Psalm 140

New International Version

Psalm 140^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹Rescue me,^(A) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,^(B)
²who devise evil plans^(C) in their hearts
    and stir up war^(D) every day.
³They make their tongues as sharp as^(E) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers^(F) is on their lips.^[b]

⁴Keep me safe,^(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;^(H)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
⁵The 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.

⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”^(L)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.^(M)
⁷Sovereign Lord,^(N) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
⁸Do not grant the wicked^(O) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

⁹Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.^(P)
¹⁰May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,^(Q)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
¹¹May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.^(R)

¹²I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor^(S)
and upholds the cause^(T) of the needy.^(U)
¹³Surely the righteous will praise your name,^(V)
and the upright will live^(W) in your presence.^(X)

Footnotes

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

Jeremiah 23:16-22

New International Version

¹⁶This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Do not listen^(A) to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
    they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions^(B) from their own minds,
    not from the mouth^(C) of the Lord.
¹⁷They keep saying^(D) to those who despise me,
    ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’^(E)
And to all who follow the stubbornness^(F) of their hearts
    they say, ‘No harm^(G) will come to you.’
¹⁸But which of them has stood in the council^(H) of the Lord
    to see or to hear his word?
    Who has listened and heard his word?
¹⁹See, the storm^(I) of the Lord
    will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind^(J) swirling down
    on the heads of the wicked.
²⁰The anger^(K) of the Lord will not turn back^(L)
    until he fully accomplishes
    the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
    you will understand it clearly.
²¹I did not send^(M) these prophets,
    yet they have run with their message;
I did not speak to them,
    yet they have prophesied.
²²But if they had stood in my council,^(N)
    they would have proclaimed^(O) my words to my people
and would have turned^(P) them from their evil ways
    and from their evil deeds.^(Q)

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Matthew 10:16-25

New International Version

¹⁶“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.^(A) Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.^(B) ¹⁷Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils^(C) and be flogged in the synagogues.^(D) ¹⁸On my account you will be brought before governors and kings^(E) as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it.^(F) At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father^(G) speaking through you.

²¹“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents^(H) and have them put to death.^(I) ²²You will be hated by everyone because of me,^(J) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.^(K) ²³When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.^(L)

²⁴“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.^(M) ²⁵It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,^(N) how much more the members of his household!

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