The Confidence of the Foolish

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

49 Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my [a]dark saying on the harp.

Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
Those who (A)trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor (B)give to God a ransom for him—
For (C)the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—
That he should continue to live eternally,
And (D)not [b]see the Pit.

10 For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
11 [c]Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They (E)call their lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not [d]remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the way of those who are (F)foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
(G)The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
(H)And their beauty shall be consumed in [e]the grave, far from their dwelling.
15 But God (I)will redeem my soul from the power of [f]the grave,
For He shall (J)receive me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives (K)he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see (L)light.[g]
20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
(M)Is like the beasts that perish.

God the Righteous Judge

A Psalm of Asaph.

50 The (N)Mighty One, God the Lord,
Has spoken and called the earth
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
(O)God will shine forth.
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
(P)A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.

(Q)He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people:
“Gather (R)My saints together to Me,
(S)Those who have [h]made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
Let the (T)heavens declare His righteousness,
For (U)God Himself is Judge. Selah

“Hear, O My people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you;
(V)I am God, your God!
(W)I will not [i]rebuke you (X)for your sacrifices
Or your burnt offerings,
Which are continually before Me.
(Y)I will not take a bull from your house,
Nor goats out of your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,
And the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains,
And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
(Z)For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
13 (AA)Will I eat the flesh of bulls,
Or drink the blood of goats?
14 (AB)Offer to God thanksgiving,
And (AC)pay your vows to the Most High.
15 (AD)Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
17 (AE)Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
18 When you saw a thief, you (AF)consented[j] with him,
And have been a (AG)partaker with adulterers.
19 You give your mouth to evil,
And (AH)your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done, and I kept silent;
(AI)You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And (AJ)set them in order before your eyes.

22 “Now consider this, you who (AK)forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And (AL)to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 49:4 riddle
  2. Psalm 49:9 experience corruption
  3. Psalm 49:11 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Their graves shall be their houses forever
  4. Psalm 49:12 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. understand (cf. v. 20)
  5. Psalm 49:14 Or Sheol
  6. Psalm 49:15 Or Sheol
  7. Psalm 49:19 The light of life
  8. Psalm 50:5 Lit. cut
  9. Psalm 50:8 reprove
  10. Psalm 50:18 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. ran

Greeting

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, (A)called to be an apostle, (B)separated to the gospel of God (C)which He promised before (D)through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who [a]was (E)born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and (F)declared to be the Son of God with power according (G)to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Through Him (H)we have received grace and apostleship for (I)obedience to the faith among all nations (J)for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, (K)called to be saints:

(L)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Desire to Visit Rome

First, (M)I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that (N)your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For (O)God is my witness, (P)whom I serve [b]with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that (Q)without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that (R)I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by (S)the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but (T)was hindered until now), that I might have some (U)fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

The Just Live by Faith

16 For (V)I am not ashamed of the gospel [c]of Christ, for (W)it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, (X)for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For (Y)in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, (Z)“The just shall live by faith.”

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 (AA)For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and (AB)unrighteousness of men, who [d]suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because (AC)what may be known of God is [e]manifest [f]in them, for (AD)God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world (AE)His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and [g]Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but (AF)became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 (AG)Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the (AH)incorruptible (AI)God into an image made like [h]corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 (AJ)Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, (AK)to dishonor their bodies (AL)among themselves, 25 who exchanged (AM)the truth of God (AN)for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to (AO)vile passions. For even their [i]women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the [j]men, leaving the natural use of the [k]woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things (AP)which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, [l]sexual immorality, wickedness, [m]covetousness, [n]maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 [o]undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, [p]unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, (AQ)knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things (AR)are deserving of death, not only do the same but also (AS)approve of those who practice them.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 1:3 came
  2. Romans 1:9 Or in
  3. Romans 1:16 NU omits of Christ
  4. Romans 1:18 hold down
  5. Romans 1:19 evident
  6. Romans 1:19 among
  7. Romans 1:20 divine nature, deity
  8. Romans 1:23 perishable
  9. Romans 1:26 Lit. females
  10. Romans 1:27 Lit. males
  11. Romans 1:27 Lit. female
  12. Romans 1:29 NU omits sexual immorality
  13. Romans 1:29 greed
  14. Romans 1:29 malice
  15. Romans 1:31 without understanding
  16. Romans 1:31 NU omits unforgiving

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