Psalm 7[a]

A shiggaion[b](A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

Lord my God, I take refuge(B) in you;
    save and deliver me(C) from all who pursue me,(D)
or they will tear me apart like a lion(E)
    and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue(F) me.

Lord my God, if I have done this
    and there is guilt on my hands(G)
if I have repaid my ally with evil
    or without cause(H) have robbed my foe—
then let my enemy pursue and overtake(I) me;
    let him trample my life to the ground(J)
    and make me sleep in the dust.[c](K)

Arise,(L) Lord, in your anger;
    rise up against the rage of my enemies.(M)
    Awake,(N) my God; decree justice.
Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
    while you sit enthroned over them on high.(O)
    Let the Lord judge(P) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,(Q)
    according to my integrity,(R) O Most High.(S)
Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
    and make the righteous secure—(T)
you, the righteous God(U)
    who probes minds and hearts.(V)

10 My shield[d](W) is God Most High,
    who saves the upright in heart.(X)
11 God is a righteous judge,(Y)
    a God who displays his wrath(Z) every day.
12 If he does not relent,(AA)
    he[e] will sharpen his sword;(AB)
    he will bend and string his bow.(AC)
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
    he makes ready his flaming arrows.(AD)

14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
    conceives trouble and gives birth(AE) to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
    falls into the pit(AF) they have made.(AG)
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
    their violence comes down on their own heads.

17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;(AH)
    I will sing the praises(AI) of the name of the Lord Most High.(AJ)

Psalm 8[f]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[g] A psalm of David.

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name(AK) in all the earth!

You have set your glory(AL)
    in the heavens.(AM)
Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold(AN) against your enemies,
    to silence the foe(AO) and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,(AP)
    the work of your fingers,(AQ)
the moon and the stars,(AR)
    which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?[h](AS)

You have made them[i] a little lower than the angels[j](AT)
    and crowned them[k] with glory and honor.(AU)
You made them rulers(AV) over the works of your hands;(AW)
    you put everything under their[l] feet:(AX)
all flocks and herds,(AY)
    and the animals of the wild,(AZ)
the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,(BA)
    all that swim the paths of the seas.

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!(BB)

Psalm 9[m][n]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;(BC)
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.(BD)
I will be glad and rejoice(BE) in you;
    I will sing the praises(BF) of your name,(BG) O Most High.

My enemies turn back;
    they stumble and perish before you.
For you have upheld my right(BH) and my cause,(BI)
    sitting enthroned(BJ) as the righteous judge.(BK)
You have rebuked the nations(BL) and destroyed the wicked;
    you have blotted out their name(BM) for ever and ever.
Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
    you have uprooted their cities;(BN)
    even the memory of them(BO) has perished.

The Lord reigns forever;(BP)
    he has established his throne(BQ) for judgment.
He rules the world in righteousness(BR)
    and judges the peoples with equity.(BS)
The Lord is a refuge(BT) for the oppressed,(BU)
    a stronghold in times of trouble.(BV)
10 Those who know your name(BW) trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken(BX) those who seek you.(BY)

11 Sing the praises(BZ) of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;(CA)
    proclaim among the nations(CB) what he has done.(CC)
12 For he who avenges blood(CD) remembers;
    he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.(CE)

13 Lord, see how my enemies(CF) persecute me!
    Have mercy(CG) and lift me up from the gates of death,(CH)
14 that I may declare your praises(CI)
    in the gates of Daughter Zion,(CJ)
    and there rejoice in your salvation.(CK)

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;(CL)
    their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.(CM)
16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
    the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.[o](CN)
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,(CO)
    all the nations that forget God.(CP)
18 But God will never forget the needy;
    the hope(CQ) of the afflicted(CR) will never perish.

19 Arise,(CS) Lord, do not let mortals triumph;(CT)
    let the nations be judged(CU) in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror,(CV) Lord;
    let the nations know they are only mortal.(CW)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-17 is numbered 7:2-18.
  2. Psalm 7:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 7:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  4. Psalm 7:10 Or sovereign
  5. Psalm 7:12 Or If anyone does not repent, / God
  6. Psalm 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-9 is numbered 8:2-10.
  7. Psalm 8:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  8. Psalm 8:4 Or what is a human being that you are mindful of him, / a son of man that you care for him?
  9. Psalm 8:5 Or him
  10. Psalm 8:5 Or than God
  11. Psalm 8:5 Or him
  12. Psalm 8:6 Or made him ruler . . . ; / . . . his
  13. Psalm 9:1 Psalms 9 and 10 may originally have been a single acrostic poem in which alternating lines began with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they constitute one psalm.
  14. Psalm 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1-20 is numbered 9:2-21.
  15. Psalm 9:16 The Hebrew has Higgaion and Selah (words of uncertain meaning) here; Selah occurs also at the end of verse 20.

Cornelius Calls for Peter

10 At Caesarea(A) there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing;(B) he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon(C) he had a vision.(D) He distinctly saw an angel(E) of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering(F) before God.(G) Now send men to Joppa(H) to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner,(I) whose house is by the sea.”

When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.(J)

Peter’s Vision(K)

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof(L) to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.(M) 11 He saw heaven opened(N) and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

14 “Surely not, Lord!”(O) Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”(P)

15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”(Q)

16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision,(R) the men sent by Cornelius(S) found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision,(T) the Spirit said(U) to him, “Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”(V)

21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man,(W) who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”(X) 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Peter at Cornelius’s House

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers(Y) from Joppa went along.(Z)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 10:19 One early manuscript two; other manuscripts do not have the number.

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