The Almighty God, the LORD, speaks; he calls to the whole earth from east to west.

Why have you abandoned us like this, O God? Will you be angry with your own people forever?

O God, do not keep silent; do not be still, do not be quiet!

Asaph was leader of the second choir. His family line went back to Levi as follows: Asaph, Berechiah, Shimea,

From the clans of singers they chose the following men to play the brass cymbals: Heman son of Joel, his relative Asaph son of Berechiah, and Ethan son of Kushaiah, of the clan of Merari. To assist them they chose the following Levites to play the high-pitched harps: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah. To play the low-pitched harps they chose the following Levites: Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Azaziah, and the Temple guards, Obed Edom and Jeiel.

It was then that David first gave Asaph and the other Levites the responsibility for singing praises to the LORD.

King David put Asaph and the other Levites in permanent charge of the worship that was held at the place where the Covenant Box was kept. They were to perform their duties there day by day.

King David and the leaders of the Levites chose the following Levite clans to lead the worship services: Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. They were to proclaim God's messages, accompanied by the music of harps and cymbals. This is the list of persons chosen to lead the worship, with the type of service that each group performed:

The six sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah. Under the direction of their father they proclaimed God's message, accompanied by the music of harps, and sang praise and thanks to the LORD.

God gave to Heman, the king's prophet, these fourteen sons and also three daughters, as he had promised, in order to give power to Heman.

The king and the leaders of the nation told the Levites to sing to the LORD the songs of praise that were written by David and by Asaph the prophet. So everyone sang with great joy as they knelt and worshiped God.

"On Zion, my sacred hill," he says, "I have installed my king."

Why am I so sad? Why am I so troubled? I will put my hope in God, and once again I will praise him, my savior and my God.

You will put them in slippery places and make them fall to destruction!

They are like a dream that goes away in the morning; when you rouse yourself, O Lord, they disappear.

I was as stupid as an animal; I did not understand you.

You guide me with your instruction and at the end you will receive me with honor.

My mind and my body may grow weak, but God is my strength; he is all I ever need.

But as for me, how wonderful to be near God, to find protection with the Sovereign LORD and to proclaim all that he has done!

The LORD is our protector and glorious king, blessing us with kindness and honor. He does not refuse any good thing to those who do what is right.

I will tell of the LORD's unfailing love; I praise him for all he has done for us. He has richly blessed the people of Israel because of his mercy and constant love.

from all their suffering. It was not an angel, but the LORD himself who saved them. In his love and compassion he rescued them. He had always taken care of them in the past,

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, he said about him, "Here is a real Israelite; there is nothing false in him!"

After all, who is a real Jew, truly circumcised? It is not the man who is a Jew on the outside, whose circumcision is a physical thing.

Rather, the real Jew is the person who is a Jew on the inside, that is, whose heart has been circumcised, and this is the work of God's Spirit, not of the written Law. Such a person receives praise from God, not from human beings.

And so the promise was based on faith, in order that the promise should be guaranteed as God's free gift to all of Abraham's descendants---not just to those who obey the Law, but also to those who believe as Abraham did. For Abraham is the spiritual father of us all;

I am not saying that the promise of God has failed; for not all the people of Israel are the people of God.

Nor are all of Abraham's descendants the children of God. God said to Abraham, "It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised you."

Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me.

Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart, so that you may be saved. How long will you go on thinking sinful thoughts?

"Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God!

he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us.

Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites!