Psalm 37:1-9

New International Version

Psalm 37^[a]

Of David.

¹Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious^(A) of those who do wrong;^(B)
²for like the grass they will soon wither,^(C)
like green plants they will soon die away.^(D)

³Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land^(E) and enjoy safe pasture.^(F)
⁴Take delight^(G) in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.^(H)

⁵Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him^(I) and he will do this:
⁶He will make your righteous reward^(J) shine like the dawn,^(K)
your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still^(L) before the Lord
and wait patiently^(M) for him;
do not fret^(N) when people succeed in their ways,^(O)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.^(P)

⁸Refrain from anger^(Q) and turn from wrath;
do not fret^(R)—it leads only to evil.
⁹For those who are evil will be destroyed,^(S)
but those who hope^(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.^(U)

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Footnotes

Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

2 Kings 18:1-8

New International Version

Hezekiah King of Judah^(A)^(B)^(C)

18 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah^(D) son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. ²He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.^(E) His mother’s name was Abijah^[a] daughter of Zechariah. ³He did what was right^(F) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David^(G) had done. ⁴He removed^(H) the high places,^(I) smashed the sacred stones^(J) and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake^(K) Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.^[b])

⁵Hezekiah trusted^(L) in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. ⁶He held fast^(M) to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. ⁷And the Lord was with him; he was successful^(N) in whatever he undertook. He rebelled^(O) against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. ⁸From watchtower to fortified city,^(P) he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

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Footnotes

2 Kings 18:2 Hebrew Abi, a variant of Abijah
2 Kings 18:4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for both bronze and snake.

2 Kings 18:28-36

New International Version

²⁸Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! ²⁹This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive^(A) you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. ³⁰Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

³¹“Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree^(B) and drink water from your own cistern,^(C) ³²until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life^(D) and not death!

“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ ³³Has the god^(E) of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? ³⁴Where are the gods of Hamath^(F) and Arpad?^(G) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? ³⁵Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”^(H)

³⁶But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”

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Revelation 2:8-11

New International Version

To the Church in Smyrna

⁸“To the angel of the church in Smyrna^(A) write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last,^(B) who died and came to life again.^(C) ⁹I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!^(D) I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,^(E) but are a synagogue of Satan.^(F) ¹⁰Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you,^(G) and you will suffer persecution for ten days.^(H) Be faithful,^(I) even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.^(J)

¹¹Whoever has ears, let them hear^(K) what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.^(L)

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