Wednesday, 04 September

1.   <> Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. 0.   2Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous. 3.   For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. 4.   Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed. 5.   I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. 6.   I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah 7.   Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit. 8.   Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. 9.   Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. 10.   Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. 11.   Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. 12.   In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant.

1.   << A Psalm of David.>> Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle–– 2.   My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. 3.   LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? 4.   Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow. 5.   Bow down Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. 6.   Flash forth lightning and scatter them; Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them. 7.   Stretch out Your hand from above; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, From the hand of foreigners, 8.   Whose mouth speaks vain words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 9.   I will sing a new song to You, O God; On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, 10.   The One who gives salvation to kings, Who delivers David His servant From the deadly sword. 11.   Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, Whose mouth speaks lying words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood–– 12.   That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style; 13.   That our barns may be full, Supplying all kinds of produce; That our sheep may bring forth thousands And ten thousands in our fields; 14.   That our oxen may be well–laden; That there be no breaking in or going out; That there be no outcry in our streets. 15.   Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!

1.   <> I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. 0.   2Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3.   Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. 4.   One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. 5.   I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. 6.   Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. 7.   They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. 8.   The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 9.   The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. 10.   All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You. 11.   They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, 12.   To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 13.   Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. 14.   The LORD upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. 15.   The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. 16.   You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17.   The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. 18.   The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. 19.   He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. 20.   The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. 21.   My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.

25.   Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26.   "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27.   "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28.   "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it –– 29.   "lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30.   "saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31.   "Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32.   "Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33.   "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. 34.   "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35.   "It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"