Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

10 By the humility and gentleness(A) of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul,(B) who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold(C) as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.(D) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.(E) The weapons we fight with(F) are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power(G) to demolish strongholds.(H) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,(I) and we take captive every thought to make it obedient(J) to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.(K)

You are judging by appearances.[a](L) If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ,(M) they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.(N) So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us(O) for building you up rather than tearing you down,(P) I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive(Q) and his speaking amounts to nothing.”(R) 11 Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.(S) When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us,(T) a sphere that also includes you. 14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you(U) with the gospel of Christ.(V) 15 Neither do we go beyond our limits(W) by boasting of work done by others.(X) Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow,(Y) our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16 so that we can preach the gospel(Z) in the regions beyond you.(AA) For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17 But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[b](AB) 18 For it is not the one who commends himself(AC) who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.(AD)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 10:7 Or Look at the obvious facts
  2. 2 Corinthians 10:17 Jer. 9:24

Psalm 108[a](A)(B)

A song. A psalm of David.

My heart, O God, is steadfast;(C)
    I will sing(D) and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre!(E)
    I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love,(F) higher than the heavens;
    your faithfulness(G) reaches to the skies.(H)
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;(I)
    let your glory be over all the earth.(J)

Save us and help us with your right hand,(K)
    that those you love may be delivered.
God has spoken(L) from his sanctuary:(M)
    “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(N)
    and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(O)
Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet,
    Judah(P) is my scepter.
Moab(Q) is my washbasin,
    on Edom(R) I toss my sandal;
    over Philistia(S) I shout in triumph.”

10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
    and no longer go out with our armies?(T)
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
    for human help is worthless.(U)
13 With God we will gain the victory,
    and he will trample down(V) our enemies.

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

My God, whom I praise,(W)
    do not remain silent,(X)
for people who are wicked and deceitful(Y)
    have opened their mouths against me;
    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.(Z)
With words of hatred(AA) they surround me;
    they attack me without cause.(AB)
In return for my friendship they accuse me,
    but I am a man of prayer.(AC)
They repay me evil for good,(AD)
    and hatred for my friendship.

Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser(AE) stand at his right hand.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty,(AF)
    and may his prayers condemn(AG) him.
May his days be few;(AH)
    may another take his place(AI) of leadership.
May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow.(AJ)
10 May his children be wandering beggars;(AK)
    may they be driven[b] from their ruined homes.
11 May a creditor(AL) seize all he has;
    may strangers plunder(AM) the fruits of his labor.(AN)
12 May no one extend kindness to him
    or take pity(AO) on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off,(AP)
    their names blotted out(AQ) from the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers(AR) be remembered before the Lord;
    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May their sins always remain before(AS) the Lord,
    that he may blot out their name(AT) from the earth.

16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
    but hounded to death the poor
    and the needy(AU) and the brokenhearted.(AV)
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
    may it come back on him.(AW)
He found no pleasure in blessing—
    may it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing(AX) as his garment;
    it entered into his body like water,(AY)
    into his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped(AZ) about him,
    like a belt tied forever around him.
20 May this be the Lord’s payment(BA) to my accusers,
    to those who speak evil(BB) of me.

21 But you, Sovereign Lord,
    help me for your name’s sake;(BC)
    out of the goodness of your love,(BD) deliver me.(BE)
22 For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow;(BF)
    I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give(BG) way from fasting;(BH)
    my body is thin and gaunt.(BI)
25 I am an object of scorn(BJ) to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.(BK)

26 Help me,(BL) Lord my God;
    save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Let them know(BM) that it is your hand,
    that you, Lord, have done it.
28 While they curse,(BN) may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.(BO)
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame(BP) as in a cloak.

30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
    in the great throng(BQ) of worshipers I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand(BR) of the needy,
    to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

Psalm 110

Of David. A psalm.

The Lord says(BS) to my lord:[c]

“Sit at my right hand(BT)
    until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”(BU)

The Lord will extend your mighty scepter(BV) from Zion,(BW) saying,
    “Rule(BX) in the midst of your enemies!”
Your troops will be willing
    on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy splendor,(BY)
    your young men will come to you
    like dew from the morning’s womb.[d](BZ)

The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:(CA)
“You are a priest forever,(CB)
    in the order of Melchizedek.(CC)

The Lord is at your right hand[e];(CD)
    he will crush kings(CE) on the day of his wrath.(CF)
He will judge the nations,(CG) heaping up the dead(CH)
    and crushing the rulers(CI) of the whole earth.
He will drink from a brook along the way,[f]
    and so he will lift his head high.(CJ)

Psalm 111[g]

Praise the Lord.[h]

I will extol the Lord(CK) with all my heart(CL)
    in the council(CM) of the upright and in the assembly.(CN)

Great are the works(CO) of the Lord;
    they are pondered by all(CP) who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
    and his righteousness endures(CQ) forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.(CR)
He provides food(CS) for those who fear him;(CT)
    he remembers his covenant(CU) forever.

He has shown his people the power of his works,(CV)
    giving them the lands of other nations.(CW)
The works of his hands(CX) are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.(CY)
They are established for ever(CZ) and ever,
    enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption(DA) for his people;
    he ordained his covenant forever—
    holy and awesome(DB) is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord(DC) is the beginning of wisdom;(DD)
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.(DE)
    To him belongs eternal praise.(DF)

Psalm 112[i]

Praise the Lord.[j](DG)

Blessed are those(DH) who fear the Lord,(DI)
    who find great delight(DJ) in his commands.

Their children(DK) will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches(DL) are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures(DM) forever.
Even in darkness light dawns(DN) for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.(DO)
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,(DP)
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken;(DQ)
    they will be remembered(DR) forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast,(DS) trusting in the Lord.(DT)
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;(DU)
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.(DV)
They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,(DW)
    their righteousness endures(DX) forever;
    their horn[k] will be lifted(DY) high in honor.

10 The wicked will see(DZ) and be vexed,
    they will gnash their teeth(EA) and waste away;(EB)
    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.(EC)

Psalm 113

Praise the Lord.[l](ED)

Praise the Lord, you his servants;(EE)
    praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,(EF)
    both now and forevermore.(EG)
From the rising of the sun(EH) to the place where it sets,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is exalted(EI) over all the nations,
    his glory above the heavens.(EJ)
Who is like the Lord our God,(EK)
    the One who sits enthroned(EL) on high,(EM)
who stoops down to look(EN)
    on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor(EO) from the dust
    and lifts the needy(EP) from the ash heap;
he seats them(EQ) with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless(ER) woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 108:1 In Hebrew texts 108:1-13 is numbered 108:2-14.
  2. Psalm 109:10 Septuagint; Hebrew sought
  3. Psalm 110:1 Or Lord
  4. Psalm 110:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  5. Psalm 110:5 Or My lord is at your right hand, Lord
  6. Psalm 110:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  7. Psalm 111:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  8. Psalm 111:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  9. Psalm 112:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  10. Psalm 112:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  11. Psalm 112:9 Horn here symbolizes dignity.
  12. Psalm 113:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 9

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