Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today we continue with the group of
Psalms known as the Royal Psalms. Today's readings
are from Psalms 94, 95, 97 -99, 101, 110, and
144. Psalm 94 O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs!
O God, to whom vengeance belongs! Shine forth!
Rise up, O judge of the earth. Render punishment
to the proud. Lord, how long will the wicked
triumph? They utter speech and speak insolent
things. All the workers of iniquity boast in
themselves. They break in pieces your people,
O Lord, and afflict your heritage. They slay
the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.
Yet they say, The Lord does not see, nor does
the God of Jacob understand. Understand you senseless
among the people. And you fools, when will you
be wise? He who planted the ear, shall he not
hear? He who formed the eye, shall he not see?
He who instructs the nations, shall he not correct?
He who teaches man knowledge? The Lord knows
the thoughts of man, that they are futile. Blessed
is the man whom you instruct, O Lord, and teach
out of your law, that you may give him rest from
the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for
the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off his
people, nor will he forsake his inheritance.
But judgment will return to righteousness, and
all the upright in heart will follow it. Who
will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who
will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would
soon have settled in silence. If I say my foot
slips, your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In
the multitude of my anxieties within me, your
comforts delight my soul. Shall the throne of
iniquity, which devises evil by law, have fellowship
with you? They gather together against the life
of the righteous and condemn innocent blood.
But the Lord has been my defense and my God the
rock of my refuge. He has brought on them their
own iniquity and shall cut them off in their
own wickedness. The Lord our God shall cut them
off. Psalm 95 O come, let us sing to the Lord.
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving.
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For
the Lord is the great God. and the great king
above all gods. In his hand are the deep places
of the earth. The heights of the hills are his
also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his
hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship
and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our
maker, for he is our God, and we are the people
of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today,
if you will hear his voice, do not harden your
hearts as in the rebellion, as in the day of
trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested
me. They tried me, though they saw my work. For
forty years I was grieved with that generation,
and said, It is a people who go astray in their
hearts, and they do not know my ways. So I swore
in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. Psalm
97 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice, let
the multitude of isles be glad. Clouds and darkness
surround him, righteousness and justice are the
foundation of his throne. A fire goes before
him and burns up his enemies round about. His
lightnings light the world. The earth sees and
trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the
presence of the Lord, at the presence of the
Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare
his righteousness, and all the peoples see his
glory. Let all be put to shame who serve carved
images, who boast of idols. Worship him, all
you gods. Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters
of Judah rejoice because of your judgments, O
Lord. For you, Lord, are most high above all
the earth. You are exalted far above all gods.
You who love the Lord hate evil. He preserves
the souls of his saints. He delivers them out
of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for
the righteous, and gladness for the upright in
heart. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and
give thanks at the remembrance of his holy name.
Psalm 98, Inscription, A Psalm O sing to the
Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm have gained him
the victory. The Lord has made known his salvation.
His righteousness he has revealed in the sight
of the nations. He has remembered his mercy and
his faithfulness to the house of Israel. All
the ends of the earth have seen the salvation
of our God. Shout joyfully to the Lord all the
earth. Break forth in song, rejoice and sing
praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with
the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets
and the sound of a horn. Shout joyfully before
the Lord, the King. Let the sea roar in all its
fullness, the world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands. Let the hills
be joyful together before the Lord, for He is
coming to judge the earth. With righteousness
He shall judge the world and the peoples with
equity. Psalm 99 The Lord reigns. Let the peoples
tremble. He dwells between the cherubim. Let
the earth be moved. The Lord is great in Zion,
and He is high above all the peoples. Let them
praise your great and awesome name. He is holy.
The king's strength also loves justice. You have
established equity. You have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our
God and worship at his footstool. He is holy.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests, and Samuel
was among those who called upon his name. They
called upon the Lord, and he answered them. He
spoke to them in the cloudy pillar. They kept
his testimonies and the ordinance he gave them.
You answered them, O Lord our God. You are to
them God who forgives. Though you took vengeance
on their deeds, exalt the Lord our God and worship
at his holy hill, for the Lord our God is holy.
Psalm 101 Inscription A Psalm of David I will
sing of mercy and justice. To you, O Lord, I
will sing praises. I will behave wisely in a
perfect way. O when will you come to me? I will
walk within my house with a perfect heart. I
will set nothing wicked before my eyes. I hate
the work of those who fall away. It shall not
cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from
me. I will not know wickedness. Whoever secretly
slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy. The
one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
him I will not endure. My eyes shall be on the
faithful of the land, that they may dwell with
me. He who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve
me. He who works deceit shall not dwell within
my house. He who tells lies shall not continue
in my presence. Early I will destroy all the
wicked of the land. that I may cut off all the
evildoers from the city of the Lord. Psalm 110
Inscription A Psalm of David The Lord said to
my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make your
enemies your footstool. The Lord shall send the
rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule in the
midst of your enemies. Your people shall be volunteers
in the day of your power, in the beauties of
holiness from the womb of the morning. You have
the due of your youth. The Lord has sworn and
will not relent. You are a priest forever, according
to the order of Melchizedek. The Lord is at your
right hand. He shall execute kings in the day
of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations.
He shall fill the places with dead bodies. He
shall execute the heads of many countries. He
shall drink of the brook by the wayside. Therefore,
He shall lift up the head. Psalm 144, Inscription
A Psalm of David Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
who trains my hands for war and my fingers for
battle, my lovingkindness and my fortress, my
high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the
one in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people
under me. Lord, what is man that you take knowledge
of him, or the son of man that you are mindful
of him? Man is like a breath, his days are like
a passing shadow. Bow down your heavens, O Lord,
and come down. Touch the mountains, and they
shall smoke. Flash forth lightning and scatter
them. Shoot out your arrows and destroy them.
Stretch out your hand from above. Rescue me and
deliver me out of great waters, for the hand
of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words,
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
I will sing a new song to you, O God. On a harp
of ten strings I will sing praises to you, the
one who gives salvation to kings, who delivers
David his servant from the deadly sword. Rescue
me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right
hand is a right hand of falsehood. that our sons
may be as plants grown up in their youth, that
our daughters may be as pillars, sculptured in
palace style, that our barns may be full, supplying
all kinds of produce, that our sheep may bring
forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields,
that our oxen may be well laden, that there be
no breaking in or going out, that there be no
outcry in our streets. Happy are the people who
are in such a state. Happy are the people whose
God is the Lord. 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.