Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day two hundred and eighty nine.
Psalm 35, a Psalm of David.
Oh Lord.
Oppose those who oppose me.
Fight those who fight against me.
Put on your armor and take up your shield.
Prepare for battle, and come to my aid.
Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me.
Let me hear you say, I will give you victory.
Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me.
Turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm me.
Blow them away like chaff in the wind.
A wind sent by the angel of the Lord.
Make their path dark and slippery with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me.
I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me.
So let sudden ruin come upon them, let them be caught in the trap they
set for me, let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me.
Then I will rejoice in the Lord.
I will be glad because he rescues me with every bone in my body.
I will praise him, Lord.
Who can compare with you?
Who else rescues the helpless from the strong?
Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?
Malicious witnesses testify against me.
They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
They repay me evil for good.
I am sick with despair.
Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them.
I denied myself by fasting for them, but my prayers returned unanswered.
I was sad as though they were my friends or family as if I were
grieving for my own mother, but they are glad now that I am in trouble.
They gleefully joined together against me.
I am attacked by people I don't even know.
They slander me constantly.
They mock me and call me names.
They snarl at me.
How long, oh Lord, will you look on and do nothing?
Rescue me from their fierce attacks.
Protect my life from these lions, then I will thank you
in front of the Great assembly.
I will praise you before all the people.
Don't let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat.
Don't let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow.
They don't talk of peace.
They plot against innocent people who mind their own business.
They shout, aha, aha, with our own eyes.
We saw him do it.
Oh Lord, you know all about this.
Do not stay silent.
Do not abandon me now.
Oh Lord.
Wake up.
Rise to my defense.
Take up my case, my God and my Lord.
Declare me not guilty.
Oh Lord, my God, for you give justice.
Don't let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.
Don't let them say, look, we got what we wanted.
Now we will eat him alive.
May those who rejoice at my troubles, be humiliated and disgraced.
May those who triumph over me be covered with shame and dishonor, but give great
joy to those who came to my defense.
Let them continually say, great is the Lord who delights in
blessing his servant with peace.
Then I will proclaim your justice and I will praise you all day long.
Psalm 36 for the choir director, a Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.
Sin whispers to the wicked deep within their hearts.
They have no fear of God at all.
In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.
Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
They refuse to act wisely or do good.
They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
Their actions are never good.
They make no attempt to turn from evil.
Your unfailing love, oh Lord, is as vast as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains.
Your justice, like the ocean depths, you care for people and animals alike.
Oh Lord, how precious is your unfailing love?
Oh God.
All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your
river of delights for you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you.
Give justice to those with honest hearts.
Don't let the proud trample me or the wicked push me around.
Look, those who do evil have fallen.
They are thrown down never to rise again.
Psalm 37, A Psalm of David.
Don't worry about the wicked or envy.
Those who do wrong for like grass.
They soon fade away like spring flowers.
They soon wither.
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord and he will give you your heart's desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn and the justice of your
cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord.
Wait patiently for him to act.
Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop being angry.
Turn from your rage.
Do not lose your temper.
It only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the
Lord will possess the land.
Soon the wicked will disappear.
Though you look for them, they will be gone.
The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.
The wicked plot against the Godly, they snarl at them in
defiance, but the Lord just laughs.
For he sees their day of judgment coming.
The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the
oppressed to slaughter those who do right.
Their swords will stab their own hearts and their bows will be broken.
It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.
For the strength of the wicked will be shattered.
But the Lord takes care of the godly day by day.
The Lord takes care of the innocent and they will receive an
inheritance that lasts forever.
They will not be disgraced in hard times, even in famine.
They will have more than enough, but the wicked will die.
The Lord's enemies are like flowers in a field.
They will disappear like smoke, the wicked borrow and never repay.
But the Godly are generous givers.
Those the Lord blesses will possess the land, but those he curses will die.
The Lord directs the steps of the Godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall.
For the Lord holds them by the hand.
Once I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the godly, abandoned,
or their children begging for bread.
The Godly always give generous loans to others, and their children are a blessing.
Turn from evil and do good.
And you will live in the land forever.
For the Lord loves justice and he will never abandon the Godly.
He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die.
The Godly will possess the land and will live there forever.
The Godly offer good counsel.
