Psalm 10-12

New International Version

Psalm 10^[a]

¹Why, Lord, do you stand far off?^(A)
Why do you hide yourself^(B) in times of trouble?

²In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,^(C)
    who are caught in the schemes he devises.
³He boasts^(D) about the cravings of his heart;
    he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.^(E)
⁴In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
    in all his thoughts there is no room for God.^(F)
⁵His ways are always prosperous;
    your laws are rejected by^[b] him;
    he sneers at all his enemies.
⁶He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
    He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”^(G)

⁷His mouth is full^(H) of lies and threats;^(I)
    trouble and evil are under his tongue.^(J)
⁸He lies in wait^(K) near the villages;
    from ambush he murders the innocent.^(L)
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
⁹    like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;^(M)
    he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.^(N)
¹⁰His victims are crushed,^(O) they collapse;
    they fall under his strength.
¹¹He says to himself, “God will never notice;^(P)
    he covers his face and never sees.”^(Q)

¹²Arise,^(R) Lord! Lift up your hand,^(S) O God.
    Do not forget the helpless.^(T)
¹³Why does the wicked man revile God?^(U)
    Why does he say to himself,
    “He won’t call me to account”?^(V)
¹⁴But you, God, see the trouble^(W) of the afflicted;
    you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;^(X)
    you are the helper^(Y) of the fatherless.
¹⁵Break the arm of the wicked man;^(Z)
    call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
    that would not otherwise be found out.

¹⁶The Lord is King for ever and ever;^(AA)
    the nations^(AB) will perish from his land.
¹⁷You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;^(AC)
    you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,^(AD)
¹⁸defending the fatherless^(AE) and the oppressed,^(AF)
    so that mere earthly mortals
    will never again strike terror.

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

¹In the Lord I take refuge.^(AG)
    How then can you say to me:
    “Flee^(AH) like a bird to your mountain.^(AI)
²For look, the wicked bend their bows;^(AJ)
    they set their arrows^(AK) against the strings
to shoot from the shadows^(AL)
    at the upright in heart.^(AM)
³When the foundations^(AN) are being destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”

⁴The Lord is in his holy temple;^(AO)
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.^(AP)
He observes everyone on earth;^(AQ)
    his eyes examine^(AR) them.
⁵The Lord examines the righteous,^(AS)
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.^(AT)
⁶On the wicked he will rain
    fiery coals and burning sulfur;^(AU)
    a scorching wind^(AV) will be their lot.

⁷For the Lord is righteous,^(AW)
he loves justice;^(AX)
the upright^(AY) will see his face.^(AZ)

Psalm 12^[c]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.^[d] A psalm of David.

¹Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;^(BA)
    those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
²Everyone lies^(BB) to their neighbor;
    they flatter with their lips
    but harbor deception in their hearts.^(BC)

³May the Lord silence all flattering lips^(BD)
    and every boastful tongue—^(BE)
⁴those who say,
    “By our tongues we will prevail;^(BF)
    our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

⁵“Because the poor are plundered^(BG) and the needy groan,^(BH)
    I will now arise,^(BI)” says the Lord.
    “I will protect them^(BJ) from those who malign them.”
⁶And the words of the Lord are flawless,^(BK)
    like silver purified^(BL) in a crucible,^(BM)
    like gold^[e] refined seven times.

⁷You, Lord, will keep the needy safe^(BN)
and will protect us forever from the wicked,^(BO)
⁸who freely strut^(BP) about
when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Footnotes

Psalm 10:1 Psalms 9 and 10 may originally have been a single acrostic poem in which alternating lines began with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they constitute one psalm.
Psalm 10:5 See Septuagint; Hebrew / they are haughty, and your laws are far from
Psalm 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-8 is numbered 12:2-9.
Psalm 12:1 Title: Probably a musical term
Psalm 12:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text earth

Acts 10:24-48

New International Version

²⁴The following day he arrived in Caesarea.^(A) Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”^(B)

²⁷While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.^(C) ²⁸He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile.^(D) But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.^(E) ²⁹So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

³⁰Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes^(F) stood before me ³¹and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. ³²Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ ³³So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

³⁴Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism^(G) ³⁵but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.^(H) ³⁶You know the message^(I) God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news^(J) of peace^(K) through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.^(L) ³⁷You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸how God anointed^(M) Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing^(N) all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.^(O)

³⁹“We are witnesses^(P) of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross,^(Q) ⁴⁰but God raised him from the dead^(R) on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹He was not seen by all the people,^(S) but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate^(T) and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people^(U) and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.^(V) ⁴³All the prophets testify about him^(W) that everyone^(X) who believes^(Y) in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”^(Z)

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on^(AA) all who heard the message. ⁴⁵The circumcised believers who had come with Peter^(AB) were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out^(AC) even on Gentiles.^(AD) ⁴⁶For they heard them speaking in tongues^[a]^(AE) and praising God.

Then Peter said, ⁴⁷“Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water.^(AF) They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”^(AG) ⁴⁸So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.^(AH) Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

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