behold, I did not restrain my lips;
and that, O LORD, you know.

11 Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; *
I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation.

12 You are the LORD;
do not withhold your compassion from me; *
let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever,

13 For innumerable troubles have crowded upon me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see; *
they are more in number than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails me.

14 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; *
O LORD, make haste to help me.

15 Let them be ashamed and altogether dismayed
who seek after my life to destroy it; *
let them draw back and be disgraced who take pleasure in my misfortune.

16 Let those who say “Aha!” and gloat over me be confounded, *
because they are ashamed.

17 Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad; *
let those who love your salvation continually say,
“Great is the LORD!”

18 Though I am poor and afflicted, *
the Lord will have regard for me.

19 You are my helper and my deliverer; *
do not tarry, O my God.

 

Psalm 50

1 The LORD, the God of gods, has spoken; *
he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

2 Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, *
God reveals himself in glory.

3 Our God will come and will not keep silence; *
before him there is a consuming flame,
and round about him a raging storm.

4 He calls the heavens and the earth from above *
to witness the judgment of his people.

5 “Gather before me my loyal followers, *
those who have made a covenant with me
and sealed it with sacrifice.”

6 Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; *
for God himself is judge.

7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak:
“O Israel, I will bear witness against you; *
for I am God, your God.

8 I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices; *
your offerings are always before me.

9 I will take no bull-calf from your stalls, *
nor he-goats out of your pens;

10 For all the beasts of the forest are mine, *
the herds in their thousands upon the hills.

11 I know every bird in the sky, *
and the creatures of the fields are in my sight.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, *
for the whole world is mine and all that is in it.

13 Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls, *
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving *
and make good your vows to the Most High.

15 Call upon me in the day of trouble; *
I will deliver you, and you shall honor me.”

16 But to the wicked God says: *
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and take my covenant upon your lips;

17 Since you refuse discipline, *
and toss my words behind your back?

18 When you see a thief, you make him your friend, *
and you cast in your lot with adulterers.

19 You have loosed your lips for evil, *
and harnessed your tongue to a lie.

20 You are always speaking evil of your brother *
and slandering your own mother’s son.

21 These things you have done, and I kept still, *
and you thought that I am like you.”

22 “I have made my accusation; *
I have put my case in order before your eyes.

23 Consider this well, you who forget God, *
lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you.

24 Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me; *
but to those who keep in my way will I show the salvation of God.”