Psalm 54

New International Version

Psalm 54^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[b] of David. When the Ziphites^(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

¹Save me^(B), O God, by your name;^(C)
vindicate me by your might.^(D)
²Hear my prayer, O God;^(E)
listen to the words of my mouth.

³Arrogant foes are attacking me;^(F)
ruthless people^(G) are trying to kill me^(H)—
people without regard for God.^[c]^(I)

⁴Surely God is my help;^(J)
the Lord is the one who sustains me.^(K)

⁵Let evil recoil^(L) on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness^(M) destroy them.

⁶I will sacrifice a freewill offering^(N) to you;
I will praise^(O) your name, Lord, for it is good.^(P)
⁷You have delivered me^(Q) from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.^(R)

Footnotes

Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Job 38:1-17

New International Version

The Lord Speaks

38 Then the Lord spoke to Job^(A) out of the storm.^(B) He said:

²“Who is this that obscures my plans^(C)
    with words without knowledge?^(D)
³Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.^(E)

⁴“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?^(F)
    Tell me, if you understand.^(G)
⁵Who marked off its dimensions?^(H) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line^(I) across it?
⁶On what were its footings set,^(J)
    or who laid its cornerstone^(K)—
⁷while the morning stars^(L) sang together^(M)
    and all the angels^[a]^(N) shouted for joy?^(O)

⁸“Who shut up the sea behind doors^(P)
    when it burst forth from the womb,^(Q)
⁹when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,^(R)
¹⁰when I fixed limits for it^(S)
    and set its doors and bars in place,^(T)
¹¹when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;^(U)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?^(V)

¹²“Have you ever given orders to the morning,^(W)
    or shown the dawn its place,^(X)
¹³that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked^(Y) out of it?^(Z)
¹⁴The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;^(AA)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
¹⁵The wicked are denied their light,^(AB)
    and their upraised arm is broken.^(AC)

¹⁶“Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?^(AD)
¹⁷Have the gates of death^(AE) been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?^(AF)

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Footnotes

Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God

Acts 15:22-35

New International Version

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

²²Then the apostles and elders,^(A) with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch^(B) with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,^(C) men who were leaders among the believers. ²³With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch,^(D) Syria^(E) and Cilicia:^(F)

Greetings.^(G)

²⁴We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.^(H) ²⁵So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— ²⁶men who have risked their lives^(I) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas^(J) to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸It seemed good to the Holy Spirit^(K) and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.^(L) You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

³⁰So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³²Judas and Silas,^(M) who themselves were prophets,^(N) said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace^(O) to return to those who had sent them. ^[34]^[a] ³⁵But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached^(P) the word of the Lord.^(Q)

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Footnotes

Acts 15:34 Some manuscripts include here But Silas decided to remain there.

John 11:45-54

New International Version

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary,^(A) and had seen what Jesus did,^(B) believed in him.^(C) ⁴⁶But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷Then the chief priests and the Pharisees^(D) called a meeting^(E) of the Sanhedrin.^(F)

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.^(G) ⁴⁸If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹Then one of them, named Caiaphas,^(H) who was high priest that year,^(I) spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”^(J)

⁵¹He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵²and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.^(K) ⁵³So from that day on they plotted to take his life.^(L)

⁵⁴Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea.^(M) Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

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