Psalm 26

New International Version

Psalm 26

Of David.

¹Vindicate me,^(A) Lord,
    for I have led a blameless life;^(B)
I have trusted^(C) in the Lord
    and have not faltered.^(D)
²Test me,^(E) Lord, and try me,
    examine my heart and my mind;^(F)
³for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love^(G)
    and have lived^(H) in reliance on your faithfulness.^(I)

⁴I do not sit^(J) with the deceitful,
    nor do I associate with hypocrites.^(K)
⁵I abhor^(L) the assembly of evildoers
    and refuse to sit with the wicked.
⁶I wash my hands in innocence,^(M)
    and go about your altar, Lord,
⁷proclaiming aloud your praise^(N)
    and telling of all your wonderful deeds.^(O)

⁸Lord, I love^(P) the house where you live,
    the place where your glory dwells.^(Q)
⁹Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
    my life with those who are bloodthirsty,^(R)
¹⁰in whose hands are wicked schemes,^(S)
    whose right hands are full of bribes.^(T)
¹¹I lead a blameless life;
    deliver me^(U) and be merciful to me.

¹²My feet stand on level ground;^(V)
in the great congregation^(W) I will praise the Lord.

Job 2:11-3:26

New International Version

¹¹When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite,^(A) Bildad the Shuhite^(B) and Zophar the Naamathite,^(C) heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.^(D) ¹²When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him;^(E) they began to weep aloud,^(F) and they tore their robes^(G) and sprinkled dust on their heads.^(H) ¹³Then they sat on the ground^(I) with him for seven days and seven nights.^(J) No one said a word to him,^(K) because they saw how great his suffering was.

Job Speaks

3 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.^(L) ²He said:

³“May the day of my birth perish,
    and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’^(M)
⁴That day—may it turn to darkness;
    may God above not care about it;
    may no light shine on it.
⁵May gloom and utter darkness^(N) claim it once more;
    may a cloud settle over it;
    may blackness overwhelm it.
⁶That night—may thick darkness^(O) seize it;
    may it not be included among the days of the year
    nor be entered in any of the months.
⁷May that night be barren;
    may no shout of joy^(P) be heard in it.
⁸May those who curse days^[a] curse that day,^(Q)
    those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.^(R)
⁹May its morning stars become dark;
    may it wait for daylight in vain
    and not see the first rays of dawn,^(S)
¹⁰for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
    to hide trouble from my eyes.

¹¹“Why did I not perish at birth,
    and die as I came from the womb?^(T)
¹²Why were there knees to receive me^(U)
    and breasts that I might be nursed?
¹³For now I would be lying down^(V) in peace;
    I would be asleep and at rest^(W)
¹⁴with kings and rulers of the earth,^(X)
    who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,^(Y)
¹⁵with princes^(Z) who had gold,
    who filled their houses with silver.^(AA)
¹⁶Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,^(AB)
    like an infant who never saw the light of day?^(AC)
¹⁷There the wicked cease from turmoil,^(AD)
    and there the weary are at rest.^(AE)
¹⁸Captives^(AF) also enjoy their ease;
    they no longer hear the slave driver’s^(AG) shout.^(AH)
¹⁹The small and the great are there,^(AI)
    and the slaves are freed from their owners.

²⁰“Why is light given to those in misery,
    and life to the bitter of soul,^(AJ)
²¹to those who long for death that does not come,^(AK)
    who search for it more than for hidden treasure,^(AL)
²²who are filled with gladness
    and rejoice when they reach the grave?^(AM)
²³Why is life given to a man
    whose way is hidden,^(AN)
    whom God has hedged in?^(AO)
²⁴For sighing^(AP) has become my daily food;^(AQ)
    my groans^(AR) pour out like water.^(AS)
²⁵What I feared has come upon me;
    what I dreaded^(AT) has happened to me.^(AU)
²⁶I have no peace,^(AV) no quietness;
    I have no rest,^(AW) but only turmoil.”^(AX)

Footnotes

Job 3:8 Or curse the sea

Galatians 3:23-29

New International Version

Children of God

²³Before the coming of this faith,^[a] we were held in custody^(A) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.^(B) ²⁴So the law was our guardian until Christ came^(C) that we might be justified by faith.^(D) ²⁵Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.^(E)

²⁶So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(F) through faith, ²⁷for all of you who were baptized into Christ^(G) have clothed yourselves with Christ.^(H) ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,^(I) nor is there male and female,^(J) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.^(K) ²⁹If you belong to Christ,^(L) then you are Abraham’s seed,^(M) and heirs^(N) according to the promise.^(O)