Day 10 of the 30-day Psalter: Morning and Evening

The LORD, the God of gods, has spoken; *

he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, *

God reveals himself in glory.

Our God will come and will not keep silence; *

before him there is a consuming flame,

and round about him a raging storm.

He calls the heavens and the earth from above *

to witness the judgment of his people.

"Gather before me my loyal followers, *

those who have made a covenant with me

and sealed it with sacrifice."

Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; *

for God himself is judge.

Hear, O my people, and I will speak:

"O Israel, I will bear witness against you; *

for I am God, your God.

I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices; *

your offerings are always before me.

I will take no bull-calf from your stalls, *

nor he-goats out of your pens;

For all the beasts of the forest are mine, *

the herds in their thousands upon the hills.

I know every bird in the sky, *

and the creatures of the fields are in my sight.

If I were hungry, I would not tell you, *

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

Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls, *

or drink the blood of goats?

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving *

and make good your vows to the Most High.

Call upon me in the day of trouble; *

I will deliver you, and you shall honor me."

But to the wicked God says: *

Why do you recite my statutes,

and take my covenant upon your lips;

Since you refuse discipline, *

and toss my words behind your back?

When you see a thief, you make him your friend, *

and you cast in your lot with adulterers.

You have loosed your lips for evil, *

and harnessed your tongue to a lie.

You are always speaking evil of your brother *

and slandering your own mother's son.

These things you have done, and I kept still, *

and you thought that I am like you."

"I have made my accusation; *

I have put my case in order before your eyes.

Consider this well, you who forget God, *

lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you.

Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me; *

but to those who keep in my way will I show the salvation of God."

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; *

in your great compassion blot out my offenses.

Wash me through and through from my wickedness *

and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, *

and my sin is ever before me.

Against you only have I sinned *

and done what is evil in your sight.

And so you are justified when you speak *

and upright in your judgment.

Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, *

a sinner from my mother's womb.

For behold, you look for truth deep within me, *

and will make me understand wisdom secretly.

Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; *

wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.

Make me hear of joy and gladness, *

that the body you have broken may rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins *

and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, *

and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence *

and take not your holy Spirit from me.

Give me the joy of your saving help again *

and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

I shall teach your ways to the wicked, *

and sinners shall return to you.

Deliver me from death, O God, *

and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness,

O God of my salvation.

Open my lips, O Lord, *

and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice, *

but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.

The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; *

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Be favorable and gracious to Zion, *

and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Then you will be pleased with the appointed sacrifices,

with burnt-offerings and oblations; *

then shall they offer young bullocks upon your altar.

You tyrant, why do you boast of wickedness *

against the godly all day long?

You plot ruin;

your tongue is like a sharpened razor, *

O worker of deception.

You love evil more than good *

and lying more than speaking the truth.

You love all words that hurt, *

O you deceitful tongue.

Oh, that God would demolish you utterly, *

topple you, and snatch you from your dwelling,

and root you out of the land of the living!

The righteous shall see and tremble, *

and they shall laugh at him, saying,

"This is the one who did not take God for a refuge, *

but trusted in great wealth

and relied upon wickedness."

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; *

I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

I will give you thanks for what you have done *

and declare the goodness of your Name in the presence of the godly.

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." *

All are corrupt and commit abominable acts;

there is none who does any good.

God looks down from heaven upon us all, *

to see if there is any who is wise,

if there is one who seeks after God.

Every one has proved faithless;

all alike have turned bad; *

there is none who does good; no, not one.

Have they no knowledge, those evildoers *

who eat up my people like bread

and do not call upon God?

See how greatly they tremble,

such trembling as never was; *

for God has scattered the bones of the enemy;

they are put to shame, because God has rejected them.

Oh, that Israel's deliverance would come out of Zion! *

when God restores the fortunes of his people

Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.

Save me, O God, by your Name; *

in your might, defend my cause.

Hear my prayer, O God; *

give ear to the words of my mouth.

For the arrogant have risen up against me,

and the ruthless have sought my life, *

those who have no regard for God.

Behold, God is my helper; *

it is the Lord who sustains my life.

Render evil to those who spy on me; *

in your faithfulness, destroy them.

I will offer you a freewill sacrifice *

and praise your Name, O LORD, for it is good.

For you have rescued me from every trouble, *

and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.

Hear my prayer, O God; *

do not hide yourself from my petition.

Listen to me and answer me; *

I have no peace, because of my cares.

I am shaken by the noise of the enemy *

and by the pressure of the wicked;

For they have cast an evil spell upon me *

and are set against me in fury.

My heart quakes within me, *

and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Fear and trembling have come over me, *

and horror overwhelms me.

And I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! *

I would fly away and be at rest.

I would flee to a far-off place *

and make my lodging in the wilderness.

I would hasten to escape *

from the stormy wind and tempest."

Swallow them up, O Lord;

confound their speech; *

for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Day and night the watchmen make their rounds upon her walls, *

but trouble and misery are in the midst of her.

There is corruption at her heart; *

her streets are never free of oppression and deceit.

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.

But it was you, a man after my own heart, *

my companion, my own familiar friend.

We took sweet counsel together, *

and walked with the throng in the house of God.

Let death come upon them suddenly;

let them go down alive to the grave; *

for wickedness is in their dwellings, in their very midst.

But I will call upon God, *

and the LORD will deliver me.

In the evening, in the morning, and at noonday,

I will complain and lament, *

and he will hear my voice.

He will bring me safely back from the battle waged against me; *

for there are many who fight me.

God, who is enthroned of old, will hear me and bring them down; *

they never change; they do not fear God.

My companion stretched forth his hand against his comrade; *

he has broken his covenant.

His speech is softer than butter, *

but war is in his heart.

His words are smoother than oil, *

but they are drawn swords.

Cast your burden upon the LORD,

and he will sustain you; *

he will never let the righteous stumble.

For you will bring the bloodthirsty and deceitful *

down to the pit of destruction, O God.

They shall not live out half their days, *

but I will put my trust in you.