Psalm 17
English Standard Version
In the Shadow of Your Wings
A (A)Prayer of David.
17 Hear a just cause, O Lord; (B)attend to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
2 From your presence (C)let my vindication come!
Let your eyes behold the right!
3 You have (D)tried my heart, you have (E)visited me by (F)night,
you have (G)tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have (H)held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
6 I (I)call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
(J)incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7 (K)Wondrously show[a] your steadfast love,
O Savior of those who seek refuge
from (L)their adversaries at your right hand.
8 Keep me as (M)the apple of your eye;
hide me in (N)the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who do me violence,
my deadly enemies who (O)surround me.
10 (P)They close their hearts to pity;
with their mouths they (Q)speak arrogantly.
11 They have now surrounded our (R)steps;
they set their eyes to (S)cast us to the ground.
12 He is like a lion eager to tear,
as a young lion (T)lurking in ambush.
13 Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
14 from men by your hand, O Lord,
from (U)men of the world whose (V)portion is in this life.[b]
You fill their womb with treasure;[c]
they are satisfied with (W)children,
and they leave their abundance to their infants.
15 As for me, I shall (X)behold your face in righteousness;
when I (Y)awake, I shall be (Z)satisfied with your likeness.
Footnotes
- Psalm 17:7 Or Distinguish me by
- Psalm 17:14 Or from men whose portion in life is of the world
- Psalm 17:14 Or As for your treasured ones, you fill their womb
Psalm 17
The Message
17 1-2 Listen while I build my case, God,
the most honest prayer you’ll ever hear.
Show the world I’m innocent—
in your heart you know I am.
3 Go ahead, examine me from inside out,
surprise me in the middle of the night—
You’ll find I’m just what I say I am.
My words don’t run loose.
4-5 I’m not trying to get my way
in the world’s way.
I’m trying to get your way,
your Word’s way.
I’m staying on your trail;
I’m putting one foot
In front of the other.
I’m not giving up.
6-7 I call to you, God, because I’m sure of an answer.
So—answer! bend your ear! listen sharp!
Paint grace-graffiti on the fences;
take in your frightened children who
Are running from the neighborhood bullies
straight to you.
8-9 Keep your eye on me;
hide me under your cool wing feathers
From the wicked who are out to get me,
from mortal enemies closing in.
10-14 Their hearts are hard as nails,
their mouths blast hot air.
They are after me, nipping my heels,
determined to bring me down,
Lions ready to rip me apart,
young lions poised to pounce.
Up, God: beard them! break them!
By your sword, free me from their clutches;
Barehanded, God, break these mortals,
these flat-earth people who can’t think beyond today.
I’d like to see their bellies
swollen with famine food,
The weeds they’ve sown
harvested and baked into famine bread,
With second helpings for their children
and crusts for their babies to chew on.
15 And me? I plan on looking
you full in the face. When I get up,
I’ll see your full stature
and live heaven on earth.
Job 1
English Standard Version
Job's Character and Wealth
1 There was a man in the land of (A)Uz whose name was (B)Job, and that man was (C)blameless and upright, one who (D)feared God and (E)turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him (F)seven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all (G)the people of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and (H)consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and (I)offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and (J)cursed[a] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
Satan Allowed to Test Job
6 Now there was a day when (K)the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and (L)Satan[b] also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From (M)going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you (N)considered my (O)servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, (P)a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put (Q)a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have (R)blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But (S)stretch out your hand and (T)touch all that he has, and he will (U)curse you (V)to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Satan Takes Job's Property and Children
13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 14 and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and (W)the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants[c] with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, (X)“The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, (Y)“The Chaldeans formed (Z)three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, (AA)“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 19 and behold, a great wind came across (AB)the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
20 Then Job arose and (AC)tore his (AD)robe and (AE)shaved his head (AF)and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, (AG)“Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I (AH)return. The Lord (AI)gave, and the Lord has taken away; (AJ)blessed be the name of the Lord.”
22 (AK)In all this Job did not sin or charge God with (AL)wrong.
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Job 1
The Message
A Man Devoted to God
1 1-3 Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion. He had seven sons and three daughters. He was also very wealthy—seven thousand head of sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a huge staff of servants—the most influential man in all the East!
4-5 His sons used to take turns hosting parties in their homes, always inviting their three sisters to join them in their merrymaking. When the parties were over, Job would get up early in the morning and sacrifice a burnt offering for each of his children, thinking, “Maybe one of them sinned by defying God inwardly.” Job made a habit of this sacrificial atonement, just in case they’d sinned.
The First Test: Family and Fortune
6-7 One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan, who was the Designated Accuser, came along with them. God singled out Satan and said, “What have you been up to?”
Satan answered God, “Going here and there, checking things out on earth.”
8 God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.”
9-10 Satan retorted, “So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose!
11 “But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away everything that is his? He’d curse you right to your face, that’s what.”
12 God replied, “We’ll see. Go ahead—do what you want with all that is his. Just don’t hurt him.” Then Satan left the presence of God.
13-15 Sometime later, while Job’s children were having one of their parties at the home of the oldest son, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing in the field next to us when Sabeans attacked. They stole the animals and killed the field hands. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.”
16 While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Bolts of lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and fried them—burned them to a crisp. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.”
17 While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Chaldeans coming from three directions raided the camels and massacred the camel drivers. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.”
18-19 While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Your children were having a party at the home of the oldest brother when a tornado swept in off the desert and struck the house. It collapsed on the young people and they died. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.”
20 Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped:
21 Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
naked I’ll return to the womb of the earth.
God gives, God takes.
God’s name be ever blessed.
22 Not once through all this did Job sin; not once did he blame God.
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Luke 21:34-36
The Message
34-36 “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”
Read full chapterThe Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson