Bible in a Year · Day 191 of 365
Today’s reading: Psalms 100–102 (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 100
1A Psalm of thanksgiving. Shout for joy to Yahweh, all you lands! 2Serve Yahweh with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. 3Know that Yahweh, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name. 5For Yahweh is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalms 101
1A Psalm by David. I will sing of loving kindness and justice. To you, Yahweh, I will sing praises. 2I will be careful to live a blameless life. When will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a blameless heart. 3I will set no vile thing before my eyes. I hate the deeds of faithless men. They will not cling to me. 4A perverse heart will be far from me. I will have nothing to do with evil. 5I will silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor. I won’t tolerate one who is haughty and conceited.
6My eyes will be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in a perfect way, he will serve me. 7He who practices deceit won’t dwell within my house. He who speaks falsehood won’t be established before my eyes. 8Morning by morning, I will destroy all the wicked of the land; to cut off all the workers of iniquity from Yahweh’s city.
Psalms 102
1A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before Yahweh. Hear my prayer, Yahweh! Let my cry come to you. 2Don’t hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Turn your ear to me. Answer me quickly in the day when I call. 3For my days consume away like smoke. My bones are burned as a torch. 4My heart is blighted like grass, and withered, for I forget to eat my bread. 5By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones stick to my skin.
6I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I have become as an owl of the waste places. 7I watch, and have become like a sparrow that is alone on the housetop. 8My enemies reproach me all day. Those who are mad at me use my name as a curse. 9For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears, 10Because of your indignation and your wrath, for you have taken me up, and thrown me away.
11My days are like a long shadow. I have withered like grass. 12But you, Yahweh, will remain forever; your renown endures to all generations. 13You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for it is time to have pity on her. Yes, the set time has come. 14For your servants take pleasure in her stones, and have pity on her dust. 15So the nations will fear Yahweh’s name; all the kings of the earth your glory.
16For Yahweh has built up Zion. He has appeared in his glory. 17He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer. 18This will be written for the generation to come. A people which will be created will praise Yah. 19For he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary. From heaven, Yahweh saw the earth; 20to hear the groans of the prisoner; to free those who are condemned to death;
21that men may declare Yahweh’s name in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; 22when the peoples are gathered together, the kingdoms, to serve Yahweh. 23He weakened my strength along the course. He shortened my days. 24I said, “My God, don’t take me away in the middle of my days. Your years are throughout all generations. 25Of old, you laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the work of your hands.
26They will perish, but you will endure. Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment. You will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed. 27But you are the same. Your years will have no end. 28The children of your servants will continue. Their offspring will be established before you.”
Next · Day 192: Psalms 103–106 →
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.
