Proverbs 8-10
New American Standard Bible
The Commendation of Wisdom
8 Does not (A)wisdom call,
And understanding [a]raise her voice?
2 On top of (B)the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 Beside the (C)gates, at the opening to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:
4 “To you, people, I call,
And my voice is to [b]mankind.
5 You (D)naive ones, understand prudence;
And, you (E)fools, understand [c]wisdom!
6 Listen, for I will speak (F)noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal (G)right things.
7 For my (H)mouth will proclaim truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing (I)crooked or perverted in them.
9 They are all (J)straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who (K)find knowledge.
10 Accept my (L)instruction and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is (M)better than [d]jewels;
And (N)all desirable things cannot compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, (O)dwell with prudence,
And I find (P)knowledge and discretion.
13 The (Q)fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
(R)Pride, arrogance, (S)the evil way,
And the (T)perverted mouth, I hate.
14 (U)Advice is mine and (V)sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (W)power is mine.
15 By me (X)kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
17 I (Y)love those who love me;
And (Z)those who diligently seek me will find me.
18 (AA)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring (AB)wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is (AC)better than gold, even pure gold;
And my yield better than (AD)choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may (AE)fill their treasuries.
22 “The Lord [e]created me (AF)at the beginning of His way,
Before His works [f]of old.
23 From eternity I was [g](AG)established,
From the beginning, (AH)from the earliest times of the earth.
24 When there were no (AI)ocean depths, I was born,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
25 (AJ)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was born;
26 While He had not yet made the earth and the [h]fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
27 When He (AK)established the heavens, I was there;
When (AL)He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became [i]fixed,
29 When (AM)He set a boundary for the sea
So that the water would not violate His [j]command,
When He marked out (AN)the foundations of the earth;
30 Then (AO)I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was His delight daily,
[k]Rejoicing always before Him,
31 [l]Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having (AP)my delight in the sons of mankind.
32 “Now then, sons, (AQ)listen to me,
For (AR)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 (AS)Listen to instruction and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 (AT)Blessed is the person who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
35 For (AU)one who finds me finds life,
And (AV)obtains favor from the Lord.
36 But one who [m]sins against me (AW)injures himself;
All those who (AX)hate me (AY)love death.”
Wisdom’s Invitation
9 Wisdom has (AZ)built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has [n](BA)prepared her food, she has (BB)mixed her wine;
She has also (BC)set her table;
3 She has (BD)sent out her attendants, she (BE)calls out
From the (BF)tops of the heights of the city:
4 “(BG)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who (BH)lacks [o]understanding she says,
5 “Come, (BI)eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 [p]Abandon your foolishness and (BJ)live,
And (BK)proceed in the way of understanding.”
7 One who (BL)corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And one who rebukes a wicked person gets [q]insults for himself.
8 (BM)Do not rebuke a scoffer, or he will hate you;
(BN)Rebuke a wise person and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise person and he will become still wiser;
Teach a righteous person and he will (BO)increase his insight.
10 The (BP)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For (BQ)by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise (BR)for yourself,
And if you (BS)scoff, you alone will [r]suffer from it.
13 [s]A woman of foolishness is (BT)boisterous,
She has a lack of understanding and (BU)knows nothing.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by (BV)the high places of the city,
15 Calling to those who pass by,
Who are going straight on their paths:
16 “(BW)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks [t]understanding she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And (BX)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the [u]dead are there,
That her guests are in the (BY)depths of Sheol.
Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked
10 The (BZ)proverbs of Solomon.
(CA)A wise son makes a father glad,
But (CB)a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
2 [v](CC)Ill-gotten gains do not benefit,
But righteousness rescues from death.
3 The Lord (CD)will not allow the [w]righteous to hunger,
But He (CE)will [x]reject the craving of the wicked.
4 Poor is one who works with [y]a lazy hand,
But the (CF)hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
6 (CG)Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But (CH)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The (CI)mentioning of the righteous is a blessing,
But (CJ)the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The (CK)wise of heart will receive commands,
But [z]a babbling fool will come to ruin.
9 One (CL)who walks in integrity walks securely,
But (CM)one who perverts his ways will be found out.