They teach right from wrong.
They have made God's law their own, so they will never slip from his path.
The wicked wait in ambush for the Godly looking for an excuse to kill them.
But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed or let the Godly be
condemned when they are put on trial.
Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land you will see the wicked destroyed.
I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a
tree in its native soil.
But when I looked again, they were gone.
Though I searched for them, I could not find them.
Look at those who are honest and good for a wonderful future.
Awaits those who love peace, but the rebellious will be destroyed.
They have no future.
The Lord rescues the Godly.
He is their fortress.
In times of trouble, the Lord helps them rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them and they find shelter in him.
Psalm 38, a Psalm of David asking God to remember him.
Oh Lord, don't rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage.
Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing
me because of your anger.
My whole body is sick.
My health is broken because of my sins, my guilt overwhelms me.
It is a burden to heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins.
I am bent over and racked with pain all day long.
I walk around filled with grief.
A raging fever burns within me and my health is broken.
I am exhausted and completely crushed.
My groans come from an anguished heart.
You know what I long for Lord.
You hear my every sigh.
My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind.
My loved ones and friends.
Stay away fearing my disease.
Even my own family stands at a distance.
Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me.
Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me all day long.
They plan their treachery, but I am deaf to all their threats.
I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
I choose to hear nothing and I make no reply for I am waiting for you.
Oh Lord.
You must answer for me.
Oh Lord, my God.
I prayed.
Don't let my enemies gloat over me or rejoice at my downfall.
I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain, but I confess my sins.
I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
I have many aggressive enemies.
They hate me without reason.
They repay me evil for good and oppose me for pursuing good.
Do not abandon me.
Oh Lord.
Do not stand at a distance.
My God.
Come quickly to help me, oh Lord, my savior.
Psalm 39 for Judean, the choir director, a Psalm of David.
I said to myself, I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me, but as I stood there
in silence, not even speaking of good things, the turmoil within me grew worse.
The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words.
Lord, remind me how brief my time on Earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered, how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you at best.
Each of us is.
But a breath in interlude, we are merely moving shadows and all
our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth not knowing who will spend it.
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.
Rescue me from my rebellion.
Do not let fools mock me.
I am silent before you.
I won't say a word for my punishment is from you, but please stop striking me.
I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
When you discipline us for our sins, you consume like a moth.
What is precious to us?
Each of us is but a breath interlude.
Hear my prayer.
Oh Lord.
Listen to my cries for help.
Don't ignore my tears.
For I am your guest, a traveler passing through as my ancestors were before me.
Leave me alone so I can smile again before I am gone and exist.
No more.
Psalm 40 for the choir director, a Psalm of David.
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, a, and he
turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the Meyer.
He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the
proud or in those who worship idols.
Oh Lord, my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would
never come to the end of them.
You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand you don't require
burnt offerings or sin offerings.
Then I said, look, I have come as it is written about me in the scriptures.
I take joy in doing your will.
My God, for your instructions are written on my heart.
I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out as you.
Oh Lord, well known.
I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart.
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love
and faithfulness, Lord, don't hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me for troubles
surround me too many to count.
My sins pile up so high, I can't see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost all courage.
Please Lord, rescue me.
Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
May those who try to destroy me be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble, be turned back in disgrace.
Let them be horrified by their shame.
For they said, aha, we've got him now.
But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation repeatedly.
Shout the Lord is great as for me, since I am poor and needy, let
the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
Oh my God.
Do not delay.
Psalm 41 for the choir director, a Psalm of David.
Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor.
The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.
The Lord protects them and keeps them alive.
He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies.
The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.
Oh Lord, I prayed.
Have mercy on me.
Heal me for I have sinned against you.
But my enemies say nothing but evil about me.
How soon will he die and be forgotten?
They ask.
They visit me as if they were my friends, but all the while
they gather gossip and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.
All who hate me whisper about me imagining the worst.
He has some fatal disease.
They say he will never get out of that bed.
Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who
shared my food, has turned against me.
Lord, have mercy on me.
Make me well again so I can pay them back.
I know you are pleased with me, for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.
You have preserved my life because I am innocent.
You have brought me into your presence forever.
Praise the Lord, the God of Israel who lives from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and amen.
This concludes today's immerse reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.