Psalm 34

New International Version

Psalm 34^[a]^[b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane^(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

¹I will extol the Lord at all times;^(B)
    his praise will always be on my lips.
²I will glory^(C) in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.^(D)
³Glorify the Lord^(E) with me;
    let us exalt^(F) his name together.

⁴I sought the Lord,^(G) and he answered me;
    he delivered^(H) me from all my fears.
⁵Those who look to him are radiant;^(I)
    their faces are never covered with shame.^(J)
⁶This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.^(K)
⁷The angel of the Lord^(L) encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers^(M) them.

⁸Taste and see that the Lord is good;^(N)
    blessed is the one who takes refuge^(O) in him.
⁹Fear the Lord,^(P) you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.^(Q)
¹⁰The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.^(R)
¹¹Come, my children, listen^(S) to me;
    I will teach you^(T) the fear of the Lord.^(U)
¹²Whoever of you loves life^(V)
    and desires to see many good days,
¹³keep your tongue^(W) from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.^(X)
¹⁴Turn from evil and do good;^(Y)
    seek peace^(Z) and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the Lord^(AA) are on the righteous,^(AB)
and his ears are attentive^(AC) to their cry;
¹⁶but the face of the Lord is against^(AD) those who do evil,^(AE)
to blot out their name^(AF) from the earth.

¹⁷The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears^(AG) them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸The Lord is close^(AH) to the brokenhearted^(AI)
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹The righteous person may have many troubles,^(AJ)
but the Lord delivers him from them all;^(AK)
²⁰he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.^(AL)

²¹Evil will slay the wicked;^(AM)
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
²²The Lord will rescue^(AN) his servants;
no one who takes refuge^(AO) in him will be condemned.

Footnotes

Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Psalm 34:1 In Hebrew texts 34:1-22 is numbered 34:2-23.

Exodus 19:7-20

New International Version

⁷So Moses went back and summoned the elders^(A) of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak.^(B) ⁸The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”^(C) So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

⁹The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,^(D) so that the people will hear me speaking^(E) with you and will always put their trust^(F) in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

¹⁰And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate^(G) them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes^(H) ¹¹and be ready by the third day,^(I) because on that day the Lord will come down^(J) on Mount Sinai^(K) in the sight of all the people. ¹²Put limits^(L) for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. ¹³They are to be stoned^(M) or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn^(N) sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”^(O)

¹⁴After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.^(P) ¹⁵Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain^(Q) from sexual relations.”

¹⁶On the morning of the third day there was thunder^(R) and lightning, with a thick cloud^(S) over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.^(T) Everyone in the camp trembled.^(U) ¹⁷Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.^(V) ¹⁸Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,^(W) because the Lord descended on it in fire.^(X) The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,^(Y) and the whole mountain^[a] trembled^(Z) violently. ¹⁹As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice^(AA) of God answered^(AB) him.^[b]

²⁰The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai^(AC) and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up

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Footnotes

Exodus 19:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint and all the people
Exodus 19:19 Or and God answered him with thunder

Jude 17-25

New International Version

A Call to Persevere

¹⁷But, dear friends, remember what the apostles^(A) of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.^(B) ¹⁸They said to you, “In the last times^(C) there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”^(D) ¹⁹These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.^(E)

²⁰But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up^(F) in your most holy faith^(G) and praying in the Holy Spirit,^(H) ²¹keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait^(I) for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.^(J)

²²Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³save others by snatching them from the fire;^(K) to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.^[a]^(L)

Doxology

²⁴To him who is able^(M) to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence^(N) without fault^(O) and with great joy— ²⁵to the only God^(P) our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!^(Q) Amen.^(R)