ט Teth

65 Do good(A) to your servant
    according to your word,(B) Lord.
66 Teach me knowledge(C) and good judgment,
    for I trust your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted(D) I went astray,(E)
    but now I obey your word.(F)
68 You are good,(G) and what you do is good;
    teach me your decrees.(H)
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,(I)
    I keep your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are callous(J) and unfeeling,
    but I delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted(K)
    so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
    than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.(L)

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65 Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word.

66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.

71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

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ט TETH

65 You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
66 Teach me good judgment and (A)knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
67 Before I was (B)afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68 You are (C)good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
69 The proud have (D)forged[a] a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart.
70 (E)Their heart is [b]as fat as grease,
But I delight in Your law.
71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
72 (F)The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 119:69 Lit. smeared me with a lie
  2. Psalm 119:70 Insensible

If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of his covenant,(A) and contrary to my command(B) has worshiped other gods,(C) bowing down to them or to the sun(D) or the moon or the stars in the sky,(E) and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true(F) and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,(G) take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death.(H) On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.(I) The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death,(J) and then the hands of all the people.(K) You must purge the evil(L) from among you.

Law Courts

If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge(M)—whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults(N)—take them to the place the Lord your God will choose.(O) Go to the Levitical(P) priests and to the judge(Q) who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict.(R) 10 You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the Lord will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you to do. 11 Act according to whatever they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left.(S) 12 Anyone who shows contempt(T) for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering(U) there to the Lord your God is to be put to death.(V) You must purge the evil from Israel.(W) 13 All the people will hear and be afraid, and will not be contemptuous again.(X)

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If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant,

And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;

And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:

Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.

At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.

The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose;

And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:

10 And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the Lord shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:

11 According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.

12 And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.

13 And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.

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(A)“If there is found among you, within any of your [a]gates which the Lord your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the Lord your God, (B)in transgressing His covenant, who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either (C)the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, (D)which I have not commanded, (E)and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an [b]abomination has been committed in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and (F)shall stone (G)to death that man or woman with stones. Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three (H)witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among (I)you.

(J)“If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the (K)place which the Lord your God chooses. And (L)you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and (M)to the judge there in those days, and inquire of them; (N)they shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment. 10 You shall do according to the sentence which they pronounce upon you in that place which the Lord chooses. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they order you. 11 According to the sentence of the law in which they instruct you, according to the judgment which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left from the sentence which they pronounce upon you. 12 Now (O)the man who acts presumptuously and will not heed the priest who stands to minister there before the Lord your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall put away the evil from Israel. 13 (P)And all the people shall hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 17:2 towns
  2. Deuteronomy 17:4 detestable thing

Submission to Governing Authorities

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,(A) for there is no authority except that which God has established.(B) The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,(C) and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.(D) For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.(E) Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.(F)

This is also why you pay taxes,(G) for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes;(H) if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

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13 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

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Submit to Government

13 Let every soul be (A)subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists (B)the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will [a]bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? (C)Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore (D)you must be subject, not only because of wrath (E)but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. (F)Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 13:2 Lit. receive