10 He (CN)who winks the eye causes trouble,
And [aa](CO)a babbling fool will come to ruin.
11 The (CP)mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But (CQ)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But (CR)love covers all offenses.
13 On (CS)the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But (CT)a rod is for the back of him who has no [ab]sense.
14 Wise people (CU)store up knowledge,
But with (CV)the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
15 The (CW)rich person’s wealth is his [ac]fortress,
The (CX)ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16 The [ad](CY)wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.
17 One who (CZ)is on the path of life follows instruction,
But one who ignores a rebuke goes astray.
18 One (DA)who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And one who spreads slander is a fool.
19 When there are (DB)many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,
But (DC)one who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is like (DD)choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The (DE)lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools (DF)die for lack of [ae]understanding.
22 It is the (DG)blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
23 Doing wickedness is like (DH)sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a person of understanding.
24 What (DI)the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the (DJ)desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the (DK)whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the (DL)righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the [af](DM)lazy one to those who send him.
27 The (DN)fear of the Lord prolongs [ag]life,
But the (DO)years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The (DP)hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the (DQ)expectation of the wicked perishes.
29 The (DR)way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright,
But (DS)ruin to the workers of injustice.
30 The (DT)righteous will never be shaken,
But (DU)the wicked will not live in the land.
31 The (DV)mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the (DW)perverted tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know (DX)what is acceptable,
But the (DY)mouth of the wicked, what is perverted.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 8:1 Lit give
- Proverbs 8:4 Lit sons of mankind
- Proverbs 8:5 Lit heart
- Proverbs 8:11 Lit corals
- Proverbs 8:22 Or possessed
- Proverbs 8:22 Lit from then
- Proverbs 8:23 Or consecrated
- Proverbs 8:26 Lit outside places
- Proverbs 8:28 Lit strong
- Proverbs 8:29 Lit mouth
- Proverbs 8:30 Or Playing
- Proverbs 8:31 Or Playing
- Proverbs 8:36 Or misses me
- Proverbs 9:2 Lit slaughtered her slaughter
- Proverbs 9:4 Lit heart
- Proverbs 9:6 Or Abandon the naive
- Proverbs 9:7 Lit a blemish
- Proverbs 9:12 Lit bear
- Proverbs 9:13 Or A foolish woman
- Proverbs 9:16 Lit heart
- Proverbs 9:18 Lit departed spirits
- Proverbs 10:2 Lit Treasures of wickedness
- Proverbs 10:3 Lit soul of the righteous
- Proverbs 10:3 Lit thrust away
- Proverbs 10:4 Lit an idle hand
- Proverbs 10:8 Lit the foolish of lips
- Proverbs 10:10 Lit the foolish of lips
- Proverbs 10:13 Lit heart
- Proverbs 10:15 Lit strong city
- Proverbs 10:16 Or work
- Proverbs 10:21 Lit heart
- Proverbs 10:26 Lit idle one
- Proverbs 10:27 Lit days
Proverbs 8-10
New King James Version
The Excellence of Wisdom
8 Does not (A)wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the [a]high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you [b]simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of (B)excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 (C)For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 (D)The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
(E)Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And (F)the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (G)I have strength.
15 (H)By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of [c]the earth.
17 (I)I love those who love me,
And (J)those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 (K)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I [d]traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
22 “The(L) Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 (M)I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 (N)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the [e]fields,
Or the [f]primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 (O)When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When (P)He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 (Q)Then I was beside Him as [g]a master craftsman;
(R)And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And (S)my delight was with the sons of men.
32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For (T)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 (U)Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And (V)obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me (W)wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”
The Way of Wisdom
9 Wisdom has (X)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 (Y)She has slaughtered her meat,
(Z)She has mixed her wine,
She has also [h]furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever(AA) is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come,(AB) eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.
7 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
8 (AC)Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
(AD)Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, (AE)and he will increase in learning.
10 “The(AF) fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 (AG)For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 (AH)If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”
The Way of Folly
13 (AI)A foolish woman is [i]clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat (AJ)by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever(AK) is [j]simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen(AL) water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that (AM)the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of [k]hell.
