a psalm

a psalm
Photo by David Marcu / Unsplash

I sing your praise, my Lord and my King!
 For your mercy knows no end.
I shout for joy, for your grace is not the grace of mortals, ⁣
 But in your steadfast love, you have lifted me.

I scorned your law as if it were nothing;
 As if it were the meditations of mere men, ⁣
 Passing away as the fool and his sons.
I have not clung to life, but consumed death as my morning meal.
 Like a starving man, I filled my stomach with the food of folly.

In the midnight meditations of my heart, ⁣
 As I tossed and turned in bed, ⁣
I plotted in vain against the Lord.
 In my anger, I laid a snare in my own path.

Yet you, O Lord, have redeemed me.
 Where I chose cursing, you blessed me.
Where I chose wrath, you raised me up.
 You raised me high upon the mountain,
 High above the valley of despair.

You saw the pit I dug for my brother, ⁣
 And you kept me far from it.
You filled the deep hole with your mercy, ⁣
 And prevented me from falling in.
Instead of dust, I stood upon your lovingkindness.
 I stood in the place where I intended evil,
 But found there only abundance, goodness, and love.

The way of the Lord never fails.
 His mercy knows no end.
His law endures forever,
 For a thousand generations,
 His love will not fail.


"Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams..."
And the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands...
But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

From Genesis.