Bible in a Year · Day 174 of 365
Today’s reading: Psalms 42–44 (3 chapters)
Read the passage below, or open your own Bible and follow along. The text here is the World English Bible, a public-domain translation, printed in full so the day’s reading is all on one page.
About Psalms
The Psalms are the Bible's prayer book, one hundred and fifty songs and poems gathered into five books. They cover more emotional ground than any other part of Scripture: praise, complaint, rage, repentance, trust, and silence. Some were written by David and carry the marks of his life, others come from temple worship or later editors, and many were sung by the congregation rather than read alone. Taken together they teach a person how to speak to God when everything is going well and when it is not. Many of them do not resolve neatly, which is part of their honesty.
What to watch for. Watch how many psalms begin in distress and end in praise, and how many do not. Notice the psalmists addressing God directly rather than talking about him, and let the complaints be as instructive as the thanksgiving.
Psalms 42
1For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God. 2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?” 4These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day. 5Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him for the saving help of his presence.
6My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar. 7Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me. 8Yahweh will command his loving kindness in the daytime. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life. 9I will ask God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”
11Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.
Psalms 43
1Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men. 2For you are the God of my strength. Why have you rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3Oh, send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy hill, To your tents. 4Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God. 5Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him: my Savior, my helper, and my God.
Psalms 44
1For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. A contemplative psalm. We have heard with our ears, God; our fathers have told us, what work you did in their days, in the days of old. 2You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad. 3For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them. 4You are my King, God. Command victories for Jacob! 5Through you, will we push down our adversaries. Through your name, will we tread them under who rise up against us.
6For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. 7But you have saved us from our adversaries, and have shamed those who hate us. 8In God we have made our boast all day long, we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah. 9But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t go out with our armies. 10You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take plunder for themselves.
11You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations. 12You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale. 13You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us. 14You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples. 15All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,
16At the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the avenger. 17All this has come on us, yet have we not forgotten you, Neither have we been false to your covenant. 18Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path, 19Though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death. 20If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god;
21won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart. 22Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter. 23Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever. 24Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression? 25For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth.
26Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.
Next · Day 175: Psalms 45–47 →
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public-domain translation. Day numbering follows the calendar year; you can start at Day 1 on any date.
