Psalm 61

Assurance of God’s Protection

To the leader: with stringed instruments. Of David.

Psalm 62

Song of Trust in God Alone

To the leader: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

Israel’s Disobedience

2 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.^{(A) 2} For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done!^{(B) 3} So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become adversaries^[a] to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”^{(C) 4} When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. ⁵ So they named that place Bochim,^[b] and there they sacrificed to the Lord.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

¹¹ Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals,^{(A) 12} and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them and bowed down to them, and they provoked the Lord to anger.^{(B) 13} They abandoned the Lord and served Baal and the Astartes.^{(C) 14} So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.^{(D) 15} Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them to bring misfortune, as the Lord had warned them and sworn to them, and they were in great distress.

¹⁶ Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them.^{(E) 17} Yet they did not listen even to their judges, for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord; they did not follow their example.^{(F) 18} Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge, for the Lord would be moved to pity by their groaning because of those who persecuted and oppressed them. ¹⁹ But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and behave worse than their ancestors, following other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They would not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.^{(G) 20} So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this nation has transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors and have not obeyed my voice,^{(H) 21} I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.”^{(I) 22} In order to test Israel, whether or not they would take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their ancestors did,^{(J) 23} the Lord had left those nations, not driving them out at once, and had not handed them over to Joshua.

Final Instructions

¹⁷ I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who create dissensions and hindrances, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them.^{(A) 18} For such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites,^[a] and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded.^{(B) 19} For your obedience is known to all; therefore, I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and guileless in what is evil.^{(C) 20} The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.^[b](D)

²¹ Timothy, my coworker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Israelites.^(E)

²² I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.^[c]

²³ Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus greet you.^[d](F)

Final Doxology

²⁵ Now to God^[e] who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages^{(G) 26} but is now disclosed and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith^(H)— ²⁷ to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.^[f]

The Crucifixion of Jesus

³² As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.^{(A) 33} And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), ³⁴ they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.^{(B) 35} And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots;^{[a](C) 36} then they sat down there and kept watch over him.^{(D) 37} Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

³⁸ Then two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.^{(E) 39} Those who passed by derided^[b] him, shaking their heads^{(F) 40} and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”^{(G) 41} In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, ⁴² “He saved others; he cannot save himself.^[c] He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.^{(H) 43} He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to, for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ”^{(I) 44} The rebels who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.