Psalm 53[a](A)

For the director of music. According to mahalath.[b] A maskil[c] of David.

The fool(B) says in his heart,
    “There is no God.”(C)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
    there is no one who does good.

God looks down from heaven(D)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(E)
    any who seek God.(F)
Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
    there is no one who does good,
    not even one.(G)

Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;
    they never call on God.
But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    where there was nothing to dread.(H)
God scattered the bones(I) of those who attacked you;(J)
    you put them to shame,(K) for God despised them.(L)

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When God restores his people,
    let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 54[d]

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

Save me(N), O God, by your name;(O)
    vindicate me by your might.(P)
Hear my prayer, O God;(Q)
    listen to the words of my mouth.

Arrogant foes are attacking me;(R)
    ruthless people(S) are trying to kill me(T)
    people without regard for God.[f](U)

Surely God is my help;(V)
    the Lord is the one who sustains me.(W)

Let evil recoil(X) on those who slander me;
    in your faithfulness(Y) destroy them.

I will sacrifice a freewill offering(Z) to you;
    I will praise(AA) your name, Lord, for it is good.(AB)
You have delivered me(AC) from all my troubles,
    and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.(AD)

Psalm 55[g]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[h] of David.

Listen to my prayer, O God,
    do not ignore my plea;(AE)
    hear me and answer me.(AF)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught(AG)
    because of what my enemy is saying,
    because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me(AH)
    and assail(AI) me in their anger.(AJ)

My heart is in anguish(AK) within me;
    the terrors(AL) of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling(AM) have beset me;
    horror(AN) has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
I would flee far away
    and stay in the desert;[i](AO)
I would hurry to my place of shelter,(AP)
    far from the tempest and storm.(AQ)

Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,(AR)
    for I see violence and strife(AS) in the city.(AT)
10 Day and night they prowl(AU) about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces(AV) are at work in the city;
    threats and lies(AW) never leave its streets.

12 If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
    my companion, my close friend,(AX)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(AY)
    at the house of God,(AZ)
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;(BA)
    let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,(BB)
    for evil finds lodging among them.

16 As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening,(BC) morning(BD) and noon(BE)
    I cry out in distress,
    and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
    from the battle waged against me,
    even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,(BF)
    who does not change—
he will hear(BG) them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.(BH)

20 My companion attacks his friends;(BI)
    he violates his covenant.(BJ)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,(BK)
    yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,(BL)
    yet they are drawn swords.(BM)

22 Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;(BN)
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.(BO)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
    into the pit(BP) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful(BQ)
    will not live out half their days.(BR)

But as for me, I trust in you.(BS)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
  2. Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  4. Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
  5. Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  6. Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  7. Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
  8. Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  9. Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.

26 Nevertheless, we must run aground(A) on some island.”(B)

The Shipwreck

27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic[a] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet[b] deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet[c] deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat(C) down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”(D) 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”(E) 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it(F) and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged(G) and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.(H)

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach,(I) where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors,(J) they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.(K)

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life(L) and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 27:27 In ancient times the name referred to an area extending well south of Italy.
  2. Acts 27:28 Or about 37 meters
  3. Acts 27:28 Or about 27 meters

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