Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today we're continuing with the Psalms
of Lament, and today's readings are from Psalms
11 -14, 16, 17, and 22. Psalm 11, Inscription
to the Chief Musician, a Psalm of David. In the
Lord I put my trust. How can you say to my soul,
flee as a bird to your mountain? For look, the
wicked bend their bow. They make ready their
arrow on the string. that they may shoot secretly
at the upright in heart. If the foundations are
destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord
is in His holy temple. The Lord's throne is in
heaven. His eyes behold. His eyelids test the
sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous. But
the wicked and the one who loves violence His
soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals.
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be
the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous.
He loves righteousness. His countenance beholds
the upright. Psalm 12, inscription, to the chief
musician, on an eight -stringed harp, a psalm
of David. Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases,
for the faithful disappear from among the sons
of men. They speak idly, everyone, with his neighbor.
With flattering lips and a double heart they
speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips
and a tongue that speaks proud things, who have
said, With our tongue we will prevail, our lips
are our own. Who is Lord over us? For the oppression
of the poor for the sighing of the needy, now
I will arise, says the Lord. I will set him in
the safety for which he yearns. The words of
the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in
a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You
shall keep them, O Lord. You shall preserve them
from this generation forever. The wicked prowl
on every side, when vileness is exalted among
the sons of men. Psalm 13, Inscription To the
Chief Musician, a Psalm of David How long, O
Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will
you hide your face from me? How long shall I
take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my
heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted
over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God.
Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of
death. Lest my enemy say I have prevailed against
him. Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I
am moved. But I have trusted in your mercy. My
heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will
sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully
with me. Psalm 14, inscription, to the chief
musician, a psalm of David. The fool has said
in his heart, there is no God, they are corrupt,
they have done abominable works, there is none
who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven
upon the children of men, to see if there are
any who understand, who seek God. They have all
turned aside, they have together become corrupt.
There is none who does good, no, not one. Have
all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who
eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not
call on the Lord? There they are in great fear,
for God is with the generation of the righteous.
You shame the counsel of the poor, but the Lord
is his refuge. Oh, that the salvation of Israel
would come out of Zion, when the Lord brings
back the captivity of his people. Let Jacob rejoice,
and Israel be glad. Psalm 16, inscription, a
miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in you
I put my trust. My soul, you have said to the
Lord, you are my Lord. My goodness is nothing
apart from you. As for the saints who are on
the earth, they are the excellent ones, in whom
is all my delight. Their sorrows shall be multiplied
who hasten after another God. Their drink offerings
of blood I will not offer, nor take up their
names on my lips. O Lord, you are the portion
of my inheritance and my cup. You maintain my
lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant
places. Yes, I have a good inheritance. I will
bless the Lord who has given me counsel. My heart
also instructs me in the night seasons. I have
set the Lord always before me. Because he is
at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore
my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. My flesh
also will rest in hope. For you will not leave
my soul in Sheol. Nor will you allow your Holy
One to see corruption. You will show me the path
of life. In your presence is fullness of joy.
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 17, Inscription A Prayer of David Hear
a just cause, O Lord. Attend to my cry. Give
ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful
lips. Let my vindication come from your presence.
Let your eyes look on the things that are upright.
You have tested my heart. You have visited me
in the night. You have tried me and have found
nothing. I have purposed that my mouth shall
not transgress. Concerning the works of men,
by the word of your lips, I have kept away from
the path of the destroyer. uphold my steps in
your path, that my footsteps may not slip. I
have called upon you, for you will hear me, O
God. Incline your ear to me and hear my speech.
Show your marvelous loving kindness by your right
hand, O you who save those who trust in you,
from those who rise up against them. Keep me
as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow
of your wings, from the wicked who oppress me,
from my deadly enemies who surround me. They
have closed up their fat hearts. With their mouth
they speak proudly. they have now surrounded
us in our steps they have set their eyes crouching
down to the earth as a lion is eager to tear
his prey and like a young lion lurking in secret
places arise o lord confront him cast him down
deliver my life from the wicked with your sword
with your hand from men o lord from men of the
world who have their portion in this life and
whose belly you fill with your hidden treasure
they are satisfied with children and leave the
rest of their possession for their babes. As
for me, I will see your face in righteousness.
I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness.
Psalm 22, Inscription To the chief musician,
said to the deer of the dawn, a psalm of David.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why
are you so far from helping me, and from the
words of my groaning? O my God, I cry in the
daytime, but you do not hear, and in the night
season, and am not silent. But you are holy,
enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers
trusted in you, they trusted and you delivered
them. They cried to you and were delivered, they
trusted in you and were not ashamed. But I am
a worm and no man, a reproach of men and despised
by the people. All those who see me ridicule
me. They shoot out the lip, they shake the head,
saying, He trusted in the Lord, let him rescue
him, let him deliver him, since he delights in
him. But you are he who took me out of the womb.
You made me trust while on my mother's breasts.
I was cast upon you from birth, from my mother's
womb. You have been my God. Be not far from me,
for trouble is near, for there is none to help.
Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of
Bashan have encircled me. They gape at me with
their mouth, like a raging and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones
are out of joint. My heart is like wax, it has
melted within me. My strength is dried up like
a potsherd. And my tongue clings to my jaws.
You have brought me to the dust of death. For
dogs have surrounded me. The congregation of
the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced my hands
and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look
and stare at me. They divide my garments among
them. And for my clothing they cast lots. But
you, O Lord, do not be far from me. O my strength,
hasten to help me. Deliver me from the sword.
My precious life from the power of the dog. Save
me from the lion's mouth and from the horns of
the wild oxen. You have answered me. I will declare
your name to my brethren. In the midst of the
assembly, I will praise you. You who fear the
Lord, praise him. All you descendants of Jacob,
glorify him. And fear him, all you offspring
of Israel. For he has not despised nor abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted, nor has he hidden
his face from him. But when he cried to him,
he heard. My praise shall be of you in the great
assembly. I will pay my vows before those who
fear him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied.
Those who seek him will praise the Lord. Let
your heart live forever. All the ends of the
world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and
all the families of the nations shall worship
before him. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and
he rules over the nations. All the prosperous
of the earth shall eat and worship. All those
who go down to the dust shall bow before him,
even he who cannot keep himself alive. A posterity
shall serve him. it will be recounted of the
Lord to the next generation. They will come and
declare His righteousness to a people who will
be born that He has done this. I hope you enjoyed
today's reading as much as I did, and I look
forward to seeing you again tomorrow to continue
on our journey. God bless you and have a great
day.