Day 14 of 31

¹Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed.

²I cry out to God Most High, to God who accomplishes my requests for me.

³He will send from heaven, and save me, he rebukes the one who is pursuing me. Selah. God will send out his loving kindness and his truth.

⁴My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

⁵Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let your glory be above all the earth!

⁶They have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is bowed down. They dig a pit before me. They fall into its midst themselves. Selah.

⁷My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises.

⁸Wake up, my glory! Wake up, psaltery and harp! I will wake up the dawn.

⁹I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the peoples. I will sing praises to you among the nations.

¹⁰For your great loving kindness reaches to the heavens, and your truth to the skies.

¹¹Be exalted, God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.

¹Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?

²No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

³The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

⁴Their poison is like the poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

⁵which doesn't listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.

⁶Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Lord.

⁷Let them vanish as water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.

⁸Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.

⁹Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.

¹⁰The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked;

¹¹so that men shall say, "Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth."

¹Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me.

²Deliver me from the workers of iniquity. Save me from the bloodthirsty men.

³For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul. The mighty gather themselves together against me, not for my disobedience, nor for my sin, Lord.

⁴I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Rise up, behold, and help me!

⁵You, Lord God of Hosts, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish the nations. Show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah.

⁶They return at evening, howling like dogs, and prowl around the city.

⁷Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, "For," they say, "who hears us?"

⁸But you, Lord, laugh at them. You scoff at all the nations.

⁹Oh, my Strength, I watch for you, for God is my high tower.

¹⁰My God will go before me with his loving kindness. God will let me look at my enemies in triumph.

¹¹Do not kill them, or my people may forget. Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield.

¹²For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, for the curses and lies which they utter.

¹³Consume them in wrath. Consume them, and they will be no more. Let them know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth. Selah.

¹⁴At evening let them return. Let them howl like a dog, and go around the city.

¹⁵They shall wander up and down for food, and wait all night if they aren't satisfied.

¹⁶But I will sing of your strength. Yes, I will sing aloud of your loving kindness in the morning. For you have been my high tower, a refuge in the day of my distress.

¹⁷To you, my strength, I will sing praises. For God is my high tower, the God of my mercy.

¹God, you have rejected us. You have broken us down. You have been angry. Restore us, again.

²You have made the land tremble. You have torn it. Mend its fractures, for it quakes.

³You have shown your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine that makes us stagger.

⁴You have given a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

⁵So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.

⁶God has spoken from his sanctuary: "I will triumph. I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.

⁷Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is the defense of my head. Judah is my scepter.

⁸Moab is my wash basin. I will throw my shoe on Edom. I shout in triumph over Philistia."

⁹Who will bring me into the strong city? Who has led me to Edom?

¹⁰Haven't you, God, rejected us? You do not go out with our armies, God.

¹¹Give us help against the adversary, for the help of man is vain.

¹²Through God we shall do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our adversaries.

¹Hear my cry, God. Listen to my prayer.

²From the end of the earth, I will call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

³For you have been a refuge for me, a strong tower from the enemy.

⁴I will dwell in your tent forever. I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah.

⁵For you, God, have heard my vows. You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

⁶You will prolong the king's life; his years shall be for generations.

⁷He shall be enthroned in God's presence forever. Appoint your loving kindness and truth, that they may preserve him.

⁸So I will sing praise to your name forever, that I may fulfill my vows daily.

¹Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

²He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.

³The fool's talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.

⁴Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

⁵A truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.

⁶A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn't find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.

⁷Stay away from a foolish man, for you won't find knowledge on his lips.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.

⁹Fools mock at making atonement for sins, but among the upright there is good will.

¹⁰The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

¹²There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

¹³Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.

¹⁴The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.

¹⁵A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.

¹⁶A wise man fears, and shuns evil, but the fool is hotheaded and reckless.

¹⁷He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, and a crafty man is hated.

¹⁸The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹The evil bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰The poor person is shunned even by his own neighbor, but the rich person has many friends.

²¹He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who has pity on the poor.

²²Do they not go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.

²³In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.

²⁴The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools crowns them with folly.

²⁵A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful.

²⁶In the fear of the Lord is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children.

²⁷The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death.

²⁸In the multitude of people is the king's glory, but in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.

²⁹He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.

³⁰The life of the body is a heart at peace, but envy rots the bones.

³¹He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.

³²The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.

³³Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

³⁵The king's favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.