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Psalm 4-6
New King James Version

The Safety of the Faithful

To the [a]Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

4 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
[b]Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

2 How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
3 But know that (A)the Lord has [c]set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him.

4 (B)Be[d] angry, and do not sin.
(C)Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
5 Offer (D)the sacrifices of righteousness,
And (E)put your trust in the Lord.

6 There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?”
(F)Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
7 You have put (G)gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
8 (H)I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
(I)For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

A Prayer for Guidance

To the Chief Musician. With [e]flutes. A Psalm of David.

5 Give (J)ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my [f]meditation.
2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
(K)In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil [g]dwell with You.
5 The (L)boastful shall not (M)stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the (N)bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward [h]Your holy temple.
8 (O)Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.

9 For there is no [i]faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
(P)Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
10 Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.

11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You [j]defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

A Prayer of Faith in Time of Distress

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. (Q)On [k]an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.

6 O Lord, (R)do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, (S)heal me, for my bones are troubled.
3 My soul also is greatly (T)troubled;
But You, O Lord—how long?

4 Return, O Lord, deliver me!
Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!
5 (U)For in death there is no remembrance of You;
In the grave who will give You thanks?

6 I am weary with my groaning;
[l]All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears.
7 (V)My eye wastes away because of grief;
It grows old because of all my enemies.

8 (W)Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;
For the Lord has (X)heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication;
The Lord will receive my prayer.
10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;
Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 4:1 Choir Director
  2. Psalm 4:1 Be gracious to me
  3. Psalm 4:3 Many Heb. mss., LXX, Tg., Vg. made wonderful
  4. Psalm 4:4 Lit. Tremble or Be agitated
  5. Psalm 5:1 Heb. nehiloth
  6. Psalm 5:1 Lit. groaning
  7. Psalm 5:4 Lit. sojourn
  8. Psalm 5:7 Lit. the temple of Your holiness
  9. Psalm 5:9 uprightness
  10. Psalm 5:11 protect, lit. cover
  11. Psalm 6:1 Heb. sheminith
  12. Psalm 6:6 Or Every night
Listen to Psalm 4-6, Acts 17:16-34
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Psalm 4-6
New International Version

Psalm 4[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

1 Answer me(A) when I call to you,
    my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;(B)
    have mercy(C) on me and hear my prayer.(D)

2 How long will you people turn my glory(E) into shame?(F)
    How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[b]?[c](G)
3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant(H) for himself;
    the Lord hears(I) when I call to him.

4 Tremble and[d] do not sin;(J)
    when you are on your beds,(K)
    search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
    and trust in the Lord.(L)

6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
    Let the light of your face shine on us.(M)
7 Fill my heart(N) with joy(O)
    when their grain and new wine(P) abound.

8 In peace(Q) I will lie down and sleep,(R)
    for you alone, Lord,
    make me dwell in safety.(S)

Psalm 5[e]

For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.

1 Listen(T) to my words, Lord,
    consider my lament.(U)
2 Hear my cry for help,(V)
    my King and my God,(W)
    for to you I pray.

3 In the morning,(X) Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.(Y)
4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
    with you, evil people(Z) are not welcome.
5 The arrogant(AA) cannot stand(AB)
    in your presence.
You hate(AC) all who do wrong;
6     you destroy those who tell lies.(AD)
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
    you, Lord, detest.
7 But I, by your great love,
    can come into your house;
in reverence(AE) I bow down(AF)
    toward your holy temple.(AG)

8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness(AH)
    because of my enemies—
    make your way straight(AI) before me.
9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
    their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;(AJ)
    with their tongues they tell lies.(AK)
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
    Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,(AL)
    for they have rebelled(AM) against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
    let them ever sing for joy.(AN)
Spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name(AO) may rejoice in you.(AP)

12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;(AQ)
    you surround them(AR) with your favor as with a shield.(AS)

Psalm 6[f]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.[g] A psalm of David.

1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger(AT)
    or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me,(AU) Lord, for I am faint;(AV)
    heal me,(AW) Lord, for my bones are in agony.(AX)
3 My soul is in deep anguish.(AY)
    How long,(AZ) Lord, how long?

4 Turn,(BA) Lord, and deliver me;
    save me because of your unfailing love.(BB)
5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
    Who praises you from the grave?(BC)

6 I am worn out(BD) from my groaning.(BE)

All night long I flood my bed with weeping(BF)
    and drench my couch with tears.(BG)
7 My eyes grow weak(BH) with sorrow;
    they fail because of all my foes.

8 Away from me,(BI) all you who do evil,(BJ)
    for the Lord has heard my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;(BK)
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;(BL)
    they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.(BM)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-8 is numbered 4:2-9.
  2. Psalm 4:2 Or seek lies
  3. Psalm 4:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 4.
  4. Psalm 4:4 Or In your anger (see Septuagint)
  5. Psalm 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1-12 is numbered 5:2-13.
  6. Psalm 6:1 In Hebrew texts 6:1-10 is numbered 6:2-11.
  7. Psalm 6:1 Title: Probably a musical term
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Psalm 3
Psalm 7
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Acts 17:16-34
New King James Version

The Philosophers at Athens

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, (A)his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was [a]given over to idols. 17 Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. 18 [b]Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this [c]babbler want to say?”

Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them (B)Jesus and the resurrection.

19 And they took him and brought him to the [d]Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” 21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

Addressing the Areopagus

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the [e]Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24 (C)God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is (D)Lord of heaven and earth, (E)does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He (F)gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one [f]blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and (G)the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 (H)so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, (I)though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for (J)in Him we live and move and have our being, (K)as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, (L)we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly, (M)these times of ignorance God overlooked, but (N)now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which (O)He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by (P)raising Him from the dead.”

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 17:16 full of idols
  2. Acts 17:18 NU, M add also
  3. Acts 17:18 Lit. seed picker, an idler who makes a living picking up scraps
  4. Acts 17:19 Lit. Hill of Ares, or Mars’ Hill
  5. Acts 17:22 Lit. Hill of Ares, or Mars’ Hill
  6. Acts 17:26 NU omits blood
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Acts 17:16-34
New International Version

In Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue(A) with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news(B) about Jesus and the resurrection.(C) 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,(D) where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching(E) is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians(F) and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus(G) and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.(H) 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship(I)—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it(J) is the Lord of heaven and earth(K) and does not live in temples built by human hands.(L) 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.(M) 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.(N) 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.(O) 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a](P) As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[b]

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.(Q) 30 In the past God overlooked(R) such ignorance,(S) but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.(T) 31 For he has set a day when he will judge(U) the world with justice(V) by the man he has appointed.(W) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”(X)

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead,(Y) some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus,(Z) also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 17:28 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides
  2. Acts 17:28 From the Cilician Stoic philosopher Aratus
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Acts 16
Acts 18
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