Wise Sayings of Solomon
10 The proverbs of (AN)Solomon:
(AO)A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
2 (AP)Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
(AQ)But righteousness delivers from death.
3 (AR)The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
4 (AS)He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But (AT)the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in (AU)summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is (AV)a son who causes shame.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7 (AW)The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
9 (AY)He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.
10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool will fall.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But (AZ)love covers all sins.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,
But (BA)a rod is for the back of him who [n]is devoid of understanding.
14 Wise people store up knowledge,
But (BB)the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
15 The (BC)rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
16 The labor of the righteous leads to (BD)life,
The wages of the wicked to sin.
17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction [o]goes astray.
19 (BG)In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But (BH)he who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of [p]wisdom.
22 (BI)The blessing of the Lord makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.
23 (BJ)To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom.
24 (BK)The fear of the wicked will come upon him,
And (BL)the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passes by, (BM)the wicked is no more,
But (BN)the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy man to those who send him.
27 (BO)The fear of the Lord prolongs days,
But (BP)the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness,
But the (BQ)expectation of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the Lord is strength for the upright,
But (BR)destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
30 (BS)The righteous will never be removed,
But the wicked will not inhabit the [q]earth.
31 (BT)The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
But the perverse tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 8:2 Lit. heights
- Proverbs 8:5 naive
- Proverbs 8:16 MT, Syr., Tg., Vg. righteousness; LXX, Bg., some mss. and editions earth
- Proverbs 8:20 walk about on
- Proverbs 8:26 outer places
- Proverbs 8:26 Lit. beginning of the dust
- Proverbs 8:30 A Jewish tradition one brought up
- Proverbs 9:2 arranged
- Proverbs 9:13 boisterous
- Proverbs 9:16 naive
- Proverbs 9:18 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 10:8 Lit. the foolish of lips
- Proverbs 10:8 be thrust down or ruined
- Proverbs 10:13 Lit. lacks heart
- Proverbs 10:17 leads
- Proverbs 10:21 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 10:30 land
Romans 12
New American Standard Bible
Dedicated Service
12 Therefore (A)I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to (B)present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, [a]acceptable to God, which is your [b]spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not (C)be conformed to (D)this [c]world, but be transformed by the (E)renewing of your mind, so that you may [d](F)prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [e]acceptable and perfect.
3 For through (G)the grace given to me I say to everyone among you (H)not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to (I)each a measure of faith. 4 For (J)just as we have many parts in one body and all [f]the body’s parts do not have the same function, 5 so we, (K)who are many, are (L)one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another. 6 However, since we have gifts that (M)differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if (N)prophecy, [g]in proportion to one’s faith; 7 if [h](O)service, in the act of serving; or the one who (P)teaches, in the act of teaching; 8 or the one who [i](Q)exhorts, in the work of [j]exhortation; the one who gives, with [k](R)generosity; (S)the one who [l]is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with (T)cheerfulness.
9 [m](U)Love must be free of hypocrisy. (V)Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be (W)devoted to one another in brotherly love; [n]give preference to one another (X)in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, (Y)fervent in spirit, (Z)serving the Lord; 12 (AA)rejoicing in hope, (AB)persevering in tribulation, (AC)devoted to prayer, 13 (AD)contributing to the needs of the [o]saints, [p](AE)practicing hospitality.
