1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

1 Kings 1-2; Psalm 37, 71, 94

1 King 1-2

1When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him.

²So his servants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”

³Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

⁴The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her.

⁵Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.

⁶(His father had never interfered with him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)

⁷Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support.

⁸But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.

⁹Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal officials,

¹⁰but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.

¹¹Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David’s knowing it?

¹²Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

¹³Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’

¹⁴While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said.”

¹⁵So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him.

¹⁶Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king. “What is it you want?” the king asked.

¹⁷She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’

¹⁸But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it.

¹⁹He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant.

²⁰My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

²¹Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”

²²While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.

²³And they told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.

²⁴Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne?

²⁵Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’

²⁶But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.

²⁷Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

²⁸Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.

²⁹The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble,

³⁰I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the Lord , the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”

³¹Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the king, said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

³²King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king,

³³he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and set Solomon my son on my own mule and take him down to Gihon.

³⁴There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

³⁵Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”

³⁶Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord , the God of my lord the king, so declare it.

³⁷As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David’s mule and escorted him to Gihon.

³⁹Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!”

⁴⁰And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.

⁴¹Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”

⁴²Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”

⁴³“Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king.

⁴⁴The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule,

⁴⁵and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear.

⁴⁶Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne.

⁴⁷Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed

⁴⁸and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord , the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’ “

⁴⁹At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed.

⁵⁰But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

⁵¹Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ “

⁵²Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.”

⁵³Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”

2When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

²“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man,

³and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go,

⁴and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

⁵“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me-what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.

⁶Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.

⁷“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

⁸“And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord : ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’

⁹But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.”

¹⁰Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.

¹¹He had reigned forty years over Israel-seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

¹²So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

¹³Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?” He answered, “Yes, peacefully.”

¹⁴Then he added, “I have something to say to you.” “You may say it,” she replied.

¹⁵“As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord .

¹⁶Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.” “You may make it,” she said.

¹⁷So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon-he will not refuse you-to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

¹⁸“Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will speak to the king for you.”

¹⁹When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.

²⁰“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.” The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”

²¹So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.”

²²King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him-after all, he is my older brother-yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”

²³Then King Solomon swore by the Lord : “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request!

²⁴And now, as surely as the Lord lives-he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised-Adonijah shall be put to death today!”

²⁵So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.

²⁶To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.”

²⁷So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord , fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.

²⁸When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar.

²⁹King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”

³⁰So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’ ” But he answered, “No, I will die here.” Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”

³¹Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my father’s house of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed.

³²The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without the knowledge of my father David he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them-Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army-were better men and more upright than he.

³³May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord ‘s peace forever.”

³⁴So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried on his own land in the desert.

³⁵The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.

³⁶Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else.

³⁷The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”

³⁸Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.

³⁹But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.”

⁴⁰At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.

⁴¹When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned,

⁴²the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’

⁴³Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”

⁴⁴The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing.

⁴⁵But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure before the Lord forever.”

⁴⁶Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and killed him. The kingdom was now firmly established in Solomon’s hands.

PSALM 37

¹Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;

²for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

³Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

⁴Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him and he will do this:

⁶He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil.

⁹For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

¹⁰A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

¹¹But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

¹²The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;

¹³but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.

¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;

¹⁷for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

¹⁸The days of the blameless are known to the Lord , and their inheritance will endure forever.

¹⁹In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰But the wicked will perish: The Lord ‘s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish-vanish like smoke.

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;

²²those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.

²³If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm;

²⁴though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

²⁵I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

²⁶They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

²⁷Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.

²⁸For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

²⁹the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.

³²The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;

³³but the Lord will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

³⁶but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.

³⁸But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.

³⁹The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord ; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

⁴⁰The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

PSALM 71

¹In you, O Lord , I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

²Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.

³Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

⁴Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men.

⁵For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord , my confidence since my youth.

⁶From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.

⁷I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.

⁸My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

⁹Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

¹⁰For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.

¹¹They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”

¹²Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me.

¹³May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.

¹⁴But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

¹⁵My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.

