Psalm 124

English Standard Version

Our Help Is in the Name of the Lord

A Song of ^(A)Ascents. Of David.

124 ^(B)If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
    ^(C)let Israel now say—
²if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
    when people rose up against us,
³then they would have ^(D)swallowed us up alive,
    when their anger was kindled against us;
⁴then ^(E)the flood would have ^(F)swept us away,
    the torrent would have gone ^(G)over us;
⁵then over us would have gone
    the raging waters.

⁶Blessed be the Lord,
    who has not given us
    as prey to their teeth!
⁷We have escaped like a bird
    from ^(H)the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
    and we have escaped!

⁸^(I)Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 125

English Standard Version

The Lord Surrounds His People

A Song of ^(A)Ascents.

125 Those who ^(B)trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which ^(C)cannot be moved, but abides forever.
²As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so ^(D)the Lord surrounds his people,
    from this time forth and forevermore.
³For ^(E)the scepter of wickedness shall not ^(F)rest
    on ^(G)the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous ^(H)stretch out
    their hands to do wrong.
⁴^(I)Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
    and to those who are ^(J)upright in their hearts!
⁵But those who ^(K)turn aside to their ^(L)crooked ways
    the Lord will lead away with ^(M)evildoers!
    ^(N)Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 126

English Standard Version

Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord

A Song of ^(A)Ascents.

126 When the Lord ^(B)restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who ^(C)dream.
²Then our ^(D)mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
    ^(E)“The Lord has done great things for them.”
³The Lord has done great things for us;
    we are glad.

⁴Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like streams in the Negeb!
⁵^(F)Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
⁶He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

Lamentations 5

English Standard Version

Restore Us to Yourself, O Lord

5 ^(A)Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us;
    look, and see ^(B)our disgrace!
²^(C)Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
    our homes to foreigners.
³We have become orphans, fatherless;
    our mothers are like widows.
⁴We must pay for the water we drink;
    the wood we get must be bought.
⁵^(D)Our pursuers are at our necks;
    we are weary; we are given no rest.
⁶We have given the hand to ^(E)Egypt, and to ^(F)Assyria,
    to get bread enough.
⁷Our fathers sinned, and are no more;
    ^(G)and we bear their iniquities.
⁸^(H)Slaves rule over us;
    there is none to deliver us from their hand.
⁹^(I)We get our bread at the peril of our lives,
    because of the sword in the wilderness.
¹⁰^(J)Our skin is hot as an oven
    with ^(K)the burning heat of famine.
¹¹Women are raped in Zion,
    young women in the towns of Judah.
¹²^(L)Princes are hung up by their hands;
    ^(M)no respect is shown to the elders.
¹³Young men are compelled to ^(N)grind at the mill,
    and boys stagger ^(O)under loads of wood.
¹⁴^(P)The old men have left the city gate,
    the young men ^(Q)their music.
¹⁵^(R)The joy of our hearts has ceased;
    ^(S)our dancing has been turned to mourning.
¹⁶^(T)The crown has fallen from our head;
    woe to us, for we have sinned!
¹⁷For this ^(U)our heart has become sick,
    for these things ^(V)our eyes have grown dim,
¹⁸for Mount Zion which lies desolate;
    ^(W)jackals prowl over it.
¹⁹^(X)But you, O Lord, reign forever;
    your throne endures to all generations.
²⁰^(Y)Why do you forget us forever,
    why do you forsake us for so many days?
²¹^(Z)Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!
    Renew our days as of old—
²²^(AA)unless you have utterly rejected us,
    and you remain exceedingly angry with us.

Romans 13

English Standard Version

Submission to the Authorities

13 Let every person ^(A)be subject to the governing authorities. For ^(B)there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ²Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you ^(C)will receive his approval, ⁴for ^(D)he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, ^(E)an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also ^(F)for the sake of conscience. ⁶For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ⁷^(G)Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

⁸^(H)Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for ^(I)the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹For the commandments, ^(J)“You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ^(K)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore ^(L)love is the fulfilling of the law.

¹¹Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you ^(M)to wake from sleep. ^(N)For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ¹²^(O)The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us ^(P)cast off ^(Q)the works of darkness and ^(R)put on the armor of light. ¹³^(S)Let us walk properly as in the daytime, ^(T)not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, ^(U)not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴But ^(V)put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, ^(W)to gratify its desires.