The Lord Will Not Forsake His People

94 O Lord, God of (A)vengeance,
    O God of vengeance, (B)shine forth!
(C)Rise up, O (D)judge of the earth;
    repay to the (E)proud what they deserve!
O Lord, (F)how long shall the wicked,
    how long shall (G)the wicked exult?
They pour out their (H)arrogant words;
    all (I)the evildoers boast.
They (J)crush your people, O Lord,
    and afflict your heritage.
They kill (K)the widow and the sojourner,
    and murder (L)the fatherless;
(M)and they say, “The Lord does not see;
    the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

(N)Understand, O dullest of the people!
    Fools, when will you be wise?
(O)He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who (P)disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?
He who (Q)teaches man knowledge—
11     (R)the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,
    that they are (S)but a breath.[a]

12 (T)Blessed is the man whom you (U)discipline, O Lord,
    and whom you teach out of your law,
13 to give him (V)rest from (W)days of trouble,
    until (X)a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 (Y)For the Lord will not forsake his (Z)people;
    he will not abandon his (AA)heritage;
15 for (AB)justice will return to the righteous,
    and all the upright in heart will (AC)follow it.

16 (AD)Who rises up for me against the wicked?
    Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 (AE)If the Lord had not been my help,
    my soul would soon have lived in the land of (AF)silence.
18 When I thought, (AG)“My foot slips,”
    your steadfast love, O Lord, (AH)held me up.
19 When the cares of my heart are many,
    your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can (AI)wicked rulers be allied with you,
    those who frame[b] injustice by (AJ)statute?
21 They (AK)band together against the life of the righteous
    and condemn (AL)the innocent to death.[c]
22 But the Lord has become my (AM)stronghold,
    and my God (AN)the rock of my (AO)refuge.
23 He will bring back on them (AP)their iniquity
    and (AQ)wipe them out for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will wipe them out.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 94:11 Septuagint they are futile
  2. Psalm 94:20 Or fashion
  3. Psalm 94:21 Hebrew condemn innocent blood

The Lord Will Not Forsake His People

94 O Lord, God of (A)vengeance,
    O God of vengeance, (B)shine forth!
(C)Rise up, O (D)judge of the earth;
    repay to the (E)proud what they deserve!
O Lord, (F)how long shall the wicked,
    how long shall (G)the wicked exult?
They pour out their (H)arrogant words;
    all (I)the evildoers boast.
They (J)crush your people, O Lord,
    and afflict your heritage.
They kill (K)the widow and the sojourner,
    and murder (L)the fatherless;
(M)and they say, “The Lord does not see;
    the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

(N)Understand, O dullest of the people!
    Fools, when will you be wise?
(O)He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who (P)disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?
He who (Q)teaches man knowledge—
11     (R)the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,
    that they are (S)but a breath.[a]

12 (T)Blessed is the man whom you (U)discipline, O Lord,
    and whom you teach out of your law,
13 to give him (V)rest from (W)days of trouble,
    until (X)a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 (Y)For the Lord will not forsake his (Z)people;
    he will not abandon his (AA)heritage;
15 for (AB)justice will return to the righteous,
    and all the upright in heart will (AC)follow it.

16 (AD)Who rises up for me against the wicked?
    Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 (AE)If the Lord had not been my help,
    my soul would soon have lived in the land of (AF)silence.
18 When I thought, (AG)“My foot slips,”
    your steadfast love, O Lord, (AH)held me up.
19 When the cares of my heart are many,
    your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can (AI)wicked rulers be allied with you,
    those who frame[b] injustice by (AJ)statute?
21 They (AK)band together against the life of the righteous
    and condemn (AL)the innocent to death.[c]
22 But the Lord has become my (AM)stronghold,
    and my God (AN)the rock of my (AO)refuge.
23 He will bring back on them (AP)their iniquity
    and (AQ)wipe them out for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will wipe them out.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 94:11 Septuagint they are futile
  2. Psalm 94:20 Or fashion
  3. Psalm 94:21 Hebrew condemn innocent blood

Our Heavenly Dwelling

For we know that if (A)the tent that is (B)our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, (C)a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent (D)we groan, longing to (E)put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on[a] we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal (F)may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, (G)who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

So we are always of good courage. We know that (H)while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for (I)we walk by faith, not (J)by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we (K)would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to (L)please him. 10 For (M)we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, (N)so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

11 Therefore, knowing (O)the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But (P)what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 (Q)We are not commending ourselves to you again but (R)giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we (S)are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ (T)controls us, because we have concluded this: that (U)one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, (V)that those who live might no longer live for themselves but (W)for him who for their sake died and was raised.

16 From now on, therefore, (X)we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is (Y)in Christ, he is (Z)a new creation.[b] (AA)The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, (AB)who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us (AC)the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling[c] the world to himself, (AD)not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us (AE)the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, (AF)we are ambassadors for Christ, (AG)God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 (AH)For our sake he made him to be sin (AI)who knew no sin, so that in him we might become (AJ)the righteousness of God.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 5:3 Some manuscripts putting it off
  2. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Or creature
  3. 2 Corinthians 5:19 Or God was in Christ, reconciling

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