¹⁶I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord ; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

¹⁷Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

¹⁸Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.

¹⁹Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?

²⁰Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

²¹You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

²²I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

²³My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed.

²⁴My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

PSALM 94

¹O Lord , the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth.

²Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve.

³How long will the wicked, O Lord , how long will the wicked be jubilant?

⁴They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting.

⁵They crush your people, O Lord ; they oppress your inheritance.

⁶They slay the widow and the alien; they murder the fatherless.

⁷They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.”

⁸Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?

⁹Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?

¹⁰Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge?

¹¹The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile.

¹²Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord , the man you teach from your law;

¹³you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.

¹⁴For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.

¹⁵Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

¹⁶Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

¹⁷Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

¹⁸When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love, O Lord , supported me.

¹⁹When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

²⁰Can a corrupt throne be allied with you- one that brings on misery by its decrees?

²¹They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

²²But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

²³He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

Psalm 111-118

PSALM 111

¹Praise the Lord . I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

²Great are the works of the Lord ; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

³Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.

⁵He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.

⁶He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations.

⁷The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.

⁸They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.

⁹He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever- holy and awesome is his name.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

PSALM 112

¹Praise the Lord . Blessed is the man who fears the Lord , who finds great delight in his commands.

²His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

³Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

⁵Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.

⁶Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.

⁷He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord .

⁸His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

⁹He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.

¹⁰The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

PSALM 113

¹Praise the Lord . Praise, O servants of the Lord , praise the name of the Lord .

²Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.

³From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

⁴The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

⁵Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,

⁶who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

⁷He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

⁸he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.

⁹He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 114

¹When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,

²Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

³The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back;

⁴the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.

⁵Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,

⁶you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

⁸who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.

PSALM 115

¹Not to us, O Lord , not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

²Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?”

³Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

⁴But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

⁵They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;

⁶they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell;

⁷they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

⁸Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

⁹O house of Israel, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield.

¹⁰O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield.

¹¹You who fear him, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield.

¹²The Lord remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron,

¹³he will bless those who fear the Lord – small and great alike.

¹⁴May the Lord make you increase, both you and your children.

¹⁵May you be blessed by the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.

¹⁶The highest heavens belong to the Lord , but the earth he has given to man.

¹⁷It is not the dead who praise the Lord , those who go down to silence;

¹⁸it is we who extol the Lord , both now and forevermore. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 116

¹I love the Lord , for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

²Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

³The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

⁴Then I called on the name of the Lord : “O Lord , save me!”

⁵The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

⁶The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.

⁷Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

⁸For you, O Lord , have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,

⁹that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

¹⁰I believed; therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”

¹¹And in my dismay I said, “All men are liars.”

¹²How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?

¹³I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord .

¹⁴I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

¹⁶O Lord , truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.

¹⁷I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord .

¹⁸I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,

¹⁹in the courts of the house of the Lord – in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 117

¹Praise the Lord , all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.

²For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 118

¹Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

²Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”

³Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.”

⁴Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.”

⁵In my anguish I cried to the Lord , and he answered by setting me free.

⁶The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

⁷The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.

⁸It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

⁹It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

¹⁰All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹¹They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹²They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹³I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me.

¹⁴The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

¹⁵Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord ‘s right hand has done mighty things!

¹⁶The Lord ‘s right hand is lifted high; the Lord ‘s right hand has done mighty things!”

¹⁷I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

¹⁸The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

¹⁹Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord .

²⁰This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.

²¹I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

²²The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;

²³the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵O Lord , save us; O Lord , grant us success.

²⁶Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord . From the house of the Lord we bless you.

²⁷The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.

²⁸You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

1 Chronicles 26-29; Psalm 127

1 Chronicles 26-29

26The divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.

²Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

³Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth and Eliehoenai the seventh.

⁴Obed-Edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,

⁵Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh and Peullethai the eighth. (For God had blessed Obed-Edom.)

⁶His son Shemaiah also had sons, who were leaders in their father’s family because they were very capable men.

⁷The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also able men.

