Psalm 14

New International Version

Psalm 14^(A)

For the director of music. Of David.

¹The fool^[a] says in his heart,
“There is no God.”^(B)
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.

²The Lord looks down from heaven^(C)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,^(D)
    any who seek God.^(E)
³All have turned away,^(F) all have become corrupt;^(G)
    there is no one who does good,^(H)
    not even one.^(I)

⁴Do all these evildoers know nothing?^(J)

They devour my people^(K) as though eating bread;
    they never call on the Lord.^(L)
⁵But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    for God is present in the company of the righteous.
⁶You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
    but the Lord is their refuge.^(M)

⁷Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!^(N)
When the Lord restores^(O) his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Footnotes

Psalm 14:1 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.

Jeremiah 13:20-27

New International Version

²⁰Look up and see
    those who are coming from the north.^(A)
Where is the flock^(B) that was entrusted to you,
    the sheep of which you boasted?
²¹What will you say when the Lord sets over you
    those you cultivated as your special allies?^(C)
Will not pain grip you
    like that of a woman in labor?^(D)
²²And if you ask yourself,
    “Why has this happened to me?”^(E)—
it is because of your many sins^(F)
    that your skirts have been torn off^(G)
    and your body mistreated.^(H)
²³Can an Ethiopian^[a] change his skin
    or a leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
    who are accustomed to doing evil.^(I)

²⁴“I will scatter you like chaff^(J)
    driven by the desert wind.^(K)
²⁵This is your lot,
    the portion^(L) I have decreed for you,”
declares the Lord,
“because you have forgotten^(M) me
    and trusted in false gods.^(N)
²⁶I will pull up your skirts over your face
    that your shame may be seen^(O)—
²⁷your adulteries and lustful neighings,
    your shameless prostitution!^(P)
I have seen your detestable acts
    on the hills and in the fields.^(Q)
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
    How long will you be unclean?”^(R)

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 13:23 Hebrew Cushite (probably a person from the upper Nile region)

1 Timothy 1:1-11

New International Version

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God^(A) our Savior^(B) and of Christ Jesus our hope,^(C)

²To Timothy^(D) my true son^(E) in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.^(F)

Timothy Charged to Oppose False Teachers

³As I urged you when I went into Macedonia,^(G) stay there in Ephesus^(H) so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines^(I) any longer ⁴or to devote themselves to myths^(J) and endless genealogies.^(K) Such things promote controversial speculations^(L) rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. ⁵The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart^(M) and a good conscience^(N) and a sincere faith.^(O) ⁶Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. ⁷They want to be teachers^(P) of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.^(Q)

⁸We know that the law is good^(R) if one uses it properly. ⁹We also know that the law is made not for the righteous^(S) but for lawbreakers and rebels,^(T) the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine^(U) ¹¹that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.^(V)