Human Plans and God’s Plans

Woe to those who plan iniquity,
    to those who plot evil(A) on their beds!(B)
At morning’s light they carry it out
    because it is in their power to do it.

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Even on their beds they plot evil;(A)
    they commit themselves to a sinful course(B)
    and do not reject what is wrong.(C)

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Scoundrels use wicked methods,(A)
    they make up evil schemes(B)
to destroy the poor with lies,
    even when the plea of the needy(C) is just.(D)

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12 A troublemaker and a villain,
    who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13     who winks maliciously with his eye,(A)
    signals with his feet
    and motions with his fingers,(B)
14     who plots evil(C) with deceit in his heart—
    he always stirs up conflict.(D)
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;(E)
    he will suddenly(F) be destroyed—without remedy.(G)

16 There are six things the Lord hates,(H)
    seven that are detestable to him:
17         haughty eyes,(I)
        a lying tongue,(J)
        hands that shed innocent blood,(K)
18         a heart that devises wicked schemes,
        feet that are quick to rush into evil,(L)
19         a false witness(M) who pours out lies(N)
        and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.(O)

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11 From you, Nineveh, has one come forth
    who plots evil against the Lord
    and devises wicked plans.

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Their hearts are like an oven;(A)
    they approach him with intrigue.
Their passion smolders all night;
    in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
All of them are hot as an oven;
    they devour their rulers.
All their kings fall,(B)
    and none of them calls(C) on me.

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14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
    conceives trouble and gives birth(A) to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
    falls into the pit(B) they have made.(C)
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
    their violence comes down on their own heads.

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29 I have the power to harm you;(A) but last night the God of your father(B) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’(C)

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30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;(A)

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and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus,(A) for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan(B) entered Judas, called Iscariot,(C) one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard(D) and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money.(E) He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

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18 They said, “Come, let’s make plans(A) against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest(B) will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise,(C) nor the word from the prophets.(D) So come, let’s attack him with our tongues(E) and pay no attention to anything he says.”

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For your hands are stained with blood,(A)
    your fingers with guilt.(B)
Your lips have spoken falsely,(C)
    and your tongue mutters wicked things.

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16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(A)
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.

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27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to act.

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32 Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation,(A) and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand.

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The Plot to Kill Paul

12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy(A) and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.(B)

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11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.(A) Therefore the one who handed me over to you(B) is guilty of a greater sin.”

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Good people obtain favor from the Lord,(A)
    but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.(B)

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15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin(A) petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

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Psalm 140[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Rescue me,(A) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,(B)
who devise evil plans(C) in their hearts
    and stir up war(D) every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as(E) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers(F) is on their lips.[b]

Keep me safe,(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(H)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
The arrogant have hidden a snare(I) for me;
    they have spread out the cords of their net(J)
    and have set traps(K) for me along my path.

I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(L)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(M)
Sovereign Lord,(N) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant the wicked(O) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
  2. Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.

19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him(A) immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.(B)

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Jesus Before Pilate(A)

15 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law(B) and the whole Sanhedrin,(C) made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.(D)

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Judas Hangs Himself

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.(A) So they bound him, led him away and handed him over(B) to Pilate the governor.(C)

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The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil(A) and giving wicked advice in this city.(B)

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25 But when the plot came to the king’s attention,[a] he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head,(A) and that he and his sons should be impaled(B) on poles.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Esther 9:25 Or when Esther came before the king

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