⁸All these were descendants of Obed-Edom; they and their sons and their relatives were capable men with the strength to do the work-descendants of Obed-Edom, 62 in all.

⁹Meshelemiah had sons and relatives, who were able men-18 in all.

¹⁰Hosah the Merarite had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him the first),

¹¹Hilkiah the second, Tabaliah the third and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and relatives of Hosah were 13 in all.

¹²These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their chief men, had duties for ministering in the temple of the Lord , just as their relatives had.

¹³Lots were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike.

¹⁴The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him.

¹⁵The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom, and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons.

¹⁶The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah. Guard was alongside of guard:

¹⁷There were six Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse.

¹⁸As for the court to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court itself.

¹⁹These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.

²⁰Their fellow Levites were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries for the dedicated things.

²¹The descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and who were heads of families belonging to Ladan the Gershonite, were Jehieli,

²²the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries of the temple of the Lord .

²³From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites:

²⁴Shubael, a descendant of Gershom son of Moses, was the officer in charge of the treasuries.

²⁵His relatives through Eliezer: Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zicri his son and Shelomith his son.

²⁶Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and by the other army commanders.

²⁷Some of the plunder taken in battle they dedicated for the repair of the temple of the Lord .

²⁸And everything dedicated by Samuel the seer and by Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner and Joab son of Zeruiah, and all the other dedicated things were in the care of Shelomith and his relatives.

²⁹From the Izharites: Kenaniah and his sons were assigned duties away from the temple, as officials and judges over Israel.

³⁰From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives-seventeen hundred able men-were responsible in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the king’s service.

³¹As for the Hebronites, Jeriah was their chief according to the genealogical records of their families. In the fortieth year of David’s reign a search was made in the records, and capable men among the Hebronites were found at Jazer in Gilead.

³²Jeriah had twenty-seven hundred relatives, who were able men and heads of families, and King David put them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.

27This is the list of the Israelites-heads of families, commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and their officers, who served the king in all that concerned the army divisions that were on duty month by month throughout the year. Each division consisted of 24,000 men.

²In charge of the first division, for the first month, was Jashobeam son of Zabdiel. There were 24,000 men in his division.

³He was a descendant of Perez and chief of all the army officers for the first month.

⁴In charge of the division for the second month was Dodai the Ahohite; Mikloth was the leader of his division. There were 24,000 men in his division.

⁵The third army commander, for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest. He was chief and there were 24,000 men in his division.

⁶This was the Benaiah who was a mighty man among the Thirty and was over the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was in charge of his division.

⁷The fourth, for the fourth month, was Asahel the brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah was his successor. There were 24,000 men in his division.

⁸The fifth, for the fifth month, was the commander Shamhuth the Izrahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

⁹The sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁰The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹¹The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹²The ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjamite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹³The tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁴The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite, an Ephraimite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁵The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, from the family of Othniel. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁶The officers over the tribes of Israel: over the Reubenites: Eliezer son of Zicri; over the Simeonites: Shephatiah son of Maacah;

¹⁷over Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel; over Aaron: Zadok;

¹⁸over Judah: Elihu, a brother of David; over Issachar: Omri son of Michael;

¹⁹over Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; over Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel;

²⁰over the Ephraimites: Hoshea son of Azaziah; over half the tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah;

²¹over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah; over Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner;

²²over Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham. These were the officers over the tribes of Israel.

²³David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less, because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.

²⁴Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. Wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David.

²⁵Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the royal storehouses. Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the outlying districts, in the towns, the villages and the watchtowers.

²⁶Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers who farmed the land.

²⁷Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards. Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine vats.

²⁸Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western foothills. Joash was in charge of the supplies of olive oil.

²⁹Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the herds grazing in Sharon. Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the herds in the valleys.

³⁰Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys.

³¹Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks. All these were the officials in charge of King David’s property.

³²Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of insight and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hacmoni took care of the king’s sons.

³³Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.

³⁴Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was the commander of the royal army.

28David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors.

²King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord , for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.

³But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’

⁴“Yet the Lord , the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.

