Psalm 85[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

You, Lord, showed favor to your land;
    you restored the fortunes(A) of Jacob.
You forgave(B) the iniquity(C) of your people
    and covered all their sins.[b]
You set aside all your wrath(D)
    and turned from your fierce anger.(E)

Restore(F) us again, God our Savior,(G)
    and put away your displeasure toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever?(H)
    Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
Will you not revive(I) us again,
    that your people may rejoice(J) in you?
Show us your unfailing love,(K) Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.(L)

I will listen to what God the Lord says;
    he promises peace(M) to his people, his faithful servants—
    but let them not turn to folly.(N)
Surely his salvation(O) is near those who fear him,
    that his glory(P) may dwell in our land.

10 Love and faithfulness(Q) meet together;
    righteousness(R) and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
    and righteousness(S) looks down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed give what is good,(T)
    and our land will yield(U) its harvest.
13 Righteousness goes before him
    and prepares the way for his steps.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 85:1 In Hebrew texts 85:1-13 is numbered 85:2-14.
  2. Psalm 85:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Psalm 86

A prayer of David.

Hear me, Lord, and answer(A) me,
    for I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
    save your servant who trusts in you.(B)
You are my God; have mercy(C) on me, Lord,
    for I call(D) to you all day long.
Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
    for I put my trust(E) in you.

You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
    abounding in love(F) to all who call to you.
Hear my prayer, Lord;
    listen to my cry(G) for mercy.
When I am in distress,(H) I call(I) to you,
    because you answer(J) me.

Among the gods(K) there is none like you,(L) Lord;
    no deeds can compare with yours.
All the nations you have made
    will come(M) and worship(N) before you, Lord;
    they will bring glory(O) to your name.
10 For you are great(P) and do marvelous deeds;(Q)
    you alone(R) are God.

11 Teach me your way,(S) Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;(T)
give me an undivided(U) heart,
    that I may fear(V) your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;(W)
    I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me(X) from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead.(Y)

14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
    ruthless people are trying to kill me—
    they have no regard for you.(Z)
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious(AA) God,
    slow to anger,(AB) abounding(AC) in love and faithfulness.(AD)
16 Turn to me(AE) and have mercy(AF) on me;
    show your strength(AG) in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
    just as my mother did.(AH)
17 Give me a sign(AI) of your goodness,
    that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
    for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

“If you, Israel, will return,(A)
    then return to me,”
declares the Lord.
“If you put your detestable idols(B) out of my sight
    and no longer go astray,
and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
    you swear,(C) ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’(D)
then the nations will invoke blessings(E) by him
    and in him they will boast.(F)

This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:

“Break up your unplowed ground(G)
    and do not sow among thorns.(H)
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
    circumcise your hearts,(I)
    you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath(J) will flare up and burn like fire(K)
    because of the evil(L) you have done—
    burn with no one to quench(M) it.

Disaster From the North

“Announce in Judah and proclaim(N) in Jerusalem and say:
    ‘Sound the trumpet(O) throughout the land!’
Cry aloud and say:
    ‘Gather together!
    Let us flee to the fortified cities!’(P)
Raise the signal(Q) to go to Zion!
    Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster(R) from the north,(S)
    even terrible destruction.”

A lion(T) has come out of his lair;(U)
    a destroyer(V) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
    to lay waste(W) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(X)
    without inhabitant.
So put on sackcloth,(Y)
    lament(Z) and wail,
for the fierce anger(AA) of the Lord
    has not turned away from us.

“In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “the king and the officials will lose heart,(AB)
the priests will be horrified,
    and the prophets will be appalled.”(AC)

10 Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived(AD) this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’(AE) when the sword is at our throats!”

11 At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind(AF) from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12 a wind(AG) too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments(AH) against them.”

13 Look! He advances like the clouds,(AI)
    his chariots(AJ) come like a whirlwind,(AK)
his horses(AL) are swifter than eagles.(AM)
    Woe to us! We are ruined!(AN)
14 Jerusalem, wash(AO) the evil from your heart and be saved.(AP)
    How long(AQ) will you harbor wicked thoughts?

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15 A voice is announcing from Dan,(A)
    proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.(B)
16 “Tell this to the nations,
    proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,(C)
    raising a war cry(D) against the cities of Judah.(E)
17 They surround(F) her like men guarding a field,
    because she has rebelled(G) against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions(H)
    have brought this on you.(I)
This is your punishment.
    How bitter(J) it is!
    How it pierces to the heart!”

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Jesus Clears the Temple Courts(A)

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,(B) Jesus went up to Jerusalem.(C) 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,(D) and others sitting at tables exchanging money.(E) 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house(F) into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[a](G)

18 The Jews(H) then responded to him, “What sign(I) can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”(J)

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”(K)

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.(L) 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.(M) Then they believed the scripture(N) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,(O) many people saw the signs(P) he was performing and believed(Q) in his name.[b] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind,(R) for he knew what was in each person.(S)

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Footnotes

  1. John 2:17 Psalm 69:9
  2. John 2:23 Or in him

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