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Psalm 53
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 53
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 53
A Portrait of Sinners
For the choir director: on Mahalath.(A) A Maskil of David.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”
They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.
There is no one who does good.(B)
2 God looks down from heaven on the human race[a]
to see if there is one who is wise,
one who seeks God.(C)
3 All have turned away;
all alike have become corrupt.
There is no one who does good,
not even one.(D)
4 Will evildoers never understand?
They consume my people as they consume bread;(E)
they do not call on God.(F)
5 Then they will be filled with dread—
dread like no other(G)—
because God will scatter
the bones of those who besiege you.(H)
You will put them to shame,
for God has rejected them.(I)
Psalm 53
New International Version
Psalm 53
New International Version
Psalm 53[a](A)
For the director of music. According to mahalath.[b] A maskil[c] of David.
1 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.
2 God looks down from heaven(D)
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(E)
any who seek God.(F)
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.(G)
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5 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)
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Footnotes
- Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
- Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Zephaniah 2:4-3:5
Christian Standard Bible
Zephaniah 2:4-3:5
Christian Standard Bible
Judgment against the Nations
4 For Gaza will be abandoned,
and Ashkelon will become a ruin.
Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
and Ekron will be uprooted.(A)
5 Woe, inhabitants of the seacoast,
nation of the Cherethites
The word of the Lord is against you,(C)
Canaan, land of the Philistines:
I will destroy you until there is no one left.(D)
6 The seacoast will become pasturelands
with caves for shepherds and pens for sheep.
7 The coastland will belong
to the remnant of the house of Judah;
they will find pasture there.
They will lie down in the evening
among the houses of Ashkelon,
for the Lord their God will return to them
and restore their fortunes.(E)
8 I have heard the taunting(F) of Moab
and the insults of the Ammonites,(G)
who have taunted my people
and threatened their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live—
this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel—
Moab will be like Sodom(H)
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah:(I)
a place overgrown with weeds,
a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland.
The remnant of my people will plunder them;
the remainder of my nation will dispossess them.
10 This is what they get for their pride,
because they have taunted and acted arrogantly(J)
against the people of the Lord of Armies.
11 The Lord will be terrifying to them
when he starves all the gods of the earth.
Then all the distant coasts and islands of the nations
will bow in worship to him,
each in its own place.
12 You Cushites will also be slain by my sword.(K)
13 He will also stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria;
he will make Nineveh a desolate ruin,(L)
dry as the desert.
14 Herds will lie down in the middle of it,
every kind of wild animal.[b]
Both eagle owls[c] and herons[d]
will roost in the capitals of its pillars.
Their calls will sound[e] from the window,
but devastation[f] will be on the threshold,
for he will expose the cedar work.[g]
15 This is the jubilant(M) city
that lives in security,
that says to herself:
I exist, and there is no one else.
What a desolation she has become,
a place for wild animals to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her
scoffs[h] and shakes his fist.
Woe to Oppressive Jerusalem
3 Woe to the city that is rebellious[i](N) and defiled,(O)
the oppressive city!
2 She has not obeyed;(P)
she has not accepted discipline.(Q)
She has not trusted(R) in the Lord;
she has not drawn near to her God.
3 The[j] princes within her are roaring lions;(S)
her judges are wolves of the night,(T)
which leave nothing for[k] the morning.
4 Her prophets are reckless(U)—
treacherous men.
Her priests profane the sanctuary;
they do violence to instruction.(V)
5 The righteous Lord is in her;(W)
he does no wrong.(X)
He applies his justice morning by morning;
he does not fail at dawn,
yet the one who does wrong knows no shame.(Y)
Zephaniah 2:4-3:5
New International Version
Zephaniah 2:4-3:5
New International Version
Philistia
4 Gaza(A) will be abandoned
and Ashkelon(B) left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
and Ekron uprooted.
