Psalm 102:1-17

English Standard Version

Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is ^(A)faint and ^(B)pours out his complaint before the Lord.

102 ^(C)Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry ^(D)come to you!
²^(E)Do not hide your face from me
in ^(F)the day of my distress!
^(G)Incline your ear to me;
^(H)answer me speedily ^(I)in the day when I call!

³For my days ^(J)pass away like smoke,
    and my ^(K)bones burn like a furnace.
⁴My heart is ^(L)struck down like grass and ^(M)has withered;
    I ^(N)forget to eat my bread.
⁵Because of my loud groaning
    my ^(O)bones cling to my flesh.
⁶I am like ^(P)a desert owl of the wilderness,
    like an owl^[a] of the waste places;
⁷I ^(Q)lie awake;
    I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
⁸All the day my enemies taunt me;
    those who ^(R)deride me ^(S)use my name for a curse.
⁹For I eat ashes like bread
    and ^(T)mingle tears with my drink,
¹⁰because of your indignation and anger;
    for you have ^(U)taken me up and ^(V)thrown me down.
¹¹My days are like ^(W)an evening shadow;
    I ^(X)wither away like grass.

¹²But you, O Lord, are ^(Y)enthroned forever;
    you ^(Z)are remembered throughout all generations.
¹³You will ^(AA)arise and have ^(AB)pity on Zion;
    it is the time to favor her;
    ^(AC)the appointed time has come.
¹⁴For your servants hold her ^(AD)stones dear
    and have pity on her dust.
¹⁵Nations will ^(AE)fear the name of the Lord,
    and all ^(AF)the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
¹⁶For the Lord ^(AG)builds up Zion;
    he ^(AH)appears in his glory;
¹⁷he ^(AI)regards the prayer of the destitute
    and does not despise their prayer.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Psalm 102:6 The precise identity of these birds is uncertain

Jeremiah 29:24-32

English Standard Version

Shemaiah's False Prophecy

²⁴To ^(A)Shemaiah of Nehelam you shall say: ²⁵“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to ^(B)Zephaniah the son of ^(C)Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, ²⁶‘The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have ^(D)charge in the house of the Lord ^(E)over every madman who prophesies, to put him in ^(F)the stocks and neck irons. ²⁷Now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah ^(G)of Anathoth who is prophesying to you? ²⁸For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, “Your exile will be long; ^(H)build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce.”’”

²⁹^(I)Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. ³⁰^(J)Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ³¹“Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord concerning ^(K)Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because ^(L)Shemaiah had prophesied to you ^(M)when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, ³²therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish ^(N)Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, ^(O)and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the Lord, ^(P)for he has spoken rebellion against the Lord.’”

Read full chapter

Ephesians 6:10-20

English Standard Version

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰Finally, ^(A)be strong in the Lord and in ^(B)the strength of his might. ¹¹^(C)Put on ^(D)the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against ^(E)the schemes of the devil. ¹²For ^(F)we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^(G)the rulers, against the authorities, against ^(H)the cosmic powers over ^(I)this present darkness, against ^(J)the spiritual forces of evil ^(K)in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore ^(L)take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in ^(M)the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, ^(N)having fastened on the belt of truth, and ^(O)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and, ^(P)as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In all circumstances take up ^(Q)the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all ^(R)the flaming darts of ^(S)the evil one; ¹⁷and take ^(T)the helmet of salvation, and ^(U)the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸praying ^(V)at all times ^(W)in the Spirit, ^(X)with all prayer and supplication. To that end, ^(Y)keep alert with all perseverance, making ^(Z)supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹and ^(AA)also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth ^(AB)boldly to proclaim ^(AC)the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I ^(AD)am an ambassador ^(AE)in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.