Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world!

²High and low, rich and poor — listen!

³For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight.

⁴I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

⁵Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me?

⁶They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.

⁷Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.

⁸Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough

⁹to live forever and never see the grave.

¹⁰Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind.

¹¹The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves,

¹²but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals.

¹³This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. Interlude

¹⁴Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates.

¹⁵But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude

¹⁶So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid.

¹⁷For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

¹⁸In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success.

¹⁹But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day.

²⁰People who boast of their wealth don’t understand; they will die, just like animals.

¹The LORD, the Mighty One, is God, and he has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets.

²From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance.

³Our God approaches, and he is not silent. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around him.

⁴He calls on the heavens above and earth below to witness the judgment of his people.

⁵“Bring my faithful people to me — those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.”

⁶Then let the heavens proclaim his justice, for God himself will be the judge. Interlude

⁷“O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God!

⁸I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.

⁹But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens.

¹⁰For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.

¹¹I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine.

¹²If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.

¹³Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.

¹⁵Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

¹⁶But God says to the wicked: “Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant?

¹⁷For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash.

¹⁸When you see thieves, you approve of them, and you spend your time with adulterers.

¹⁹Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies.

²⁰You sit around and slander your brother — your own mother’s son.

²¹While you did all this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn’t care. But now I will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you.

²²Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you.

²³But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

¹Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

²Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

³For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

⁴Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

⁵For I was born a sinner — yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

⁶But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.

⁷Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me — now let me rejoice.

⁹Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

¹¹Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

¹³Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.

¹⁴Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.

¹⁵Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.

¹⁶You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.

¹⁷The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

¹⁸Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit — with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

¹Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior? Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever?

²All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you’re an expert at telling lies.

³You love evil more than good and lies more than truth. Interlude

⁴You love to destroy others with your words, you liar!

⁵But God will strike you down once and for all. He will pull you from your home and uproot you from the land of the living. Interlude

⁶The righteous will see it and be amazed. They will laugh and say,

⁷“Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”

⁸But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.

⁹I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people.

¹Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

²God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.

³But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!

⁴Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like bread and wouldn’t think of praying to God.

⁵Terror will grip them, terror like they have never known before. God will scatter the bones of your enemies. You will put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

⁶Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel? When God restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

¹Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might.

²Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea.

³For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude

⁴But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive!

⁵May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them.

⁶I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good.

⁷For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.

¹Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help!

²Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.

³My enemies shout at me, making loud and wicked threats. They bring trouble on me and angrily hunt me down.

⁴My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me.

⁵Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking.

⁶Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!

⁷I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. Interlude

⁸How quickly I would escape — far from this wild storm of hatred.

⁹Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city.

¹⁰Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city.

¹¹Everything is falling apart; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets.

¹²It is not an enemy who taunts me — I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me — I could have hidden from them.

¹³Instead, it is you — my equal, my companion and close friend.

¹⁴What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.

¹⁵Let death stalk my enemies; let the grave swallow them alive, for evil makes its home within them.

¹⁶But I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me.

¹⁷Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice.

¹⁸He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, though many still oppose me.

¹⁹God, who has ruled forever, will hear me and humble them. Interlude For my enemies refuse to change their ways; they do not fear God.

²⁰As for my companion, he betrayed his friends; he broke his promises.

²¹His words are as smooth as butter, but in his heart is war. His words are as soothing as lotion, but underneath are daggers!

²²Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

²³But you, O God, will send the wicked down to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will die young, but I am trusting you to save me.

¹O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long.

²I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me.

³But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

⁴I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

⁵They are always twisting what I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me.

⁶They come together to spy on me — watching my every step, eager to kill me.

⁷Don’t let them get away with their wickedness; in your anger, O God, bring them down.

⁸You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

⁹My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!

¹⁰I praise God for what he has promised; yes, I praise the LORD for what he has promised.

¹¹I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

¹²I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.

¹³For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.

¹Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.

²I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.

³He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me. Interlude My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.

⁴I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey — whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords.

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth.

⁶My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it. Interlude

⁷My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!

⁸Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.

⁹I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.

¹⁰For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

¹¹Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.

¹Justice — do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly?

²No! You plot injustice in your hearts. You spread violence throughout the land.

³These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way.

⁴They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen,

⁵ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers, no matter how skillfully they play.

⁶Break off their fangs, O God! Smash the jaws of these lions, O LORD!

⁷May they disappear like water into thirsty ground. Make their weapons useless in their hands.

⁸May they be like snails that dissolve into slime, like a stillborn child who will never see the sun.

⁹God will sweep them away, both young and old, faster than a pot heats over burning thorns.

¹⁰The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.

¹¹Then at last everyone will say, “There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”

¹Rescue me from my enemies, O God. Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.

²Rescue me from these criminals; save me from these murderers.

³They have set an ambush for me. Fierce enemies are out there waiting, LORD, though I have not sinned or offended them.

⁴I have done nothing wrong, yet they prepare to attack me. Wake up! See what is happening and help me!

⁵O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, wake up and punish those hostile nations. Show no mercy to wicked traitors. Interlude

⁶They come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.

⁷Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths; their words cut like swords. “After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.

⁸But LORD, you laugh at them. You scoff at all the hostile nations.

⁹You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me, for you, O God, are my fortress.

¹⁰In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me. He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.

¹¹Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons; stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees, O Lord our shield.

¹²Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies.

¹³Destroy them in your anger! Wipe them out completely! Then the whole world will know that God reigns in Israel. Interlude

¹⁴My enemies come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.

¹⁵They scavenge for food but go to sleep unsatisfied.

¹⁶But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.

¹⁷O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.

¹You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses. You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.

²You have shaken our land and split it open. Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.

³You have been very hard on us, making us drink wine that sent us reeling.

⁴But you have raised a banner for those who fear you — a rallying point in the face of attack. Interlude

⁵Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power.

⁶God has promised this by his holiness : “I will divide up Shechem with joy. I will measure out the valley of Succoth.

⁷Gilead is mine, and Manasseh, too. Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors, and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.

⁸But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant, and I will wipe my feet on Edom and shout in triumph over Philistia.”

⁹Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will bring me victory over Edom?

¹⁰Have you rejected us, O God? Will you no longer march with our armies?

¹¹Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless.

¹²With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.

¹O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!

²From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety,

³for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.

⁴Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude

⁵For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.

⁶Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations!

⁷May he reign under God’s protection forever. May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.

⁸Then I will sing praises to your name forever as I fulfill my vows each day.