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Psalm 131

Song of Quiet Trust

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
    my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.(A)
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.[a](B)

O Israel, hope in the Lord
    from this time on and forevermore.(C)

Footnotes

  1. 131.2 Or my soul within me is like a weaned child

Psalm 132

The Eternal Dwelling of God in Zion

A Song of Ascents.

O Lord, remember in David’s favor
    all the hardships he endured;
how he swore to the Lord
    and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,(A)
“I will not enter my house
    or get into my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
until I find a place for the Lord,
    a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”(B)

We heard of it in Ephrathah;
    we found it in the fields of Jaar.(C)
“Let us go to his dwelling place;
    let us worship at his footstool.”(D)

Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.(E)
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
    and let your faithful shout for joy.(F)
10 For your servant David’s sake
    do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath
    from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
    I will set on your throne.(G)
12 If your sons keep my covenant
    and my decrees that I shall teach them,
their sons also, forevermore,
    shall sit on your throne.”(H)

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
    he has desired it for his habitation:(I)
14 “This is my resting place forever;
    here I will reside, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless its provisions;
    I will satisfy its poor with bread.(J)
16 Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
    and its faithful will shout for joy.
17 There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;
    I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.(K)
18 His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,
    but on him, his crown will gleam.”(L)

Psalm 133

The Blessedness of Unity

A Song of Ascents.

How very good and pleasant it is
    when kindred live together in unity!(A)
It is like the precious oil on the head,
    running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
    running down over the collar of his robes.(B)
It is like the dew of Hermon,
    which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
    life forevermore.(C)

25 Seven days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

The Second Plague: Frogs

[a]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Let my people go, so that they may serve me.(A) If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. The Nile shall swarm with frogs; they shall come up into your palace, into your bedchamber and your bed, into the houses of your officials and of your people,[b] and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.(B) The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your officials.’ ” [c]And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, the canals, and the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’ ”(C) So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.(D) But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and brought frogs up on the land of Egypt.(E)

Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take away the frogs from me and my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”(F) Moses said to Pharaoh, “Kindly tell me when I am to pray for you and for your officials and for your people, that the frogs may be removed from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.” 10 And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “As you say! So that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God,(G) 11 the frogs shall leave you and your houses and your officials and your people; they shall be left only in the Nile.” 12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs that he had brought upon Pharaoh.(H) 13 And the Lord did as Moses requested: the frogs died in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.(I)

The Third Plague: Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.’ ” 17 And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats came on humans and animals alike; all the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.(J) 18 The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals.(K) 19 And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.(L)

Footnotes

  1. 8.1 7.26 in Heb
  2. 8.3 Gk: Heb upon your people
  3. 8.5 8.1 in Heb

Psalm 140

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from those who are violent,(A)
who plan evil things in their minds
    and stir up wars continually.(B)
They make their tongue sharp as a snake’s,
    and under their lips is the venom of vipers. Selah(C)

Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
    protect me from the violent
    who have planned my downfall.(D)
The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
    and with cords they have spread a net,[a]
    along the road they have set snares for me. Selah(E)

I say to the Lord, “You are my God;
    give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications.”(F)
O Lord, my Lord, my strong deliverer,
    you have covered my head in the day of battle.(G)
Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
    do not further their evil plot.[b] Selah(H)

Those who surround me lift up their heads;[c]
    let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!(I)
10 Let burning coals fall on them!
    Let them be flung into pits, no more to rise!(J)
11 Do not let the slanderer be established in the land;
    let evil speedily hunt down the violent!(K)

12 I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy
    and executes justice for the poor.(L)
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
    the upright shall live in your presence.(M)

Footnotes

  1. 140.5 Or they have spread cords as a net
  2. 140.8 Heb adds they are exalted
  3. 140.9 Cn: Heb those who surround me are uplifted in head

Psalm 142

Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors

A Maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A Prayer.

With my voice I cry to the Lord;
    with my voice I make supplication to the Lord.(A)
I pour out my complaint before him;
    I tell my trouble before him.(B)
When my spirit is faint,
    you know my way.

In the path where I walk,
    they have hidden a trap for me.(C)
Look on my right hand and see:
    there is no one who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for me.(D)

I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”(E)
Listen to my cry,
    for I am brought very low.

Save me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me.(F)
Bring me out of prison,
    so that I may give thanks to your name.
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully with me.(G)