Psalm 21-22

New International Version

Psalm 21^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.^(A)
How great is his joy in the victories you give!^(B)

²You have granted him his heart’s desire^(C)
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.^[b]
³You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold^(D) on his head.^(E)
⁴He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.^(F)
⁵Through the victories^(G) you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.^(H)
⁶Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy^(I) of your presence.^(J)
⁷For the king trusts in the Lord;^(K)
    through the unfailing love^(L) of the Most High^(M)
    he will not be shaken.^(N)

⁸Your hand will lay hold^(O) on all your enemies;
    your right hand will seize your foes.
⁹When you appear for battle,
    you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and his fire will consume them.^(P)
¹⁰You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    their posterity from mankind.^(Q)
¹¹Though they plot evil^(R) against you
    and devise wicked schemes,^(S) they cannot succeed.
¹²You will make them turn their backs^(T)
    when you aim at them with drawn bow.

¹³Be exalted^(U) in your strength, Lord;^(V)
we will sing and praise your might.

Psalm 22^[c]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?^(W)
    Why are you so far^(X) from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?^(Y)
²My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,^(Z)
    by night,^(AA) but I find no rest.^[d]

³Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;^(AB)
    you are the one Israel praises.^[e]^(AC)
⁴In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.^(AD)
⁵To you they cried out^(AE) and were saved;
    in you they trusted^(AF) and were not put to shame.^(AG)

⁶But I am a worm^(AH) and not a man,
    scorned by everyone,^(AI) despised^(AJ) by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;^(AK)
    they hurl insults,^(AL) shaking their heads.^(AM)
⁸“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.^(AN)
Let him deliver him,^(AO)
    since he delights^(AP) in him.”

⁹Yet you brought me out of the womb;^(AQ)
you made me trust^(AR) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
¹⁰From birth^(AS) I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

¹¹Do not be far from me,^(AT)
for trouble is near^(AU)
and there is no one to help.^(AV)

¹²Many bulls^(AW) surround me;^(AX)
    strong bulls of Bashan^(AY) encircle me.
¹³Roaring lions^(AZ) that tear their prey^(BA)
    open their mouths wide^(BB) against me.
¹⁴I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.^(BC)
My heart has turned to wax;^(BD)
    it has melted^(BE) within me.
¹⁵My mouth^[f] is dried up like a potsherd,^(BF)
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;^(BG)
    you lay me in the dust^(BH) of death.

¹⁶Dogs^(BI) surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce^[g]^(BJ) my hands and my feet.
¹⁷All my bones are on display;
    people stare^(BK) and gloat over me.^(BL)
¹⁸They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots^(BM) for my garment.^(BN)

¹⁹But you, Lord, do not be far from me.^(BO)
    You are my strength;^(BP) come quickly^(BQ) to help me.^(BR)
²⁰Deliver me from the sword,^(BS)
    my precious life^(BT) from the power of the dogs.^(BU)
²¹Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;^(BV)
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.^(BW)

²²I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly^(BX) I will praise you.^(BY)
²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!^(BZ)
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!^(CA)
    Revere him,^(CB) all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴For he has not despised^(CC) or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;^(CD)
he has not hidden his face^(CE) from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.^(CF)

²⁵From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;^(CG)
    before those who fear you^[h] I will fulfill my vows.^(CH)
²⁶The poor will eat^(CI) and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—^(CJ)
    may your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth^(CK)
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,^(CL)
²⁸for dominion belongs to the Lord^(CM)
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the rich^(CN) of the earth will feast and worship;^(CO)
    all who go down to the dust^(CP) will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.^(CQ)
³⁰Posterity^(CR) will serve him;
    future generations^(CS) will be told about the Lord.
³¹They will proclaim his righteousness,^(CT)
    declaring to a people yet unborn:^(CU)
    He has done it!^(CV)

Footnotes

Psalm 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-13 is numbered 21:2-14.
Psalm 21:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Psalm 22:1 In Hebrew texts 22:1-31 is numbered 22:2-32.
Psalm 22:2 Or night, and am not silent
Psalm 22:3 Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel
Psalm 22:15 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text strength
Psalm 22:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text me, / like a lion
Psalm 22:25 Hebrew him

Revelation 17

New International Version

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angels^(A) who had the seven bowls^(B) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment^(C) of the great prostitute,^(D) who sits by many waters.^(E) ²With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”^(F)

³Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit^(G) into a wilderness.^(H) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet^(I) beast that was covered with blasphemous names^(J) and had seven heads and ten horns.^(K) ⁴The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.^(L) She held a golden cup^(M) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.^(N) ⁵The name written on her forehead was a mystery:^(O)

babylon the great^(P)

the mother of prostitutes^(Q)

and of the abominations of the earth.

⁶I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,^(R) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. ⁷Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery^(S) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.^(T) ⁸The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss^(U) and go to its destruction.^(V) The inhabitants of the earth^(W) whose names have not been written in the book of life^(X) from the creation of the world will be astonished^(Y) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹“This calls for a mind with wisdom.^(Z) The seven heads^(AA) are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹The beast who once was, and now is not,^(AB) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹²“The ten horns^(AC) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour^(AD) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.^(AE) ¹⁴They will wage war^(AF) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over^(AG) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings^(AH)—and with him will be his called, chosen^(AI) and faithful followers.”

¹⁵Then the angel said to me, “The waters^(AJ) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.^(AK) ¹⁶The beast and the ten horns^(AL) you saw will hate the prostitute.^(AM) They will bring her to ruin^(AN) and leave her naked;^(AO) they will eat her flesh^(AP) and burn her with fire.^(AQ) ¹⁷For God has put it into their hearts^(AR) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,^(AS) until God’s words are fulfilled.^(AT) ¹⁸The woman you saw is the great city^(AU) that rules over the kings of the earth.”