Daily Text and Bible Reading: Friday, June 21 [Press play below]

A prayer of David.
17.1 Hear my plea for justice, O Jehovah; Pay attention to my cry for help; Listen to my prayer spoken without deceit.
17.2 May you make a just decision in my behalf; May your eyes see what is right.
17.3 You have examined my heart, you have inspected me by night; You have refined me; You will find that I have not schemed anything bad, And my mouth has not transgressed.
17.4 As for the activities of men, In accord with the word of your lips, I avoid the paths of the robber.
17.5 Let my steps stay on your tracks So that my feet will not stumble.
17.6 I do call on you, because you will answer me, O God. Incline your ear to me. Hear my words.
17.7 Show your loyal love in a wonderful way, O Savior of those seeking refuge at your right hand From those who rebel against you.
17.8 Guard me like the pupil of your eye; Conceal me in the shadow of your wings.
17.9 Guard me from the wicked who attack me, From my mortal enemies who surround me.
17.10 They have become insensitive; With their mouth they speak arrogantly;
17.11 Now they hem us in; They watch for the chance to cause our downfall.
17.12 He is like a lion eager to tear its prey to pieces, Like a young lion crouching in ambush.
17.13 Rise up, O Jehovah, to confront him and bring him down; Rescue me from the wicked with your sword;
17.14 Rescue me with your hand, O Jehovah, From men of this world, whose share is in this life, Those whom you fill with the good things you provide And who leave an inheritance to their many sons.
17.15 But as for me, in righteousness I will see your face; I am satisfied to awaken in your presence.
To the director. By Jehovah’s servant David, who addressed the words of this song to Jehovah in the day that Jehovah rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
18.1 I have affection for you, O Jehovah, my strength.
18.2 Jehovah is my crag and my stronghold and the One who rescues me. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and my horn of salvation, my secure refuge.
18.3 I call on Jehovah, who is worthy of praise, And I will be saved from my enemies.
18.4 The ropes of death encircled me; Flash floods of worthless men terrified me.
18.5 The ropes of the Grave surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.
18.6 In my distress I called on Jehovah, To my God I kept crying for help. From his temple he heard my voice, And my cry to him for help reached his ears.
18.7 Then the earth began to shake and rock; The foundations of the mountains trembled And shook back and forth because he had been angered.
18.8 Smoke ascended from his nostrils, And a consuming fire came from his mouth; Glowing coals blazed from him.
18.9 He made the heavens bend as he descended, And thick gloom was beneath his feet.
18.10 He rode on a cherub and came flying. He swooped down on the wings of a spirit.
18.11 He then covered himself in darkness, All around him as a shelter, Dark waters and thick clouds.
18.12 From the brightness before him Hail and fiery coals broke through the clouds.
18.13 Then Jehovah began to thunder in the heavens; The Most High made his voice heard With hailstones and fiery coals.
18.14 He shot his arrows and scattered them; He hurled his lightning and threw them into confusion.
18.15 The streambeds became visible; The foundations of the land were exposed by your rebuke, O Jehovah, By the blast of the breath from your nostrils.
18.16 He reached down from on high; He took hold of me and pulled me from deep waters.
18.17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, From those hating me, who were stronger than I was.
18.18 They confronted me on the day of my disaster, But Jehovah was my support.
18.19 He brought me out into a place of safety; He rescued me because he was pleased with me.
18.20 Jehovah rewards me according to my righteousness; He repays me according to the innocence of my hands.
18.21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And I have not wickedly abandoned my God.
18.22 All his judgments are before me; I will not disregard his statutes.
18.23 I will remain blameless before him, And I will keep myself from error.
18.24 May Jehovah repay me according to my righteousness, According to the innocence of my hands before him.
18.25 With someone loyal you act in loyalty; With the blameless man you deal blamelessly;
18.26 With the pure you show yourself pure, But with the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
18.27 For you save those who are lowly But you abase the haughty.
18.28 For it is you who light my lamp, O Jehovah, My God who lights up my darkness.
18.29 With your help I can charge against a marauder band; By God’s power I can scale a wall.
18.30 The way of the true God is perfect; The saying of Jehovah is refined. He is a shield to all those taking refuge in him.
18.31 For who is a God besides Jehovah? And who is a rock except our God?
18.32 The true God is the one who clothes me with strength, And he will make my way perfect.
18.33 He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me stand on high places.
18.34 He trains my hands for warfare; My arms can bend a bow of copper.
18.35 You give me your shield of salvation, Your right hand supports me, And your humility makes me great.
18.36 You widen the path for my footsteps; My feet will not slip.
18.37 I will pursue my enemies and overtake them; I will not return until they are wiped out.
18.38 I will crush them so that they cannot rise up; They will fall under my feet.
18.39 You will equip me with strength for the battle; You will make my foes collapse under me.
18.40 You will make my enemies retreat from me, And I will put an end to those who hate me.
18.41 They cry for help, but there is no one to save them; They even cry to Jehovah, but he does not answer them.
18.42 I will pound them as fine as dust in the wind; I will throw them out like mud in the streets.
18.43 You will rescue me from the faultfinding of the people. You will appoint me the head of nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me.
18.44 At a mere report they will obey me; Foreigners will come cringing before me.
18.45 Foreigners will lose courage; They will come trembling from their strongholds.
18.46 Jehovah is alive! Praised be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
18.47 The true God executes vengeance for me; He subdues the peoples under me.
18.48 He rescues me from my angry enemies; You lift me high above those who attack me; You save me from the man of violence.
18.49 That is why I will glorify you among the nations, O Jehovah, And to your name I will sing praises.
18.50 He performs great acts of salvation for his king; He displays loyal love to his anointed one,
To David and his offspring forever.
To the director. A melody of David.
19.1 The heavens are declaring the glory of God; The skies above proclaim the work of his hands.
19.2 Day after day their speech bubbles forth, And night after night they reveal knowledge.
19.3 There is no speech, and there are no words; Their voice is not heard.
19.4 But into all the earth their sound has gone out, And to the ends of the inhabited earth their message. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun;
19.5 It is like a bridegroom emerging from the bridal chamber; It rejoices like a mighty man running his course.
19.6 It emerges from one end of the heavens, And it circles to their other end; And nothing is concealed from its heat.
19.7 The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring strength. The reminder of Jehovah is trustworthy, making the inexperienced one wise.
19.8 The orders from Jehovah are righteous, causing the heart to rejoice; The commandment of Jehovah is clean, making the eyes shine.
19.9 The fear of Jehovah is pure, lasting forever. The judgments of Jehovah are true, altogether righteous.
19.10 They are more desirable than gold, Than much fine gold, And sweeter than honey, the honey that drips from the combs.
19.11 By them your servant has been warned; In keeping them, there is a large reward.
19.12 Who can discern mistakes? Pronounce me innocent from sins I am unaware of.
19.13 And hold your servant back from presumptuous acts; Do not let them dominate me. Then I will be complete, And innocent of blatant sins.
19.14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be pleasing to you, O Jehovah, my Rock and my Redeemer.