Ancient Hebrew poetry speaks to the human heart. Even if sometimes the pacing, or progression of ideas, is somewhat stilted in English, every generation of believers have found both Psalms and Proverbs to be medicine for the soul. Today we get to bathe in it before jumping into Nehemiah tomorrow.
Psalm 36
An oracle is in my heart
regarding the transgression of the wicked man:
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.
For his eyes are too full of conceit
to detect or hate his own sin.
The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
he has ceased to be wise and well-doing.
Even on his bed he plots wickedness;
he sets himself on a path that is not good;
he fails to reject evil.
Your loving devotion, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains;
Your judgments are like the deepest sea.
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
How precious is Your loving devotion, O God,
that the children of men take refuge
in the shadow of Your wings!
They feast on the abundance of Your house,
and You give them drink from Your river of delights.
For with You is the fountain of life;
in Your light we see light.
Extend Your loving devotion to those who know You,
and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
Let not the foot of the proud come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
There the evildoers lie fallen,
thrown down and unable to rise.
Psalm 37
Do not fret over those who do evil;
do not envy those who do wrong.
For they wither quickly like grass
and wilt like tender plants.
Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when men prosper in their ways,
when they carry out wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and abandon wrath;
do not fret—it can only bring harm.
For the evildoers will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
and delight in abundant prosperity.
The wicked scheme against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them,
but the Lord laughs,
seeing that their day is coming.
The wicked have drawn the sword
and bent the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
Better is the little of the righteous
than the abundance of many who are wicked.
For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
and their inheritance will last forever.
In the time of evil they will not be ashamed,
and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
But the wicked and enemies of the LORD
will perish like the glory of the fields.
They will vanish;
like smoke they will fade away.
The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous are gracious and giving.
Surely those He blesses will inherit the land,
but the cursed will be destroyed.
The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD
who takes delight in his journey.
Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,
for the LORD is holding his hand.
I once was young and now am old,
yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
They are ever generous and quick to lend,
and their children are a blessing.
Turn away from evil and do good,
so that you will abide forever.
For the LORD loves justice
and will not forsake His saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.
The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter.
Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
and seek to slay them,
the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned under judgment.
Wait for the LORD and keep His way,
and He will raise you up to inherit the land.
When the wicked are cut off,
you will see it.
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man
flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
yet he passed away and was no more;
though I searched, he could not be found.
Consider the blameless and observe the upright,
for posterity awaits the man of peace.
But the transgressors will all be destroyed;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The LORD helps and delivers them;
He rescues and saves them from the wicked,
because they take refuge in Him.
Psalm 38
O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath.
For Your arrows have pierced me deeply,
and Your hand has pressed down on me.
There is no soundness in my body
because of Your anger;
there is no rest in my bones
because of my sin.
For my iniquities have overwhelmed me;
they are a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds are foul and festering
because of my sinful folly.
I am bent and brought low;
all day long I go about mourning.
For my loins are full of burning pain,
and no soundness remains in my body.
I am numb and badly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.
O Lord, my every desire is before You;
my groaning is not hidden from You.
My heart pounds, my strength fails,
and even the light of my eyes has faded.
My beloved and friends shun my disease,
and my kinsmen stand at a distance.
Those who seek my life lay snares;
those who wish me harm speak destruction,
plotting deceit all day long.
But like a deaf man, I do not hear;
and like a mute man, I do not open my mouth.
I am like a man who cannot hear,
whose mouth offers no reply.
I wait for You, O LORD;
You will answer, O Lord my God.
For I said, “Let them not gloat over me—
those who taunt me when my foot slips.”
For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
Yes, I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
Many are my enemies without cause,
and many hate me without reason.
Those who repay my good with evil
attack me for pursuing the good.
Do not forsake me, O LORD;
be not far from me, O my God.
Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my Savior.
Psalm 39
I said, “I will watch my ways
so that I will not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle
as long as the wicked are present.”
