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Psalm 15

Who Shall Abide in God’s Sanctuary?

A Psalm of David.

O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
    Who may dwell on your holy hill?(A)

Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right
    and speak the truth from their heart;(B)
who do not slander with their tongue
    and do no evil to their friends
    nor heap shame upon their neighbors;(C)
in whose eyes the wicked are despised
    but who honor those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt;(D)
who do not lend money at interest
    and do not take a bribe against the innocent.

Those who do these things shall never be moved.(E)

Psalm 67

The Nations Called to Praise God

To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah(A)
that your way may be known upon earth,
    your saving power among all nations.(B)
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah(C)
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you.(D)

The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, has blessed us.(E)
May God continue to bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth revere him.(F)

Rich people toil to amass possessions,
    and when they rest, they fill themselves with their delicacies.(A)
Poor people toil to make a meager living,
    and if ever they rest, they become needy.(B)

Those who love gold will not be justified;
    those who pursue money will be led astray[a] by it.(C)
Many have come to ruin because of gold,
    and their destruction has met them face to face.(D)
It is a stumbling block to those who are avid for it,
    and every fool will be taken captive by it.
Blessed are the rich who are found blameless
    and who do not go after gold.(E)
Who are they, that we may call them happy?
    For they have done wonders among their people.
10 Who has been tested by it and been found perfect?
    Let it be for them a ground for boasting.
Who has had the power to transgress and did not transgress
    and to do evil and did not do it?
11 Their prosperity will be established,[b]
    and the assembly will proclaim their acts of charity.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 31.5 Heb Syr: Gk pursues destruction will be filled
  2. 31.11 Other ancient authorities add because of this

The Believers Share Their Possessions

32 Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.(A) 33 With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.(B) 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold.(C) 35 They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.(D) 36 There was a Levite from Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). 37 He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.(E)

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Job Finishes His Defense

29 Job again took up his discourse and said:(A)

“O that I were as in the months of old,
    as in the days when God watched over me,(B)
when his lamp shone over my head,
    and by his light I walked through darkness,(C)
when I was in my prime,
    when the friendship of God was upon my tent,(D)
when the Almighty[a] was still with me,
    when my children were around me,
when my steps were washed with milk
    and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!(E)
When I went out to the gate of the city,
    when I took my seat in the square,
the young men saw me and withdrew,
    and the aged rose up and stood;
the nobles refrained from talking
    and laid their hands on their mouths;(F)
10 the voices of princes were hushed,
    and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.(G)
11 When the ear heard, it commended me,
    and when the eye saw, it approved,
12 because I delivered the poor who cried
    and the orphan who had no helper.(H)
13 The blessing of the wretched came upon me,
    and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.(I)
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
    my justice was like a robe and a turban.(J)
15 I was eyes to the blind
    and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy,
    and I championed the cause of the stranger.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 29.5 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai

Saul in Jerusalem

26 When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.(A) 27 But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.(B) 28 So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He spoke and argued with the Hellenists, but they were attempting to kill him.(C) 30 When the brothers and sisters learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31 Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.(D)

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Psalm 19

God’s Glory in Creation and the Law

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

The heavens are telling the glory of God,
    and the firmament[a] proclaims his handiwork.(A)
Day to day pours forth speech,
    and night to night declares knowledge.(B)
There is no speech, nor are there words;
    their voice is not heard;
yet their voice[b] goes out through all the earth
    and their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens[c] he has set a tent for the sun,(C)
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
    and like a strong man runs its course with joy.(D)
Its rising is from the end of the heavens
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and nothing is hid from its heat.(E)

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
    making wise the simple;(F)
the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
    enlightening the eyes;(G)
the fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
    and righteous altogether.(H)
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.(I)

11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.(J)
12 But who can detect one’s own errors?
    Clear me from hidden faults.(K)
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;[d]
    do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless
    and innocent of great transgression.(L)

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.(M)

Footnotes

  1. 19.1 Or dome
  2. 19.4 Gk Jerome Compare Syr: Heb line
  3. 19.4 Heb In them
  4. 19.13 Or from proud thoughts

Psalm 146

Praise for God’s Help

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!(A)
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God all my life long.(B)

Do not put your trust in princes,
    in mortals, in whom there is no help.(C)
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
    on that very day their plans perish.(D)

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God,(E)
who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;(F)
    who executes justice for the oppressed;
    who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;(G)
    the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.(H)
The Lord watches over the strangers;
    he upholds the orphan and the widow,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.(I)

10 The Lord will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!(J)