⁵Of all my sons-and the Lord has given me many-he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

⁶He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

⁷I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’

⁸“So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord , and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.

⁹“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

¹⁰Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

¹¹Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement.

¹²He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things.

¹³He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord , as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.

¹⁴He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service:

¹⁵the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand;

¹⁶the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables;

¹⁷the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish;

¹⁸and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of the Lord .

¹⁹“All this,” David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the Lord upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan.”

²⁰David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.

²¹The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”

29Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God.

²With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God-gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble-all of these in large quantities.

³Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:

⁴three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings,

⁵for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord ?”

⁶Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.

⁷They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron.

⁸Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.

⁹The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord . David the king also rejoiced greatly.

¹⁰David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, O Lord , God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

¹¹Yours, O Lord , is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord , is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

¹²Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

¹³Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

¹⁴“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

¹⁵We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.

¹⁶O Lord our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.

¹⁷I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.

¹⁸O Lord , God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.

¹⁹And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”

²⁰Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord , the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the Lord and the king.

²¹The next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and presented burnt offerings to him: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.

²²They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the Lord that day. Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok to be priest.

²³So Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him.

²⁴All the officers and mighty men, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their submission to King Solomon.

²⁵The Lord highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Israel ever had before.

²⁶David son of Jesse was king over all Israel.

²⁷He ruled over Israel forty years-seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

²⁸He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.

²⁹As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer,

³⁰together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.

PSALM 127

¹Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

²In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for he grants sleep to those he loves.

³Sons are a heritage from the Lord , children a reward from him.

⁴Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.

⁵Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

Psalm 131, 138-139, 143-145

PSALM 131

¹My heart is not proud, O Lord , my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

²But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.

PSALM 138

¹I will praise you, O Lord , with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise.

²I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

³When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.

⁴May all the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord , when they hear the words of your mouth.

⁵May they sing of the ways of the Lord , for the glory of the Lord is great.

⁶Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar.

⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.

⁸The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord , endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands.

PSALM 139

¹O Lord , you have searched me and you know me.

²You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

³You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

⁴Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord .

⁵You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

¹⁰even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”

¹²even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

¹³For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

¹⁸Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

¹⁹If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

²⁰They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

²¹Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord , and abhor those who rise up against you?

²²I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

²⁴See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

PSALM 143

¹O Lord , hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.

²Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.

³The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead.

⁴So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.

⁵I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

⁶I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

⁷Answer me quickly, O Lord ; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

⁸Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord , for I hide myself in you.

¹⁰Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

¹¹For your name’s sake, O Lord , preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.

¹²In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

PSALM 144

¹Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

²He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

³O Lord , what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?

⁴Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.

⁵Part your heavens, O Lord , and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke.

⁶Send forth lightning and scatter [the enemies]; shoot your arrows and rout them.

⁷Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners

⁸whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

⁹I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

¹⁰to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David from the deadly sword.

¹¹Deliver me and rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

¹²Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.

¹³Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields;

¹⁴our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets.

¹⁵Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the Lord .

PSALM 145

¹I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.

²Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

³Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

⁴One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.

⁵They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

⁶They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.

⁷They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

⁹The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

¹⁰All you have made will praise you, O Lord ; your saints will extol you.

¹¹They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

¹²so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

¹⁴The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.

¹⁶You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.

¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

¹⁹He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

²⁰The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord . Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

1 Chronicles 23-25

23When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

²He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.

³The Levites thirty years old or more were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.

⁴David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to supervise the work of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges.

⁵Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.”

⁶David divided the Levites into groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

⁷Belonging to the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

⁸The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham and Joel-three in all.

⁹The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran-three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan.

¹⁰And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei-four in all.

¹¹Jahath was the first and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; so they were counted as one family with one assignment.

¹²The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel-four in all.

¹³The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants forever, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before the Lord , to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.

¹⁴The sons of Moses the man of God were counted as part of the tribe of Levi.

¹⁵The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

¹⁶The descendants of Gershom: Shubael was the first.

¹⁷The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

¹⁸The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the first.

