Bible in a Year · Day 197 of 365
Today’s reading: Psalms 121–123 (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 121
1A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? 2My help comes from Yahweh, who made heaven and earth. 3He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps you will not slumber. 4Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5Yahweh is your keeper. Yahweh is your shade on your right hand.
6The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7Yahweh will keep you from all evil. He will keep your soul. 8Yahweh will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.
Psalms 122
1A Song of Ascents. By David. I was glad when they said to me, “Let’s go to Yahweh’s house!” 2Our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem; 3Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together; 4where the tribes go up, even Yah’s tribes, according to an ordinance for Israel, to give thanks to Yahweh’s name. 5For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of David’s house.
6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper. 7Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces. 8For my brothers’ and companions’ sakes, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” 9For the sake of the house of Yahweh our God, I will seek your good.
Psalms 123
1A Song of Ascents. To you I do lift up my eyes, you who sit in the heavens. 2Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes look to Yahweh, our God, until he has mercy on us. 3Have mercy on us, Yahweh, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt. 4Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.
Next · Day 198: Psalms 124–127 →
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.
