Psalm 7

New International Version

Psalm 7^[a]

A shiggaion^[b]^(A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

¹Lord my God, I take refuge^(B) in you;
save and deliver me^(C) from all who pursue me,^(D)
²or they will tear me apart like a lion^(E)
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue^(F) me.

³Lord my God, if I have done this
    and there is guilt on my hands^(G)—
⁴if I have repaid my ally with evil
    or without cause^(H) have robbed my foe—
⁵then let my enemy pursue and overtake^(I) me;
    let him trample my life to the ground^(J)
    and make me sleep in the dust.^[c]^(K)

⁶Arise,^(L) Lord, in your anger;
    rise up against the rage of my enemies.^(M)
    Awake,^(N) my God; decree justice.
⁷Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
    while you sit enthroned over them on high.^(O)
⁸    Let the Lord judge^(P) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,^(Q)
    according to my integrity,^(R) O Most High.^(S)
⁹Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
    and make the righteous secure—^(T)
you, the righteous God^(U)
    who probes minds and hearts.^(V)

¹⁰My shield^[d]^(W) is God Most High,
    who saves the upright in heart.^(X)
¹¹God is a righteous judge,^(Y)
    a God who displays his wrath^(Z) every day.
¹²If he does not relent,^(AA)
    he^[e] will sharpen his sword;^(AB)
    he will bend and string his bow.^(AC)
¹³He has prepared his deadly weapons;
    he makes ready his flaming arrows.^(AD)

¹⁴Whoever is pregnant with evil
    conceives trouble and gives birth^(AE) to disillusionment.
¹⁵Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
    falls into the pit^(AF) they have made.^(AG)
¹⁶The trouble they cause recoils on them;
    their violence comes down on their own heads.

¹⁷I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;^(AH)
I will sing the praises^(AI) of the name of the Lord Most High.^(AJ)

Footnotes

Psalm 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-17 is numbered 7:2-18.
Psalm 7:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 7:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Psalm 7:10 Or sovereign
Psalm 7:12 Or If anyone does not repent, / God

Amos 5:1-9

New International Version

A Lament and Call to Repentance

5 Hear this word, Israel, this lament^(A) I take up concerning you:

²“Fallen is Virgin^(B) Israel,
never to rise again,
deserted in her own land,
with no one to lift her up.^(C)”

³This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel:

“Your city that marches out a thousand strong
will have only a hundred left;
your town that marches out a hundred strong
will have only ten left.^(D)”

⁴This is what the Lord says to Israel:

“Seek^(E) me and live;^(F)
⁵    do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,^(G)
    do not journey to Beersheba.^(H)
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
    and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.^[a]^(I)”
⁶Seek^(J) the Lord and live,^(K)
    or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;^(L)
it will devour them,
    and Bethel^(M) will have no one to quench it.^(N)

⁷There are those who turn justice into bitterness^(O)
and cast righteousness^(P) to the ground.^(Q)

⁸He who made the Pleiades and Orion,^(R)
    who turns midnight into dawn^(S)
    and darkens day into night,^(T)
who calls for the waters of the sea
    and pours them out over the face of the land—
    the Lord is his name.^(U)
⁹With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold
    and brings the fortified city to ruin.^(V)

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Footnotes

Amos 5:5 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see Hosea 4:15.

Matthew 25:31-46

New International Version

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹“When the Son of Man comes^(A) in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.^(B) ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate^(C) the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.^(D) ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom^(E) prepared for you since the creation of the world.^(F) ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,^(G) ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me,^(H) I was sick and you looked after me,^(I) I was in prison and you came to visit me.’^(J)

³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’^(K)

⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,^(L) you who are cursed, into the eternal fire^(M) prepared for the devil and his angels.^(N) ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’