Psalm 61[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

Hear my cry, O God;(A)
    listen to my prayer.(B)

From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;(C)
    lead me to the rock(D) that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,(E)
    a strong tower against the foe.(F)

I long to dwell(G) in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[b](H)
For you, God, have heard my vows;(I)
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.(J)

Increase the days of the king’s life,(K)
    his years for many generations.(L)
May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;(M)
    appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.(N)

Then I will ever sing in praise of your name(O)
    and fulfill my vows day after day.(P)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 61:1 In Hebrew texts 61:1-8 is numbered 61:2-9.
  2. Psalm 61:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

61 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.

Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations.

He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.

So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

Not One Is Upright

“Go up and down(A) the streets of Jerusalem,
    look around and consider,(B)
    search through her squares.
If you can find but one person(C)
    who deals honestly(D) and seeks the truth,
    I will forgive(E) this city.
Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(F)
    still they are swearing falsely.(G)

Lord, do not your eyes(H) look for truth?
    You struck(I) them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.(J)
They made their faces harder than stone(K)
    and refused to repent.(L)
I thought, “These are only the poor;
    they are foolish,(M)
for they do not know(N) the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.
So I will go to the leaders(O)
    and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
    and torn off the bonds.(P)
Therefore a lion from the forest(Q) will attack them,
    a wolf from the desert will ravage(R) them,
a leopard(S) will lie in wait near their towns
    to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
    and their backslidings many.(T)

“Why should I forgive you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    and sworn(U) by gods that are not gods.(V)
I supplied all their needs,
    yet they committed adultery(W)
    and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(X)
They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
    each neighing for another man’s wife.(Y)
Should I not punish them for this?”(Z)
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(AA) myself
    on such a nation as this?

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Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely.

O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God.

I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.

They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.

Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

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25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law,(A) but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.(B) 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements,(C) will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?(D) 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you(E) who, even though you have the[a] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,(F) nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.(G) 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,(H) by the Spirit,(I) not by the written code.(J) Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.(K)

God’s Faithfulness

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way!(L) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.(M)

What if some were unfaithful?(N) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?(O) Not at all! Let God be true,(P) and every human being a liar.(Q) As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak
    and prevail when you judge.”[b](R)

But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,(S) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)(T) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?(U) Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,(V) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”(W) Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?(X) Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?(Y) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.(Z) 10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”[c](AA)
13 “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”[d](AB)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[e](AC)
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[f](AD)
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16     ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[g](AE)
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[h](AF)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 2:27 Or who, by means of a
  2. Romans 3:4 Psalm 51:4
  3. Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
  4. Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
  5. Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
  6. Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
  7. Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
  8. Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1

25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17 And the way of peace have they not known:

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

30 By myself I can do nothing;(A) I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just,(B) for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.(C)

Testimonies About Jesus

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.(D) 32 There is another who testifies in my favor,(E) and I know that his testimony about me is true.

33 “You have sent to John and he has testified(F) to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony;(G) but I mention it that you may be saved.(H) 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light,(I) and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John.(J) For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing(K)—testify that the Father has sent me.(L) 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.(M) You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,(N) 38 nor does his word dwell in you,(O) for you do not believe(P) the one he sent.(Q) 39 You study[a] the Scriptures(R) diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.(S) These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,(T) 40 yet you refuse to come to me(U) to have life.

41 “I do not accept glory from human beings,(V) 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[b]?(W)

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses,(X) on whom your hopes are set.(Y) 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.(Z) 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”(AA)

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Footnotes

  1. John 5:39 Or 39 Study
  2. John 5:44 Some early manuscripts the Only One

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.

34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

41 I receive not honour from men.

42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

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