I was speechless and still;
I remained silent, even from speaking good,
and my sorrow was stirred.
My heart grew hot within me;
as I mused, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
“Show me, O LORD, my end
and the measure of my days.
Let me know how fleeting my life is.
You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths,
and my lifetime as nothing before You.
Truly each man at his best
exists as but a breath.
Selah
Surely every man goes about like a phantom;
surely he bustles in vain;
he heaps up riches
not knowing who will haul them away.
And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.
Deliver me from all my transgressions;
do not make me the reproach of fools.
I have become mute;
I do not open my mouth
because of what You have done.
Remove Your scourge from me;
I am perishing by the force of Your hand.
You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity,
consuming like a moth what he holds dear;
surely each man is but a vapor.
Selah
Hear my prayer, O LORD,
and give ear to my cry for help;
do not be deaf to my weeping.
For I am a foreigner dwelling with You,
a stranger like all my fathers.
Turn Your gaze away from me,
that I may again be cheered
before I depart and am no more.”
Proverbs 15
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.
The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
observing the evil and the good.
A soothing tongue is a tree of life,
but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
A fool rejects his father’s discipline,
but whoever heeds correction is prudent.
The house of the righteous has great treasure,
but the income of the wicked is trouble.
The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
but not so the hearts of fools.
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD,
but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
The LORD detests the way of the wicked,
but He loves those who pursue righteousness.
Discipline is harsh for him who leaves the path;
he who hates correction will die.
Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD—
how much more the hearts of men!
A mocker does not love to be reproved,
nor will he consult the wise.
A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance,
but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit.
A discerning heart seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
All the days of the oppressed are bad,
but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.
Better a little with the fear of the LORD
than great treasure with turmoil.
Better a dish of vegetables where there is love
than a fattened ox with hatred.
A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.
The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns,
but the path of the upright is a highway.
A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment,
but a man of understanding walks a straight path.
Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
A man takes joy in a fitting reply—
and how good is a timely word!
The path of life leads upward for the wise,
that he may avoid going down to Sheol.
The LORD tears down the house of the proud,
but He protects the boundaries of the widow.
The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but the words of the pure are pleasant to Him.
He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household,
but he who hates bribes will live.
The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil.
The LORD is far from the wicked,
but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
The light of the eyes cheers the heart,
and good news nourishes the bones.
He who listens to life-giving reproof
will dwell among the wise.
He who ignores discipline despises himself,
but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 16
The plans of the heart belong to man,
but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD.
All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes,
but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.
Commit your works to the LORD
and your plans will be achieved.
The LORD has made everything for His purpose—
even the wicked for the day of disaster.
Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD;
be assured that he will not go unpunished.
By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
When a man’s ways please the LORD,
He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
Better a little with righteousness
than great gain with injustice.
A man’s heart plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps.
A divine verdict is on the lips of a king;
his mouth must not betray justice.
Honest scales and balances are from the LORD;
all the weights in the bag are His concern.
Wicked behavior is detestable to kings,
for a throne is established through righteousness.
Righteous lips are a king’s delight,
and he who speaks honestly is beloved.
The wrath of a king is a messenger of death,
but a wise man will pacify it.
When a king’s face brightens, there is life;
his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold!
To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
The highway of the upright leads away from evil;
he who guards his way protects his life.
Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble
than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Whoever heeds instruction will find success,
and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
The wise in heart are called discerning,
and pleasant speech promotes instruction.
Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor,
but the discipline of fools is folly.
The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth
and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way of death.
A worker’s appetite works for him
because his hunger drives him onward.
A worthless man digs up evil,
and his speech is like a scorching fire.
A perverse man spreads dissension,
and a gossip divides close friends.
A violent man entices his neighbor
and leads him down a path that is not good.
He who winks his eye devises perversity;
he who purses his lips is bent on evil.
Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is attained along the path of righteousness.
He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior,
and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.
The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the LORD.
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