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Psalm 143

Do Not Bring Your Servant Into Judgment

Heading
A psalm by David.

Prayer for Forgiveness

Lord, hear my prayer.
Give ear to my cry for mercy.
In your faithfulness, answer me in your righteousness.
Do not bring charges against your servant,
because no one living can be righteous before you.

The Problem

For the enemy pursues my soul.
He crushes my life to the ground.
He makes me dwell in dark places like those long dead,
so my spirit grows faint inside me.
Within me my heart is devastated.

The Reason for Hope

I remember the days of long ago.
I meditate on all your works,
and I consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to you. Interlude
My soul thirsts for you like a weary land.

The Prayer

Hurry! Answer me, Lord.
My spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let me hear about your mercy in the morning,
    for I trust in you.
Teach me the way that I should go,
    for I lift up my soul to you.
Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God.
May your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11 For the sake of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.
In your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your mercy, wipe out my enemies,
and destroy all who threaten my life,
for I am your servant.

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

Lord, hear my prayer,(A)
    listen to my cry for mercy;(B)
in your faithfulness(C) and righteousness(D)
    come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous(E) before you.
The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(F)
    like those long dead.(G)
So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.(H)
I remember(I) the days of long ago;
    I meditate(J) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands(K) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.[a]

Answer me quickly,(L) Lord;
    my spirit fails.(M)
Do not hide your face(N) from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,(O)
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(P) I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.(Q)
Rescue me(R) from my enemies,(S) Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(T) to do your will,
    for you are my God;(U)
may your good Spirit
    lead(V) me on level ground.(W)

11 For your name’s sake,(X) Lord, preserve my life;(Y)
    in your righteousness,(Z) bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;(AA)
    destroy all my foes,(AB)
    for I am your servant.(AC)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

The Lord Shouts

14 I have been silent for a long time.
I have kept still. I have restrained myself.
But now, like a woman giving birth, I will scream.
I will gasp and pant.
15 I will dry up mountains and hills.
I will make all their grass wither.
I will turn rivers into islands.
I will dry up pools.
16 I will lead the blind on a way they do not know.
Along paths they do not know I will direct them.
Ahead of them I will turn darkness into light
and rough places into level ground.
These are the things I will accomplish for them.
I will not abandon them.

17 They will be turned back and completely disgraced—
those who trust in an idol,
those who say to molten images, “You are our gods.”

But Israel Does Not Notice

18 You deaf ones, listen!
You blind ones, watch carefully so that you can see!
19 Who is as blind as my servant?
Who is as deaf as my messenger whom I sent?
Who is as blind as my associate,[a]
as blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 You, Israel, see many things, but you do not observe.
Israel opens his ears, but he does not hear.
21 Because of his own righteousness,
the Lord was pleased to make his law[b] great and glorious.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 42:19 Or my dedicated one or the one at peace with me. The meaning of this word is uncertain.
  2. Isaiah 42:21 Or teaching

14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(A)
    I have been quiet and held myself back.(B)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
    I cry out, I gasp and pant.(C)
15 I will lay waste(D) the mountains(E) and hills
    and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
    and dry up(F) the pools.
16 I will lead(G) the blind(H) by ways they have not known,
    along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(I) before them
    and make the rough places smooth.(J)
These are the things I will do;
    I will not forsake(K) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
    who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(L)
    will be turned back in utter shame.(M)

Israel Blind and Deaf

18 “Hear, you deaf;(N)
    look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind(O) but my servant,(P)
    and deaf like the messenger(Q) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant(R) with me,
    blind like the servant of the Lord?
20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
    your ears are open, but you do not listen.”(S)
21 It pleased the Lord
    for the sake(T) of his righteousness
    to make his law(U) great and glorious.

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A Blind Man Sees

As Jesus was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that God’s works might be revealed in connection with him. I[a] must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the World.”

After saying this, Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and spread the mud on the man’s eyes. “Go,” Jesus told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

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Footnotes

  1. John 9:4 Some witnesses to the text read We.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi,(A) who sinned,(B) this man(C) or his parents,(D) that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.(E) As long as it is day,(F) we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”(G)

After saying this, he spit(H) on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”(I) (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.(J)

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13 They brought this man who had been blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight.

“He put mud on my eyes,” the man told them. “I washed, and now I see.”

16 Then some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God because he does not keep the Sabbath.” Others were saying, “How can a sinful man work such miraculous signs?”

There was division among them, 17 so they said to the blind man again, “What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

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The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.(A) 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.(B) “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”(C)

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?”(D) So they were divided.(E)

17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”(F)

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34 They answered him, “You were entirely born in sinfulness! Yet you presume to teach us?” And they threw him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out. When he found him, he asked, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”[a]

36 “Who is he, sir,” the man replied, “that I may believe in him?”

37 Jesus answered, “You have seen him, and he is the very one who is speaking with you.”

38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” and he knelt down and worshipped him.

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, in order that those who do not see will see, and those who do see will become blind.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 9:35 Some witnesses to the text read Son of Man.

34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth;(A) how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.(B)

Spiritual Blindness

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe(C) in the Son of Man?”(D)

36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”(E)

37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”(F)

38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.(G)

39 Jesus said,[a] “For judgment(H) I have come into this world,(I) so that the blind will see(J) and those who see will become blind.”(K)

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Footnotes

  1. John 9:39 Some early manuscripts do not have Then the man said … 39 Jesus said.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. 10 Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord, 11 and do not participate in fruitless deeds of darkness. Instead, expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention the things that are done by people in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes things visible. 14 Therefore it is said, “Awake, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

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For you were once(A) darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light(B) (for the fruit(C) of the light consists in all goodness,(D) righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.(E) 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,(F) but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light(G) becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,(H)
    rise from the dead,(I)
    and Christ will shine on you.”(J)

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