14 (AF)Bless those who persecute [q]you; bless and do not curse. 15 (AG)Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 (AH)Be of the same mind toward one another; (AI)do not be [r]haughty in mind, but [s]associate with the lowly. (AJ)Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 (AK)Never repay evil for evil to anyone. [t](AL)Respect what is right in the sight of all people. 18 If possible, (AM)so far as it depends on you, (AN)be at peace with all people. 19 (AO)Never take your own revenge, beloved, but [u]leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “(AP)Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “(AQ)But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Footnotes
- Romans 12:1 Or pleasing
- Romans 12:1 I.e., in contrast to offering a literal sacrifice
- Romans 12:2 Or age
- Romans 12:2 Or discover
- Romans 12:2 Or pleasing
- Romans 12:4 Lit the parts
- Romans 12:6 Or in agreement with the faith
- Romans 12:7 Or office of service
- Romans 12:8 Or encourages
- Romans 12:8 Or encouragement
- Romans 12:8 Or sincere concern
- Romans 12:8 Or provides care
- Romans 12:9 Or Love has no
- Romans 12:10 Or outdo one another in showing honor
- Romans 12:13 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Romans 12:13 Lit pursuing
- Romans 12:14 Two early mss do not contain you
- Romans 12:16 Or arrogant
- Romans 12:16 Or accommodate yourself to lowly things
- Romans 12:17 Lit Take thought for
- Romans 12:19 Lit give a place
Romans 12
New King James Version
Living Sacrifices to God
12 I (A)beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies (B)a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your [b]reasonable service. 2 And (C)do not be conformed to this world, but (D)be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may (E)prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Serve God with Spiritual Gifts
3 For I say, (F)through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, (G)not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt (H)to each one a measure of faith. 4 For (I)as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so (J)we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is (K)given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us (L)prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; (M)he who teaches, in teaching; 8 (N)he who exhorts, in exhortation; (O)he who gives, with liberality; (P)he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, (Q)with cheerfulness.
Behave Like a Christian
9 (R)Let love be without hypocrisy. (S)Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 (T)Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, (U)in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 (V)rejoicing in hope, (W)patient[c] in tribulation, (X)continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 (Y)distributing to the needs of the saints, (Z)given[d] to hospitality.
14 (AA)Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 (AB)Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 (AC)Be of the same mind toward one another. (AD)Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 (AE)Repay no one evil for evil. (AF)Have[e] regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, (AG)live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, (AH)do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, (AI)“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore
(AJ)“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but (AK)overcome evil with good.
Footnotes
- Romans 12:1 urge
- Romans 12:1 rational
- Romans 12:12 persevering
- Romans 12:13 Lit. pursuing
- Romans 12:17 Or Provide good
Psalm 144
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.
A Psalm of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord, (A)my rock,
Who (B)trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
2 My faithfulness and (C)my fortress,
My (D)stronghold and my savior,
My (E)shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who (F)subdues [a]my people under me.
3 Lord, (G)what is man, that You look after him?
Or a son of man, that You think of him?
4 (H)Man is like the breath;
His (I)days are like a passing shadow.
5 (J)Bend down Your heavens, Lord, and (K)come down;
(L)Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6 Flash forth (M)lightning and scatter them;
Send out Your (N)arrows and confuse them.
7 Reach out with Your hand (O)from on high;
Rescue me and (P)save me from great waters,
From the hand of (Q)foreigners
8 Whose mouths (R)speak deceit,
And whose (S)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 God, I will sing a (T)new song to You;
On a (U)harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who (V)gives salvation to kings,
Who (W)rescues His servant David from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and save me from the hand of (X)foreigners,
Whose mouth (Y)speaks deceit
And whose (Z)right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 When our sons in their youth are like (AA)growing plants,
And our daughters like (AB)corner pillars [b]fashioned for a palace,
13 Our (AC)granaries are full, providing every kind of produce,
And our flocks deliver thousands and ten thousands in our [c]fields;
14 May our (AD)cattle [d]be bred
Without [e](AE)mishap and without [f](AF)loss,
May there be no (AG)outcry in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people who are so situated;
(AH)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 144:2 Another reading is peoples
- Psalm 144:12 Lit cut after the pattern of
- Psalm 144:13 Lit outside
- Psalm 144:14 Lit be laden
- Psalm 144:14 Lit breach
- Psalm 144:14 Lit going out; i.e., miscarriage
Psalm 144
New King James Version
A Song to the Lord Who Preserves and Prospers His People
A Psalm of David.
144 Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
(A)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 [a]my people under me.
3 (B)Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
4 (C)Man is like a breath;
(D)His days are like a passing shadow.
5 (E)Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
(F)Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 (G)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 (H)speaks [b]lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will (I)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 [c]salvation to kings,
(J)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 (K)as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as [d]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 [e]breaking in or going out;
That there be no outcry in our streets.
15 (L)Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 144:2 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Syr., Tg. the peoples (cf. 18:47)
- Psalm 144:8 empty or worthless
- Psalm 144:10 deliverance
- Psalm 144:12 corner pillars
- Psalm 144:14 Lit. breach
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
