Psalm 40

English Standard Version

My Help and My Deliverer

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

40 I ^(A)waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and ^(B)heard my cry.
²He drew me up from ^(C)the pit of destruction,
    out of ^(D)the miry bog,
and ^(E)set my feet upon a rock,
    ^(F)making my steps secure.
³He put ^(G)a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will ^(H)see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

⁴Blessed is the man who ^(I)makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who ^(J)go astray after a lie!
⁵You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your ^(K)wondrous deeds and your ^(L)thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are ^(M)more than can be told.

⁶^(N)In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
    but you have given me an open ^(O)ear.^[a]
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
⁷Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
    in the scroll of the book it is written ^(P)of me:
⁸^(Q)I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is ^(R)within my heart.”

⁹I have told the glad news of deliverance^[b]
    in ^(S)the great congregation;
behold, I have not ^(T)restrained my lips,
    ^(U)as you know, O Lord.
¹⁰I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.

¹¹As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your ^(V)steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
¹²For evils have ^(W)encompassed me
    beyond number;
my ^(X)iniquities have overtaken me,
    and I cannot ^(Y)see;
they are ^(Z)more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart ^(AA)fails me.

¹³^(AB)Be pleased, O Lord, to ^(AC)deliver me!
    O Lord, ^(AD)make haste to help me!
¹⁴^(AE)Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be ^(AF)turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
¹⁵Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who ^(AG)say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

¹⁶But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    ^(AH)say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
¹⁷As for me, I am ^(AI)poor and needy,
    but ^(AJ)the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    do not delay, O my God!

Footnotes

Psalm 40:6 Hebrew ears you have dug for me
Psalm 40:9 Hebrew righteousness; also verse 10

Psalm 54

English Standard Version

The Lord Upholds My Life

To the choirmaster: with ^(A)stringed instruments. A Maskil^[a] of David, ^(B)when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”

54 O God, save me by your ^(C)name,
and vindicate me by your might.
²O God, ^(D)hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.

³^(E)For ^(F)strangers^[b] have risen against me;
ruthless men ^(G)seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah

⁴Behold, ^(H)God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
⁵He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your ^(I)faithfulness ^(J)put an end to them.

⁶With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, ^(K)for it is good.
⁷For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has ^(L)looked in triumph on my enemies.

Footnotes

Psalm 54:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 54:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Targum insolent men (compare Psalm 86:14)

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

English Standard Version

Fear God

5 ^[a] ^(A)Guard your steps when you go to ^(B)the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to ^(C)offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. ²^[b] Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore ^(D)let your words be few. ³For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with ^(E)many words.

⁴When ^(F)you vow a vow to God, ^(G)do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. ^(H)Pay what you vow. ⁵^(I)It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. ⁶Let not your mouth lead you^[c] into sin, and do not say before ^(J)the messenger^[d] that it was ^(K)a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity;^[e] but^[f] ^(L)God is the one you must fear.

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Footnotes

Ecclesiastes 5:1 Ch 4:17 in Hebrew
Ecclesiastes 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew
Ecclesiastes 5:6 Hebrew your flesh
Ecclesiastes 5:6 Or angel
Ecclesiastes 5:7 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)
Ecclesiastes 5:7 Or For when dreams and vanities increase, words also grow many; but

Galatians 3:15-22

English Standard Version

The Law and the Promise

¹⁵^(A)To give a human example, brothers:^[a] ^(B)even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. ¹⁶Now ^(C)the promises were made ^(D)to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, ^(E)“And to your offspring,” who is Christ. ¹⁷This is what I mean: the law, which came ^(F)430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as ^(G)to make the promise void. ¹⁸For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but ^(H)God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

¹⁹Why then the law? ^(I)It was added because of transgressions, ^(J)until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was ^(K)put in place through angels ^(L)by an intermediary. ²⁰Now ^(M)an intermediary implies more than one, but ^(N)God is one.

²¹Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For ^(O)if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ²²But the Scripture ^(P)imprisoned everything under sin, so that ^(Q)the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given ^(R)to those who believe.

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Footnotes

Galatians 3:15 Or brothers and sisters

Matthew 14:22-36

English Standard Version

Jesus Walks on the Water

²²^(A)Immediately he ^(B)made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³And after he had dismissed the crowds, ^(C)he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When ^(D)evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but the boat by this time was a long way^[a] from the land,^[b] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. ²⁵And ^(E)in the fourth watch of the night^[c] he came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, ^(F)they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. ²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ^(G)“Take heart; it is I. ^(H)Do not be afraid.”

²⁸And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and ^(I)walked on the water and came to Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the wind,^[d] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ^(J)“Lord, save me.” ³¹Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ^(K)“O you of little faith, why did you ^(L)doubt?” ³²And when they got into the boat, ^(M)the wind ceased. ³³And ^(N)those in the boat ^(O)worshiped him, saying, ^(P)“Truly you are ^(Q)the Son of God.”

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

³⁴^(R)And when they had crossed over, they came to land at ^(S)Gennesaret. ³⁵And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and ^(T)brought to him all who were sick ³⁶and implored him that they might only touch ^(U)the fringe of his garment. And ^(V)as many as touched it were made well.