¹⁹The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

²⁰The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

²¹The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

²²Eleazar died without having sons: he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.

²³The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth-three in all.

²⁴These were the descendants of Levi by their families-the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more who served in the temple of the Lord .

²⁵For David had said, “Since the Lord , the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever,

²⁶the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service.”

²⁷According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more.

²⁸The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron’s descendants in the service of the temple of the Lord : to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God.

²⁹They were in charge of the bread set out on the table, the flour for the grain offerings, the unleavened wafers, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.

³⁰They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord . They were to do the same in the evening

³¹and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the Lord on Sabbaths and at New Moon festivals and at appointed feasts. They were to serve before the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.

³²And so the Levites carried out their responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting, for the Holy Place and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, for the service of the temple of the Lord .

24These were the divisions of the sons of Aaron: The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

²But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests.

³With the help of Zadok a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelech a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering.

⁴A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar’s descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar’s descendants.

⁵They divided them impartially by drawing lots, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

⁶The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites-one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

⁷The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

⁸the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

⁹the fifth to Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

¹⁰the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

¹¹the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

¹²the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

¹³the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

¹⁴the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

¹⁵the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez,

¹⁶the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel,

¹⁷the twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul,

¹⁸the twenty-third to Delaiah and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

¹⁹This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the Lord , according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the Lord , the God of Israel, had commanded him.

²⁰As for the rest of the descendants of Levi: from the sons of Amram: Shubael; from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

²¹As for Rehabiah, from his sons: Isshiah was the first.

²²From the Izharites: Shelomoth; from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

²³The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

²⁴The son of Uzziel: Micah; from the sons of Micah: Shamir.

²⁵The brother of Micah: Isshiah; from the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah.

²⁶The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno.

²⁷The sons of Merari: from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri.

²⁸From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

²⁹From Kish: the son of Kish: Jerahmeel.

³⁰And the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. These were the Levites, according to their families.

³¹They also cast lots, just as their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same as those of the youngest.

25David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service:

²From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.

³As for Jeduthun, from his sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the Lord .

⁴As for Heman, from his sons: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth.

⁵All these were sons of Heman the king’s seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

⁶All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the Lord , with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king.

⁷Along with their relatives-all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord -they numbered 288.

⁸Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties.

⁹The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons and relatives, 12 the second to Gedaliah, he and his relatives and sons, 12

¹⁰the third to Zaccur, his sons and relatives, 12

¹¹the fourth to Izri, his sons and relatives, 12

¹²the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and relatives, 12

¹³the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁴the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁵the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁶the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁷the tenth to Shimei, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁸the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁹the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁰the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and relatives, 12

²¹the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons and relatives, 12

²²the fifteenth to Jerimoth, his sons and relatives, 12

²³the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁴the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁵the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁶the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁷the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁸the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁹the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and relatives, 12

³⁰the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and relatives, 12

³¹the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and relatives, 12

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

Psalm 108-110

PSALM 108

¹My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.

²Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

³I will praise you, O Lord , among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

⁴For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.

⁷God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

⁸Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.

⁹Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

¹⁰Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

¹¹Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?

¹²Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

¹³With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

PSALM 109

¹O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent,

²for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.

³With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.

⁴In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.

⁵They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.

⁶Appoint an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.

⁷When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him.

⁸May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.

⁹May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.

¹⁰May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.

¹¹May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

¹²May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.

¹³May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.

¹⁴May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord ; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

¹⁵May their sins always remain before the Lord , that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

¹⁶For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted.

¹⁷He loved to pronounce a curse- may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing- may it be far from him.

¹⁸He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.

¹⁹May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.

²⁰May this be the Lord ‘s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.

²¹But you, O Sovereign Lord , deal well with me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

²²For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

²³I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.

²⁵I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.

²⁶Help me, O Lord my God; save me in accordance with your love.

²⁷Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O Lord , have done it.

²⁸They may curse, but you will bless; when they attack they will be put to shame, but your servant will rejoice.

