Through the Bible – Day 195

₁You are the LORD's people.

Obey him and celebrate!

He deserves your praise.

₂Praise the LORD with harps!

Use harps with ten strings

to make music for him.

₃Sing a new song. Shout!

Play beautiful music.

₄The LORD is truthful;

he can be trusted.

₅He loves justice and fairness,

and he is kind to everyone

everywhere on earth.

₆The LORD made the heavens

and everything in them

by his word.

₇He scooped up the ocean

and stored the water.

₈Everyone in this world

should worship and honour

the LORD!

₉As soon as he spoke

the world was created;

at his command,

the earth was formed.

₁₀The LORD destroys the plans

and spoils the schemes

of the nations.

₁₁But what the LORD has planned

will stand for ever.

His thoughts never change.

₁₂The LORD blesses each nation

that worships only him.

He blesses his chosen ones.

₁₃The LORD looks at the world

₁₄from his throne in heaven,

and he watches us all.

₁₅The LORD gave us each a mind,

and nothing we do

can be hidden from him.

₁₆Mighty armies alone

cannot win wars for a king;

great strength by itself

cannot keep a soldier safe.

₁₇In war the strength of a horse

cannot be trusted

to take you to safety.

₁₈But the LORD watches over

all who honour him

and trust his kindness.

₁₉He protects them from death

and starvation.

₂₀We depend on you, LORD,

to help and protect us.

₂₁You make our hearts glad

because we trust you,

the only God.

₂₂Be kind and bless us!

We depend on you.

₁I will always praise the LORD.

₂With all my heart,

I will praise the LORD.

Let all who are helpless,

listen and be glad.

₃Honour the LORD with me!

Celebrate his great name.

₄I asked the LORD for help,

and he saved me

from all my fears.

₅Keep your eyes on the LORD!

You will shine like the sun

and never blush with shame.

₆I was a nobody, but I prayed,

and the LORD saved me

from all my troubles.

₇If you honour the LORD,

his angel will protect you.

₈Discover for yourself

that the LORD is kind.

Come to him for protection,

and you will be glad.

₉Honour the LORD!

You are his special people.

No one who honours the LORD

will ever be in need.

₁₀Young lions may go hungry

or even starve,

but if you trust the LORD,

you will never miss out

on anything good.

₁₁Come, my children, listen

as I teach you

to respect the LORD.

₁₂Do you want to live

and enjoy a long life?

₁₃Then don't say cruel things

and don't tell lies.

₁₄Do good instead of evil

and try to live at peace.

₁₅If you obey the LORD,

he will watch over you

and answer your prayers.

₁₆But God despises evil people,

and he will wipe them all

from the earth,

till they are forgotten.

₁₇When his people pray for help,

he listens and rescues them

from their troubles.

₁₈The LORD is there to rescue

all who are discouraged

and have given up hope.

₁₉The LORD's people

may suffer a lot,

but he will always

bring them safely through.

₂₀Not one of their bones

will ever be broken.

₂₁Wicked people are killed

by their own evil deeds,

and if you hate God's people

you will be punished.

₂₂The LORD saves the lives

of his servants.

Run to him for protection,

and you won't be punished.

₁Fight my enemies, LORD!

Attack my attackers!

₂Shield me and help me.

₃Aim your spear at everyone

who hunts me down,

but promise to save me.

₄Let all who want to kill me

be disappointed

and disgraced.

Chase away and confuse

all who plan to harm me.

₅Send your angel after them

and let them be like straw

in the wind.

₆Make them run in the dark

on a slippery road,

as your angel chases them.

₇I did them no harm,

but they hid a net

to trap me,

and they dug a deep pit

to catch and kill me.

₈Surprise them with disaster!

Trap them in their own nets

and let them fall and rot

in the pits they have dug.

₉I will celebrate and be joyful

because you, LORD,

have saved me.

₁₀Every bone in my body

will shout:

“No one is like the LORD!”

You protect the helpless

from those in power;

you save the poor and needy

from those who hurt them.

₁₁Liars accuse me of crimes

I know nothing about.

₁₂They repay evil for good,

and I feel all alone.

₁₃When they were sick,

I wore sackcloth

and went without food.

I truly prayed for them,

₁₄as I would for a friend

or a relative.

I was in sorrow and mourned,

as I would for my mother.

₁₅I have stumbled,

and worthless liars

I don't even know

surround me and sneer.

₁₆Worthless people make fun

and never stop laughing.

₁₇But all you do is watch!

When will you do something?

Save me from the attack

of those vicious lions.

₁₈And when your people meet,

I will praise you

and thank you, Lord,

in front of them all.

₁₉Don't let my brutal enemies

be glad because of me.

They hate me for no reason.

Don't let them wink

behind my back.

₂₀They say hurtful things,

and they lie to people

who want to live in peace.

₂₁They are quick to accuse me.

They say, “You did it!

We saw you ourselves.”

₂₂You see everything, LORD!

Please don't keep silent

or stay so far away.

₂₃Fight to defend me, Lord God,

₂₄and prove that I am right

by your standards.

Don't let them laugh at me

₂₅or say to each other,

“Now we've got what we want!

We'll gobble him up!”

₂₆Disappoint and confuse

all who are glad

to see me in trouble,

but disgrace and embarrass

my proud enemies who say to me,

“You are nothing!”

₂₇Let all who want me to win

be happy and joyful.

From now on let them say,

“The LORD is wonderful!

God is glad when all goes well

for his servant.”

₂₈Then I will shout all day,

“Praise the LORD God!

He did what was right.”