Psalm 142-144

New International Version

Psalm 142^[a]

A maskil^[b] of David. When he was in the cave.^(A) A prayer.

¹I cry aloud^(B) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.^(C)
²I pour out before him my complaint;^(D)
before him I tell my trouble.^(E)

³When my spirit grows faint^(F) within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
⁴Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;^(G)
    no one cares^(H) for my life.

⁵I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,^(I)
my portion^(J) in the land of the living.”^(K)

⁶Listen to my cry,^(L)
    for I am in desperate need;^(M)
rescue me^(N) from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong^(O) for me.
⁷Set me free from my prison,^(P)
    that I may praise your name.^(Q)
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.^(R)

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

¹Lord, hear my prayer,^(S)
    listen to my cry for mercy;^(T)
in your faithfulness^(U) and righteousness^(V)
    come to my relief.
²Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous^(W) before you.
³The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness^(X)
    like those long dead.^(Y)
⁴So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.^(Z)
⁵I remember^(AA) the days of long ago;
    I meditate^(AB) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
⁶I spread out my hands^(AC) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.^[c]

⁷Answer me quickly,^(AD) Lord;
    my spirit fails.^(AE)
Do not hide your face^(AF) from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
⁸Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,^(AG)
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way^(AH) I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.^(AI)
⁹Rescue me^(AJ) from my enemies,^(AK) Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
¹⁰Teach me^(AL) to do your will,
    for you are my God;^(AM)
may your good Spirit
    lead^(AN) me on level ground.^(AO)

¹¹For your name’s sake,^(AP) Lord, preserve my life;^(AQ)
    in your righteousness,^(AR) bring me out of trouble.
¹²In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;^(AS)
    destroy all my foes,^(AT)
    for I am your servant.^(AU)

Psalm 144

Of David.

¹Praise be to the Lord my Rock,^(AV)
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
²He is my loving God and my fortress,^(AW)
    my stronghold^(AX) and my deliverer,
my shield,^(AY) in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples^[d]^(AZ) under me.

³Lord, what are human beings^(BA) that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
⁴They are like a breath;^(BB)
their days are like a fleeting shadow.^(BC)

⁵Part your heavens,^(BD) Lord, and come down;^(BE)
    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.^(BF)
⁶Send forth lightning^(BG) and scatter^(BH) the enemy;
    shoot your arrows^(BI) and rout them.
⁷Reach down your hand from on high;^(BJ)
    deliver me and rescue me^(BK)
from the mighty waters,^(BL)
    from the hands of foreigners^(BM)
⁸whose mouths are full of lies,^(BN)
    whose right hands^(BO) are deceitful.^(BP)

⁹I will sing a new song^(BQ) to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre^(BR) I will make music to you,
¹⁰to the One who gives victory to kings,^(BS)
who delivers his servant David.^(BT)

From the deadly sword^(BU) ¹¹deliver me;
rescue me^(BV) from the hands of foreigners^(BW)
whose mouths are full of lies,^(BX)
whose right hands are deceitful.^(BY)

¹²Then our sons in their youth
    will be like well-nurtured plants,^(BZ)
and our daughters will be like pillars^(CA)
    carved to adorn a palace.
¹³Our barns will be filled^(CB)
    with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields;
¹⁴    our oxen^(CC) will draw heavy loads.^[e]
There will be no breaching of walls,^(CD)
    no going into captivity,
    no cry of distress in our streets.^(CE)
¹⁵Blessed is the people^(CF) of whom this is true;
    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes

Psalm 142:1 In Hebrew texts 142:1-7 is numbered 142:2-8.
Psalm 142:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established

1 Corinthians 10:14-33

New International Version

Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper

¹⁴Therefore, my dear friends,^(A) flee from idolatry.^(B) ¹⁵I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break^(C) a participation in the body of Christ?^(D) ¹⁷Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,^(E) for we all share the one loaf.

¹⁸Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices^(F) participate in the altar? ¹⁹Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?^(G) ²⁰No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons,^(H) not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. ²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.^(I) ²²Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy?^(J) Are we stronger than he?^(K)

The Believer’s Freedom

²³“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.^(L) “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. ²⁴No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.^(M)

²⁵Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,^(N) ²⁶for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”^[a]^(O)

²⁷If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you^(P) without raising questions of conscience. ²⁸But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.^(Q) ²⁹I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom^(R) being judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?^(S)

³¹So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.^(T) ³²Do not cause anyone to stumble,^(U) whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God^(V)— ³³even as I try to please everyone in every way.^(W) For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many,^(X) so that they may be saved.^(Y)