Monday, May 7, 2012

Last Break - May 7

Here is the reading for today


Psalm 35-36

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 35

A psalm of David.

Lord, oppose those who oppose me.
    Fight those who fight against me.
Put on your armor, and take up your shield.
    Prepare for battle, and come to my aid.
Lift up your spear and javelin
    against those who pursue me.
Let me hear you say,
    “I will give you victory!”
Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me;
    turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm me.
Blow them away like chaff in the wind—
    a wind sent by the angel of the Lord.
Make their path dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me.
    I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me.
So let sudden ruin come upon them!
    Let them be caught in the trap they set for me!
    Let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me.
Then I will rejoice in the Lord.
    I will be glad because he rescues me.
10 With every bone in my body I will praise him:
    Lord, who can compare with you?
Who else rescues the helpless from the strong?
    Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?”
11 Malicious witnesses testify against me.
    They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good.
    I am sick with despair.
13 Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them.
    I denied myself by fasting for them,
    but my prayers returned unanswered.
14 I was sad, as though they were my friends or family,
    as if I were grieving for my own mother.
15 But they are glad now that I am in trouble;
    they gleefully join together against me.
I am attacked by people I don’t even know;
    they slander me constantly.
16 They mock me and call me names;
    they snarl at me.
17 How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing?
    Rescue me from their fierce attacks.
    Protect my life from these lions!
18 Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly.
    I will praise you before all the people.
19 Don’t let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat.
    Don’t let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow.
20 They don’t talk of peace;
    they plot against innocent people who mind their own business.
21 They shout, “Aha! Aha!
    With our own eyes we saw him do it!”
22 Lord, you know all about this.
    Do not stay silent.
    Do not abandon me now, O Lord.
23 Wake up! Rise to my defense!
    Take up my case, my God and my Lord.
24 Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice.
    Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.
25 Don’t let them say, “Look, we got what we wanted!
    Now we will eat him alive!”
26 May those who rejoice at my troubles
    be humiliated and disgraced.
May those who triumph over me
    be covered with shame and dishonor.
27 But give great joy to those who came to my defense.
    Let them continually say, “Great is the Lord,
    who delights in blessing his servant with peace!”
28 Then I will proclaim your justice,
    and I will praise you all day long.

Psalm 36

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.

Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.
    They have no fear of God at all.
In their blind conceit,
    they cannot see how wicked they really are.
Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
    They refuse to act wisely or do good.
They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
    Their actions are never good.
    They make no attempt to turn from evil.
Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
    How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
    in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
    letting them drink from your river of delights.
For you are the fountain of life,
    the light by which we see.
10 Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
    give justice to those with honest hearts.
11 Don’t let the proud trample me
    or the wicked push me around.
12 Look! Those who do evil have fallen!
    They are thrown down, never to rise again.



Proverbs 18

New Living Translation (NLT)
18 Unfriendly people care only about themselves;
    they lash out at common sense.
Fools have no interest in understanding;
    they only want to air their own opinions.
Doing wrong leads to disgrace,
    and scandalous behavior brings contempt.
Wise words are like deep waters;
    wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.
It is not right to acquit the guilty
    or deny justice to the innocent.
Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels;
    they are asking for a beating.
The mouths of fools are their ruin;
    they trap themselves with their lips.
Rumors are dainty morsels
    that sink deep into one’s heart.
A lazy person is as bad as
    someone who destroys things.
10 The name of the Lord is a strong fortress;
    the godly run to him and are safe.
11 The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense;
    they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.
12 Haughtiness goes before destruction;
    humility precedes honor.
13 Spouting off before listening to the facts
    is both shameful and foolish.
14 The human spirit can endure a sick body,
    but who can bear a crushed spirit?
15 Intelligent people are always ready to learn.
    Their ears are open for knowledge.
16 Giving a gift can open doors;
    it gives access to important people!
17 The first to speak in court sounds right—
    until the cross-examination begins.
18 Flipping a coin can end arguments;
    it settles disputes between powerful opponents.
19 An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city.
    Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.
20 Wise words satisfy like a good meal;
    the right words bring satisfaction.
21 The tongue can bring death or life;
    those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,
    and he receives favor from the Lord.
23 The poor plead for mercy;
    the rich answer with insults.
24 There are “friends” who destroy each other,
    but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalms%2035-36&version=NLT
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2018&version=NLT
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.



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