Psalm 37

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)

¹⁰A little while, and the wicked will be no more;^(V)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹But the meek will inherit the land^(W)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.^(X)

¹²The wicked plot^(Y) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth^(Z) at them;
¹³but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.^(AA)

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword^(AB)
    and bend the bow^(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,^(AD)
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts,^(AE)
    and their bows will be broken.^(AF)

¹⁶Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth^(AG) of many wicked;
¹⁷for the power of the wicked will be broken,^(AH)
but the Lord upholds^(AI) the righteous.

¹⁸The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,^(AJ)
and their inheritance will endure forever.^(AK)
¹⁹In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰But the wicked will perish:^(AL)
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.^(AM)

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;^(AN)
²²those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses^(AO) will be destroyed.^(AP)

²³The Lord makes firm the steps^(AQ)
of the one who delights^(AR) in him;
²⁴though he may stumble, he will not fall,^(AS)
for the Lord upholds^(AT) him with his hand.

²⁵I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken^(AU)
    or their children begging^(AV) bread.
²⁶They are always generous and lend freely;^(AW)
    their children will be a blessing.^[b]^(AX)

²⁷Turn from evil and do good;^(AY)
then you will dwell in the land forever.^(AZ)
²⁸For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.^(BA)

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.^(BB)
²⁹The righteous will inherit the land^(BC)
and dwell in it forever.^(BD)

³⁰The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,^(BE)
and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹The law of their God is in their hearts;^(BF)
their feet do not slip.^(BG)

³²The wicked lie in wait^(BH) for the righteous,^(BI)
intent on putting them to death;
³³but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned^(BJ) when brought to trial.^(BK)

³⁴Hope in the Lord^(BL)
and keep his way.^(BM)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,^(BN) you will see^(BO) it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing^(BP) like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.^(BQ)

³⁷Consider the blameless,^(BR) observe the upright;^(BS)
a future awaits those who seek peace.^[d]^(BT)
³⁸But all sinners^(BU) will be destroyed;^(BV)
there will be no future^[e] for the wicked.^(BW)

³⁹The salvation^(BX) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.^(BY)
⁴⁰The Lord helps^(BZ) them and delivers^(CA) them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves^(CB) them,
    because they take refuge^(CC) in him.

Footnotes

Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
Psalm 37:38 Or posterity

Exodus 15:1-21

New International Version

The Song of Moses and Miriam

15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song^(A) to the Lord:

“I will sing^(B) to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver^(C)
he has hurled into the sea.^(D)

²“The Lord is my strength^(E) and my defense^[a];
    he has become my salvation.^(F)
He is my God,^(G) and I will praise him,
    my father’s God, and I will exalt^(H) him.
³The Lord is a warrior;^(I)
    the Lord is his name.^(J)
⁴Pharaoh’s chariots and his army^(K)
    he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
    are drowned in the Red Sea.^[b]
⁵The deep waters^(L) have covered them;
    they sank to the depths like a stone.^(M)
⁶Your right hand,^(N) Lord,
    was majestic in power.
Your right hand,^(O) Lord,
    shattered^(P) the enemy.

⁷“In the greatness of your majesty^(Q)
    you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;^(R)
    it consumed^(S) them like stubble.
⁸By the blast of your nostrils^(T)
    the waters piled up.^(U)
The surging waters stood up like a wall;^(V)
    the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.^(W)
⁹The enemy boasted,
    ‘I will pursue,^(X) I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;^(Y)
    I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
    and my hand will destroy them.’
¹⁰But you blew with your breath,^(Z)
    and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
    in the mighty waters.^(AA)
¹¹Who among the gods
    is like you,^(AB) Lord?
Who is like you—
    majestic in holiness,^(AC)
awesome in glory,^(AD)
    working wonders?^(AE)

¹²“You stretch out^(AF) your right hand,
    and the earth swallows your enemies.^(AG)
¹³In your unfailing love you will lead^(AH)
    the people you have redeemed.^(AI)
In your strength you will guide them
    to your holy dwelling.^(AJ)
¹⁴The nations will hear and tremble;^(AK)
    anguish^(AL) will grip the people of Philistia.^(AM)
¹⁵The chiefs^(AN) of Edom^(AO) will be terrified,
    the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,^(AP)
the people^[c] of Canaan will melt^(AQ) away;
¹⁶    terror^(AR) and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
    they will be as still as a stone^(AS)—
until your people pass by, Lord,
    until the people you bought^[d]^(AT) pass by.^(AU)
¹⁷You will bring^(AV) them in and plant^(AW) them
    on the mountain^(AX) of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,^(AY)
    the sanctuary,^(AZ) Lord, your hands established.

¹⁸“The Lord reigns
for ever and ever.”^(BA)

¹⁹When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen^[e] went into the sea,^(BB) the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.^(BC) ²⁰Then Miriam^(BD) the prophet,^(BE) Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels^(BF) and dancing.^(BG) ²¹Miriam sang^(BH) to them:

“Sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver^(BI)
he has hurled into the sea.”^(BJ)

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Footnotes

Exodus 15:2 Or song
Exodus 15:4 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 22
Exodus 15:15 Or rulers
Exodus 15:16 Or created
Exodus 15:19 Or charioteers

1 Peter 1:13-25

New International Version

Be Holy

¹³Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,^(A) set your hope^(B) on the grace to be brought to you^(C) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.^(D) ¹⁴As obedient^(E) children, do not conform^(F) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.^(G) ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;^(H) ¹⁶for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”^[a]^(I)

¹⁷Since you call on a Father^(J) who judges each person’s work^(K) impartially,^(L) live out your time as foreigners^(M) here in reverent fear.^(N) ¹⁸For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed^(O) from the empty way of life^(P) handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹but with the precious blood^(Q) of Christ, a lamb^(R) without blemish or defect.^(S) ²⁰He was chosen before the creation of the world,^(T) but was revealed in these last times^(U) for your sake. ²¹Through him you believe in God,^(V) who raised him from the dead^(W) and glorified him,^(X) and so your faith and hope^(Y) are in God.

²²Now that you have purified^(Z) yourselves by obeying^(AA) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,^(AB) from the heart.^[b] ²³For you have been born again,^(AC) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,^(AD) through the living and enduring word of God.^(AE) ²⁴For,

“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever.”^[c]^(AF)

And this is the word that was preached to you.

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Footnotes

1 Peter 1:16 Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2
1 Peter 1:22 Some early manuscripts from a pure heart
1 Peter 1:25 Isaiah 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)

John 14:18-31

New International Version

¹⁸I will not leave you as orphans;^(A) I will come to you.^(B) ¹⁹Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.^(C) Because I live, you also will live.^(D) ²⁰On that day^(E) you will realize that I am in my Father,^(F) and you are in me, and I am in you.^(G) ²¹Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.^(H) The one who loves me will be loved by my Father,^(I) and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

²²Then Judas^(J) (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”^(K)

²³Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.^(L) My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.^(M) ²⁴Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.^(N)

²⁵“All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶But the Advocate,^(O) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,^(P) will teach you all things^(Q) and will remind you of everything I have said to you.^(R) ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.^(S) I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled^(T) and do not be afraid.

²⁸“You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’^(U) If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father,^(V) for the Father is greater than I.^(W) ²⁹I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.^(X) ³⁰I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world^(Y) is coming. He has no hold over me, ³¹but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.^(Z)