Psalm 18:1-7

New International Version

Psalm 18^[a]^(A)

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

¹I love you, Lord, my strength.^(B)

²The Lord is my rock,^(C) my fortress^(D) and my deliverer;^(E)
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,^(F)
my shield^[b]^(G) and the horn^[c] of my salvation,^(H) my stronghold.

³I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,^(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.^(J)
⁴The cords of death^(K) entangled me;
    the torrents^(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
⁵The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death^(M) confronted me.

⁶In my distress^(N) I called to the Lord;^(O)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;^(P)
    my cry came^(Q) before him, into his ears.
⁷The earth trembled^(R) and quaked,^(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;^(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.^(U)

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Footnotes

Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.

Jeremiah 20:7-13

New International Version

Jeremiah’s Complaint

⁷You deceived^[a]^(A) me, Lord, and I was deceived^[b];
    you overpowered^(B) me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed^(C) all day long;
    everyone mocks^(D) me.
⁸Whenever I speak, I cry out
    proclaiming violence and destruction.^(E)
So the word of the Lord has brought me
    insult and reproach^(F) all day long.
⁹But if I say, “I will not mention his word
    or speak anymore in his name,”^(G)
his word is in my heart like a fire,^(H)
    a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;^(I)
    indeed, I cannot.
¹⁰I hear many whispering,
    “Terror^(J) on every side!
    Denounce^(K) him! Let’s denounce him!”
All my friends^(L)
    are waiting for me to slip,^(M) saying,
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
    then we will prevail^(N) over him
    and take our revenge^(O) on him.”

¹¹But the Lord^(P) is with me like a mighty warrior;
    so my persecutors^(Q) will stumble and not prevail.^(R)
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;^(S)
    their dishonor will never be forgotten.
¹²Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous
    and probe the heart and mind,^(T)
let me see your vengeance^(U) on them,
    for to you I have committed^(V) my cause.

¹³Sing^(W) to the Lord!
Give praise to the Lord!
He rescues^(X) the life of the needy
from the hands of the wicked.^(Y)

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 20:7 Or persuaded
Jeremiah 20:7 Or persuaded

John 10:31-42

New International Version

³¹Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,^(A) ³²but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

³³“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”^(B)

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law,^(C) ‘I have said you are “gods”’^[a]?^(D) ³⁵If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God^(E) came—and Scripture cannot be set aside^(F)— ³⁶what about the one whom the Father set apart^(G) as his very own^(H) and sent into the world?^(I) Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?^(J) ³⁷Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.^(K) ³⁸But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”^(L) ³⁹Again they tried to seize him,^(M) but he escaped their grasp.^(N)

⁴⁰Then Jesus went back across the Jordan^(O) to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, ⁴¹and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign,^(P) all that John said about this man was true.”^(Q) ⁴²And in that place many believed in Jesus.^(R)