Psalm 56[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

Be merciful to me,(A) my God,
    for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(B)
    all day long they press their attack.(C)
My adversaries pursue me all day long;(D)
    in their pride many are attacking me.(E)

When I am afraid,(F) I put my trust in you.(G)
    In God, whose word I praise—(H)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(I)
    What can mere mortals do to me?(J)

All day long they twist my words;(K)
    all their schemes are for my ruin.
They conspire,(L) they lurk,
    they watch my steps,(M)
    hoping to take my life.(N)
Because of their wickedness do not[c] let them escape;(O)
    in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(P)

Record my misery;
    list my tears on your scroll[d](Q)
    are they not in your record?(R)
Then my enemies will turn back(S)
    when I call for help.(T)
    By this I will know that God is for me.(U)

10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can man do to me?

12 I am under vows(V) to you, my God;
    I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(W)
    and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.(X)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
  2. Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
  4. Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin

Psalm 57[a](A)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(B)

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
    for in you I take refuge.(C)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(D)
    until the disaster has passed.(E)

I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.(F)
He sends from heaven and saves me,(G)
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[c](H)
    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(I)

I am in the midst of lions;(J)
    I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.(K)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.(L)

They spread a net for my feet(M)
    I was bowed down(N) in distress.
They dug a pit(O) in my path—
    but they have fallen into it themselves.(P)

My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;(Q)
    I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul!
    Awake, harp and lyre!(R)
    I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(S)

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;(T)
    let your glory be over all the earth.(U)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
  2. Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.

Psalm 58[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
    Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
    and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)

Even from birth the wicked go astray;
    from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(D)
    like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
that will not heed(E) the tune of the charmer,(F)
    however skillful the enchanter may be.

Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
    like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.

Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(M)
    whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c](N)
10 The righteous will be glad(O) when they are avenged,(P)
    when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(Q)
11 Then people will say,
    “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(R)
    surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(S)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
  2. Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

Psalm 145[a]

A psalm of praise. Of David.

I will exalt you,(A) my God the King;(B)
    I will praise your name(C) for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise(D) you
    and extol your name(E) for ever and ever.

Great(F) is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(G)
    his greatness no one can fathom.(H)
One generation(I) commends your works to another;
    they tell(J) of your mighty acts.(K)
They speak of the glorious splendor(L) of your majesty—
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b](M)
They tell(N) of the power of your awesome works—(O)
    and I will proclaim(P) your great deeds.(Q)
They celebrate your abundant goodness(R)
    and joyfully sing(S) of your righteousness.(T)

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,(U)
    slow to anger and rich in love.(V)

The Lord is good(W) to all;
    he has compassion(X) on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you,(Y) Lord;
    your faithful people extol(Z) you.(AA)
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom(AB)
    and speak of your might,(AC)
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts(AD)
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.(AE)
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,(AF)
    and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy(AG) in all he promises(AH)
    and faithful in all he does.[c]
14 The Lord upholds(AI) all who fall
    and lifts up all(AJ) who are bowed down.(AK)
15 The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food(AL) at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
    and satisfy the desires(AM) of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous(AN) in all his ways
    and faithful in all he does.(AO)
18 The Lord is near(AP) to all who call on him,(AQ)
    to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires(AR) of those who fear him;(AS)
    he hears their cry(AT) and saves them.(AU)
20 The Lord watches over(AV) all who love him,(AW)
    but all the wicked he will destroy.(AX)

21 My mouth will speak(AY) in praise of the Lord.
    Let every creature(AZ) praise his holy name(BA)
    for ever and ever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 145:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text On the glorious splendor of your majesty / and on your wonderful works I will meditate
  3. Psalm 145:13 One manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text do not have the last two lines of verse 13.

16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake(A) the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery,(B) and performed those great signs(C) before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out(D) before us all the nations,(E) including the Amorites, who lived in the land.(F) We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.(G)

19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God;(H) he is a jealous God.(I) He will not forgive(J) your rebellion(K) and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord(L) and serve foreign gods, he will turn(M) and bring disaster(N) on you and make an end of you,(O) after he has been good to you.”

21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses(P) against yourselves that you have chosen(Q) to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,(R)” they replied.

23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods(S) that are among you and yield your hearts(T) to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”(U)

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant(V) for the people, and there at Shechem(W) he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.(X) 26 And Joshua recorded(Y) these things in the Book of the Law of God.(Z) Then he took a large stone(AA) and set it up there under the oak(AB) near the holy place of the Lord.

27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone(AC) will be a witness(AD) against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue(AE) to your God.”(AF)

28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.(AG)

Buried in the Promised Land(AH)

29 After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died(AI) at the age of a hundred and ten.(AJ) 30 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah[a](AK) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.(AL)

31 Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders(AM) who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

32 And Joseph’s bones,(AN) which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt,(AO) were buried at Shechem in the tract of land(AP) that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver[b] from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants.

33 And Eleazar son of Aaron(AQ) died and was buried at Gibeah,(AR) which had been allotted to his son Phinehas(AS) in the hill country(AT) of Ephraim.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 24:30 Also known as Timnath Heres (see Judges 2:9)
  2. Joshua 24:32 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.

Personal Greetings

16 I commend(A) to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon[a][b] of the church in Cenchreae.(B) I ask you to receive her in the Lord(C) in a way worthy of his people(D) and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

Greet Priscilla[c] and Aquila,(E) my co-workers(F) in Christ Jesus.(G) They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

Greet also the church that meets at their house.(H)

Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert(I) to Christ in the province of Asia.(J)

Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews(K) who have been in prison with me.(L) They are outstanding among[d] the apostles, and they were in Christ(M) before I was.

Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ,(N) and my dear friend Stachys.

10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.(O)

Greet those who belong to the household(P) of Aristobulus.

11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.(Q)

Greet those in the household(R) of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.

Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

13 Greet Rufus,(S) chosen(T) in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.

15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people(U) who are with them.(V)

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.(W)

All the churches of Christ send greetings.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 16:1 Or servant
  2. Romans 16:1 The word deacon refers here to a Christian designated to serve with the overseers/elders of the church in a variety of ways; similarly in Phil. 1:1 and 1 Tim. 3:8,12.
  3. Romans 16:3 Greek Prisca, a variant of Priscilla
  4. Romans 16:7 Or are esteemed by

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar(A) was starting, he took water and washed his hands(B) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”(C) he said. “It is your responsibility!”(D)

25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”(E)

26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,(F) and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus(G)

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium(H) and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,(I) 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.(J) 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.(K) 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.(L)

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