Psalm 18:21-50

New International Version

²¹For I have kept the ways of the Lord;^(A)
    I am not guilty of turning^(B) from my God.
²²All his laws are before me;^(C)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
²³I have been blameless^(D) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
²⁴The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,^(E)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵To the faithful^(F) you show yourself faithful,^(G)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
²⁶to the pure^(H) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.^(I)
²⁷You save the humble^(J)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.^(K)
²⁸You, Lord, keep my lamp^(L) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.^(M)
²⁹With your help^(N) I can advance against a troop^[a];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

³⁰As for God, his way is perfect:^(O)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;^(P)
    he shields^(Q) all who take refuge^(R) in him.
³¹For who is God besides the Lord?^(S)
    And who is the Rock^(T) except our God?
³²It is God who arms me with strength^(U)
    and keeps my way secure.^(V)
³³He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;^(W)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.^(X)
³⁴He trains my hands for battle;^(Y)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains^(Z) me;
    your help has made me great.
³⁶You provide a broad path^(AA) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.^(AB)

³⁷I pursued my enemies^(AC) and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
³⁸I crushed them^(AD) so that they could not rise;^(AE)
    they fell beneath my feet.^(AF)
³⁹You armed me with strength^(AG) for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries^(AH) before me.
⁴⁰You made my enemies turn their backs^(AI) in flight,
    and I destroyed^(AJ) my foes.
⁴¹They cried for help, but there was no one to save them^(AK)—
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.^(AL)
⁴²I beat them as fine as windblown dust;^(AM)
    I trampled them^[b] like mud in the streets.
⁴³You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.^(AN)
People I did not know^(AO) now serve me,
⁴⁴    foreigners^(AP) cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
⁴⁵They all lose heart;^(AQ)
    they come trembling^(AR) from their strongholds.^(AS)

⁴⁶The Lord lives!^(AT) Praise be to my Rock!^(AU)
    Exalted be God^(AV) my Savior!^(AW)
⁴⁷He is the God who avenges^(AX) me,
    who subdues nations^(AY) under me,
⁴⁸    who saves^(AZ) me from my enemies.^(BA)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man^(BB) you rescued me.
⁴⁹Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;^(BC)
    I will sing^(BD) the praises of your name.^(BE)

⁵⁰He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,^(BF)
to David^(BG) and to his descendants forever.^(BH)

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Footnotes

Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out

Proverbs 7

New International Version

Warning Against the Adulterous Woman

7 My son,^(A) keep my words
    and store up my commands within you.
²Keep my commands and you will live;^(B)
    guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
³Bind them on your fingers;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.^(C)
⁴Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and to insight, “You are my relative.”
⁵They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words.^(D)

⁶At the window of my house
    I looked down through the lattice.
⁷I saw among the simple,
    I noticed among the young men,
    a youth who had no sense.^(E)
⁸He was going down the street near her corner,
    walking along in the direction of her house
⁹at twilight,^(F) as the day was fading,
    as the dark of night set in.

¹⁰Then out came a woman to meet him,
    dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
¹¹(She is unruly^(G) and defiant,
    her feet never stay at home;
¹²now in the street, now in the squares,
    at every corner she lurks.)^(H)
¹³She took hold of him^(I) and kissed him
    and with a brazen face she said:^(J)

¹⁴“Today I fulfilled my vows,
    and I have food from my fellowship offering^(K) at home.
¹⁵So I came out to meet you;
    I looked for you and have found you!
¹⁶I have covered my bed
    with colored linens from Egypt.
¹⁷I have perfumed my bed^(L)
    with myrrh,^(M) aloes and cinnamon.
¹⁸Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
    let’s enjoy ourselves with love!^(N)
¹⁹My husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey.
²⁰He took his purse filled with money
    and will not be home till full moon.”

²¹With persuasive words she led him astray;
    she seduced him with her smooth talk.^(O)
²²All at once he followed her
    like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer^[a] stepping into a noose^[b]^(P)
²³    till an arrow pierces^(Q) his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
    little knowing it will cost him his life.^(R)

²⁴Now then, my sons, listen^(S) to me;
    pay attention to what I say.
²⁵Do not let your heart turn to her ways
    or stray into her paths.^(T)
²⁶Many are the victims she has brought down;
    her slain are a mighty throng.
²⁷Her house is a highway to the grave,
    leading down to the chambers of death.^(U)

Footnotes

Proverbs 7:22 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew fool
Proverbs 7:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.

Philippians 2:12-30

New International Version

Do Everything Without Grumbling

¹²Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,^(A) ¹³for it is God who works in you^(B) to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.^(C)

¹⁴Do everything without grumbling^(D) or arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless^(E) and pure, “children of God^(F) without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[a]^(G) Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ^(H) that I did not run^(I) or labor in vain.^(J) ¹⁷But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering^(K) on the sacrifice^(L) and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.^(M) ¹⁸So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy^(N) to you soon,^(O) that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. ²⁰I have no one else like him,^(P) who will show genuine concern for your welfare. ²¹For everyone looks out for their own interests,^(Q) not those of Jesus Christ. ²²But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father^(R) he has served with me in the work of the gospel. ²³I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.^(S) ²⁴And I am confident^(T) in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

²⁵But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker^(U) and fellow soldier,^(V) who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.^(W) ²⁶For he longs for all of you^(X) and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,^(Y) so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. ²⁹So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,^(Z) ³⁰because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.^(AA)