Daily Wisdom Plan

¹Vindicate me, God, and champion my cause against an unfaithful nation; rescue me from the deceitful and unjust person.

²For you are the God of my refuge. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?

³Send your light and your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling place.

⁴Then I will come to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise you with the lyre, God, my God.

⁵Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.

¹For the choir director. A of the sons of Korah. [1] God, we have heard with our ears — our ancestors have told us — the work you accomplished in their days, in days long ago:

²In order to plant them, you displaced the nations by your hand; in order to settle them, you brought disaster on the peoples.

³For they did not take the land by their sword — their arm did not bring them victory — but by your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable toward them.

⁴You are my King, my God, who ordains victories for Jacob.

⁵Through you we drive back our foes; through your name we trample our enemies.

⁶For I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring me victory.

⁷But you give us victory over our foes and let those who hate us be disgraced.

⁸We boast in God all day long; we will praise your name forever. Selah

⁹But you have rejected and humiliated us; you do not march out with our armies.

¹⁰You make us retreat from the foe, and those who hate us have taken plunder for themselves.

¹¹You hand us over to be eaten like sheep and scatter us among the nations.

¹²You sell your people for nothing; you make no profit from selling them.

¹³You make us an object of reproach to our neighbors, a source of mockery and ridicule to those around us.

¹⁴You make us a joke among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.

¹⁵My disgrace is before me all day long, and shame has covered my face,

¹⁶because of the taunts of the scorner and reviler, because of the enemy and avenger.

¹⁷All this has happened to us, but we have not forgotten you or betrayed your covenant.

¹⁸Our hearts have not turned back; our steps have not strayed from your path.

¹⁹But you have crushed us in a haunt of jackals and have covered us with deepest darkness.

²⁰If we had forgotten the name of our God and spread out our hands to a foreign god,

²¹wouldn’t God have found this out, since he knows the secrets of the heart?

²²Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.

²³Wake up, LORD! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don’t reject us forever!

²⁴Why do you hide and forget our affliction and oppression?

²⁵For we have sunk down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.

²⁶Rise up! Help us! Redeem us because of your faithful love.

¹For the choir director: according to “The Lilies.” A of the sons of Korah. A love song. [1] My heart is moved by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

²You are the most handsome of men; grace flows from your lips. Therefore God has blessed you forever.

³Mighty warrior, strap your sword at your side. In your majesty and splendor  —

⁴in your splendor ride triumphantly in the cause of truth, humility, and justice. May your right hand show your awe-inspiring acts.

⁵Your sharpened arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you.

⁶Your throne, God, is forever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.

⁷You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy more than your companions.

⁸Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume all your garments; from ivory palaces harps bring you joy.

⁹Kings’ daughters are among your honored women; the queen, adorned with gold from Ophir, stands at your right hand.

¹⁰Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider: forget your people and your father’s house,

¹¹and the king will desire your beauty. Bow down to him, for he is your lord.

¹²The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people, will seek your favor with gifts.

¹³In her chamber, the royal daughter is all glorious, her clothing embroidered with gold.

¹⁴In colorful garments she is led to the king; after her, the virgins, her companions, are brought to you.

¹⁵They are led in with gladness and rejoicing; they enter the king’s palace.

¹⁶Your sons will succeed your ancestors; you will make them princes throughout the land.

¹⁷I will cause your name to be remembered for all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.