²⁹My accusers will be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

³⁰With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord ; in the great throng I will praise him.

³¹For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.

PSALM 110

¹The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

²The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

³Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.

⁴The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

⁵The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

⁶He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

⁷He will drink from a brook beside the way ; therefore he will lift up his head.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21-22; Psalm 30

2 Samuel 24

24Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”

²So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”

³But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

⁴The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.

⁵After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer.

⁶They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon.

⁷Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.

⁸After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

⁹Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

¹⁰David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord , “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord , I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

¹¹Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:

¹²“Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ “

¹³So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

¹⁴David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord , for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”

¹⁵So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

¹⁶When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁷When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord , “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family.”

¹⁸On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

¹⁹So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad.

²⁰When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

²¹Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord , that the plague on the people may be stopped.”

²²Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.

²³O king, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”

²⁴But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.

²⁵David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

1 Chronicles 21-22

21Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

²So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”

³But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

⁴The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem.

⁵Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.

⁶But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him.

⁷This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.

⁸Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

⁹The Lord said to Gad, David’s seer,

¹⁰“Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ “

¹¹So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice:

¹²three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord -days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

¹³David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord , for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”

¹⁴So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.

¹⁵And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁶David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.

¹⁷David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? O Lord my God, let your hand fall upon me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.”

¹⁸Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁹So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord .

²⁰While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves.

²¹Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.

²²David said to him, “Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord , that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.”

²³Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.”

²⁴But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”

²⁵So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site.

²⁶David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord , and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

²⁷Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.

²⁸At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.

²⁹The tabernacle of the Lord , which Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon.

³⁰But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord .

22Then David said, “The house of the Lord God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

²So David gave orders to assemble the aliens living in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God.

³He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed.

⁴He also provided more cedar logs than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David.

⁵David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.

⁶Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord , the God of Israel.

⁷David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the Lord my God.

⁸But this word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.

⁹But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign.

¹⁰He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

¹¹“Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would.

¹²May the Lord give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.

¹³Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

¹⁴“I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the Lord a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them.

¹⁵You have many workmen: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as men skilled in every kind of work

¹⁶in gold and silver, bronze and iron-craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you.”

¹⁷Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon.

¹⁸He said to them, “Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not granted you rest on every side? For he has handed the inhabitants of the land over to me, and the land is subject to the Lord and to his people.

¹⁹Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord .”

PSALM 30

¹I will exalt you, O Lord , for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

²O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

³O Lord , you brought me up from the grave ; you spared me from going down into the pit.

⁴Sing to the Lord , you saints of his; praise his holy name.

⁵For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

⁶When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”

⁷O Lord , when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

⁸To you, O Lord , I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:

⁹“What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

¹⁰Hear, O Lord , and be merciful to me; O Lord , be my help.”

¹¹You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

¹²that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

Psalm 95, 97-99

PSALM 95

¹Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord ; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

²Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

³For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.

⁴In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

⁵The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

⁷for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,

⁸do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert,

⁹where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.

¹⁰For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.”

¹¹So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”

PSALM 97

¹The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.

²Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

³Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.

⁴His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.

⁵The mountains melt like wax before the Lord , before the Lord of all the earth.

⁶The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

⁷All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols- worship him, all you gods!

⁸Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, O Lord .

⁹For you, O Lord , are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

¹⁰Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

¹¹Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

¹²Rejoice in the Lord , you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.

PSALM 98

¹Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

²The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

³He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

⁴Shout for joy to the Lord , all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;

⁵make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,

⁶with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn- shout for joy before the Lord , the King.

⁷Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

⁸Let the rivers clap their hands,

⁹let them sing before the Lord , for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

PSALM 99

¹The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.

²Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations.

³Let them praise your great and awesome name- he is holy.

⁴The King is mighty, he loves justice- you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.

⁵Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

⁶Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the Lord and he answered them.

⁷He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

⁸O Lord our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds.

⁹Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

2 Samuel 22-23; Psalm 57

22David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

²He said: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

³my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior- from violent men you save me.

⁴I call to the Lord , who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

⁵“The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

⁶The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

⁷In my distress I called to the Lord ; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.