5 Woe to you who live by the sea,
you Kerethite(C) people;
the word of the Lord is against you,(D)
Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, “I will destroy you,
and none will be left.”(E)
6 The land by the sea will become pastures
having wells for shepherds
and pens for flocks.(F)
7 That land will belong
to the remnant(G) of the people of Judah;
there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them;
he will restore their fortunes.[a](H)
Moab and Ammon
8 “I have heard the insults(I) of Moab(J)
and the taunts of the Ammonites,(K)
who insulted(L) my people
and made threats against their land.(M)
9 Therefore, as surely as I live,”
declares the Lord Almighty,
the God of Israel,
“surely Moab(N) will become like Sodom,(O)
the Ammonites(P) like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder(Q) them;
the survivors(R) of my nation will inherit their land.(S)”
10 This is what they will get in return for their pride,(T)
for insulting(U) and mocking
the people of the Lord Almighty.(V)
11 The Lord will be awesome(W) to them
when he destroys all the gods(X) of the earth.(Y)
Distant nations will bow down to him,(Z)
all of them in their own lands.
Cush
Assyria
13 He will stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria,(AC)
leaving Nineveh(AD) utterly desolate
and dry as the desert.(AE)
14 Flocks and herds(AF) will lie down there,
creatures of every kind.
The desert owl(AG) and the screech owl(AH)
will roost on her columns.
Their hooting will echo through the windows,
rubble will fill the doorways,
the beams of cedar will be exposed.
15 This is the city of revelry(AI)
that lived in safety.(AJ)
She said to herself,
“I am the one! And there is none besides me.”(AK)
What a ruin she has become,
a lair for wild beasts!(AL)
All who pass by her scoff(AM)
and shake their fists.(AN)
Jerusalem
3 Woe to the city of oppressors,(AO)
rebellious(AP) and defiled!(AQ)
2 She obeys(AR) no one,
she accepts no correction.(AS)
She does not trust(AT) in the Lord,
she does not draw near(AU) to her God.
3 Her officials within her
are roaring lions;(AV)
her rulers are evening wolves,(AW)
who leave nothing for the morning.(AX)
4 Her prophets are unprincipled;
they are treacherous people.(AY)
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.(AZ)
5 The Lord within her is righteous;(BA)
he does no wrong.(BB)
Morning by morning(BC) he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,(BD)
yet the unrighteous know no shame.(BE)
Footnotes
- Zephaniah 2:7 Or will bring back their captives
- Zephaniah 2:12 That is, people from the upper Nile region
Acts 1:12-26
Christian Standard Bible
Acts 1:12-26
Christian Standard Bible
United in Prayer
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they arrived, they went to the room(A) upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.(B) 14 They all were continually united(C) in prayer,[a] along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.(D)
Matthias Chosen
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters[b]—the number of people who were together was about a hundred twenty—and said, 16 “Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David foretold about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.(E) 17 For he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.”(F) 18 Now this man acquired a field with his unrighteous wages. He fell headfirst, his body burst open and his intestines spilled out.(G) 19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that in their own language that field is called Hakeldama (that is, “Field of Blood”). 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his dwelling become desolate;
let no one live in it; [c] and
Let someone else take his position.[d](H)
21 “Therefore, from among the men who have accompanied us during the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us— 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us—from among these, it is necessary that one become a witness with us of his resurrection.”(I)
23 So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.(J) 24 Then they prayed,(K) “You, Lord, know everyone’s hearts; show which of these two you have chosen(L) 25 to take the place[e] in this apostolic ministry(M) that Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots(N) for them, and the lot fell to Matthias and he was added to the eleven apostles.
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Acts 1:12-26
New International Version
Acts 1:12-26
New International Version
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem(A) from the hill called the Mount of Olives,(B) a Sabbath day’s walk[a] from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room(C) where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.(D) 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer,(E) along with the women(F) and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.(G)
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters,[b](H) the Scripture had to be fulfilled(I) in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas,(J) who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number(K) and shared in our ministry.”(L)
18 (With the payment(M) he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;(N) there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language(O) Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:
and,
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism(R) to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness(S) with us of his resurrection.”
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed,(T) “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.(U) Show us(V) which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.(W)
Footnotes
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