Journey - September 29th, 21

¹ O Lord, hear me as I pray;
    pay attention to my groaning.
² Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
    for I pray to no one but you.
³ Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
    Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

⁴ O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;
    you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
⁵ Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,
    for you hate all who do evil.
⁶ You will destroy those who tell lies.
    The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.

⁷ Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
    I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.
⁸ Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
    or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.

⁹ My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
    Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
    Their tongues are filled with flattery.^a]">[a]
10 O God, declare them guilty.
    Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
    for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
    that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
¹² For you bless the godly, O Lord;
    you surround them with your shield of love.

³ “My anger burns against your shepherds,
    and I will punish these leaders.^a]">[a]
For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has arrived
    to look after Judah, his flock.
He will make them strong and glorious,
    like a proud warhorse in battle.
⁴ From Judah will come the cornerstone,
    the tent peg,
the bow for battle,
    and all the rulers.
⁵ They will be like mighty warriors in battle,
    trampling their enemies in the mud under their feet.
Since the Lord is with them as they fight,
    they will overthrow even the enemy’s horsemen.

⁶ “I will strengthen Judah and save Israel^b]">[b];
    I will restore them because of my compassion.
It will be as though I had never rejected them,
    for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries.
⁷ The people of Israel^c]">[c] will become like mighty warriors,
    and their hearts will be made happy as if by wine.
Their children, too, will see it and be glad;
    their hearts will rejoice in the Lord.
⁸ When I whistle to them, they will come running,
    for I have redeemed them.
From the few who are left,
    they will grow as numerous as they were before.
⁹ Though I have scattered them like seeds among the nations,
    they will still remember me in distant lands.
They and their children will survive
    and return again to Israel.
¹⁰ I will bring them back from Egypt
    and gather them from Assyria.
I will resettle them in Gilead and Lebanon
    until there is no more room for them all.
¹¹ They will pass safely through the sea of distress,^d]">[d]
    for the waves of the sea will be held back,
    and the waters of the Nile will dry up.
The pride of Assyria will be crushed,
    and the rule of Egypt will end.
¹² By my power^e]">[e] I will make my people strong,
    and by my authority they will go wherever they wish.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!”