⁸“The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry.

⁹Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

¹⁰He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

¹¹He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

¹²He made darkness his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky.

¹³Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.

¹⁴The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

¹⁵He shot arrows and scattered the enemies , bolts of lightning and routed them.

¹⁶The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the Lord , at the blast of breath from his nostrils.

¹⁷“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

¹⁸He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

¹⁹They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.

²⁰He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

²¹“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

²²For I have kept the ways of the Lord ; I have not done evil by turning from my God.

²³All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.

²⁴I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.

²⁵The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.

²⁶“To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

²⁷to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

²⁸You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

²⁹You are my lamp, O Lord ; the Lord turns my darkness into light.

³⁰With your help I can advance against a troop ; with my God I can scale a wall.

³¹“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

³²For who is God besides the Lord ? And who is the Rock except our God?

³³It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

³⁴He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.

³⁵He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁶You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great.

³⁷You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.

³⁸“I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

³⁹I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

⁴⁰You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

⁴¹You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.

⁴²They cried for help, but there was no one to save them- to the Lord , but he did not answer.

⁴³I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.

⁴⁴“You have delivered me from the attacks of my people; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know are subject to me,

⁴⁵and foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear me, they obey me.

⁴⁶They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

⁴⁷“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!

⁴⁸He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me,

⁴⁹who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me.

⁵⁰Therefore I will praise you, O Lord , among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.

⁵¹He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”

23These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs :

²“The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.

³The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God,

⁴he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.’

⁵“Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?

⁶But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand.

⁷Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie.”

⁸These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

⁹Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated,

¹⁰but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

¹¹Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.

¹²But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

¹³During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁴At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.

¹⁵David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

¹⁶So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord .

¹⁷“Far be it from me, O Lord , to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

¹⁸Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three.

¹⁹Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

²⁰Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab’s best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

²¹And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

²²Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men.

²³He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

²⁴Among the Thirty were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

²⁵Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

²⁶Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,

²⁷Abiezer from Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

²⁸Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

²⁹Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,

³⁰Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the ravines of Gaash,

³¹Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

³²Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan

³³son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,

³⁴Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

³⁵Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

³⁶Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, the son of Hagri,

³⁷Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

³⁸Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite

³⁹and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.

PSALM 57

¹Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

²I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills [his purpose] for me.

³He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; Selah God sends his love and his faithfulness.

⁴I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts- men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶They spread a net for my feet- I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path- but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah

⁷My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

⁸Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

⁹I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

¹⁰For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

¹¹Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

Psalm 5, 38, 41-42

PSALM 5

¹Give ear to my words, O Lord , consider my sighing.

²Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.

³In the morning, O Lord , you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

⁴You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.

⁵The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.

⁶You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors.

⁷But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.

⁸Lead me, O Lord , in your righteousness because of my enemies- make straight your way before me.

⁹Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.

¹⁰Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

¹²For surely, O Lord , you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

PSALM 38

¹O Lord , do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.

²For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me.

³Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.

⁴My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.

⁵My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.

⁶I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.

⁷My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.

⁸I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.

⁹All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.

¹⁰My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.

¹¹My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away.

¹²Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception.

¹³I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;

¹⁴I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.

¹⁵I wait for you, O Lord ; you will answer, O Lord my God.

¹⁶For I said, “Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.”

¹⁷For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me.

¹⁸I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.

¹⁹Many are those who are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous.

²⁰Those who repay my good with evil slander me when I pursue what is good.

²¹O Lord , do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.

²²Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.

PSALM 41

¹Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.

²The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.

³The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.

⁴I said, “O Lord , have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

⁵My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?”

⁶Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad.

⁷All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,

⁸“A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies.”

⁹Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

¹⁰But you, O Lord , have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them.

¹¹I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.

¹²In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.

¹³Praise be to the Lord , the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

PSALM 42

¹As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

²My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

³My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

⁴These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

⁵Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and

⁶my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon-from Mount Mizar.

⁷Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

⁸By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me- a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”

¹⁰My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

¹¹Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.