¹⁸ [But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and ^[a]for us and ^[b]conferred on us!

¹⁹ For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship].

²⁰ For the creation (nature) was subjected to ^[c]frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it—[yet] with the hope^(A)

²¹ That nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

²² We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now.^(B)

²³ And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God’s sons).

²⁴ For in [this] hope we were saved. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For how can one hope for what he already sees?

²⁵ But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure.

²⁶ So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.

²⁷ And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.^(C)

²⁸ We are assured and know that [^[d]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

²⁹ For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was ^[e]aware and ^[f]loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.

³⁰ And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].

³¹ What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]^(D)

³² He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?

³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?]

³⁴ Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?

³⁵ Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?

³⁶ Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.^(E)

³⁷ Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors ^[g]and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things ^[h]impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,

³⁹ Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Psalm 70

To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David, to bring to remembrance or make memorial.

¹ Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord!

² Let them be put to shame and confounded that seek and demand my life; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion and dishonor who desire and delight in my hurt.

³ Let them be turned back and appalled because of their shame and disgrace who say, Aha, aha!

⁴ May all those who seek, inquire of and for You, and require You [as their vital need] rejoice and be glad in You; and may those who love Your salvation say continually, Let God be magnified!

⁵ But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my Help and my Deliverer; O Lord, do not tarry!

Psalm 71

¹ In You, O Lord, do I put my trust and confidently take refuge; let me never be put to shame or confusion!

² Deliver me in Your righteousness and cause me to escape; bow down Your ear to me and save me!

³ Be to me a rock of refuge in which to dwell, and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually resort, which You have appointed to save me, for You are my Rock and my Fortress.

⁴ Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man.

⁵ For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth and the source of my confidence.

⁶ Upon You have I leaned and relied from birth; You are He Who took me from my mother’s womb and You have been my benefactor from that day. My praise is continually of You.

⁷ I am as a wonder and surprise to many, but You are my strong refuge.

⁸ My mouth shall be filled with Your praise and with Your honor all the day.

⁹ Cast me not off nor send me away in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent and my powers fail.

¹⁰ For my enemies talk against me; those who watch for my life consult together,

¹¹ Saying, God has forsaken him; pursue and persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him.

¹² O God, be not far from me! O my God, make haste to help me!

¹³ Let them be put to shame and consumed who are adversaries to my life; let them be covered with reproach, scorn, and dishonor who seek and require my hurt.

¹⁴ But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.

¹⁵ My mouth shall tell of Your righteous acts and of Your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is more than I know.

¹⁶ I will come in the strength and with the mighty acts of the Lord God; I will mention and praise Your righteousness, even Yours alone.

¹⁷ O God, You have taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I declared Your wondrous works.

¹⁸ Yes, even when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not, [but keep me alive] until I have declared Your mighty strength to [this] generation, and Your might and power to all that are to come.

¹⁹ Your righteousness also, O God, is very high [reaching to the heavens], You Who have done great things; O God, who is like You, or who is Your equal?

²⁰ You Who have shown us [all] troubles great and sore will quicken us again and will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.

²¹ Increase my greatness (my honor) and turn and comfort me.

²² I will also praise You with the harp, even Your truth and faithfulness, O my God; unto You will I sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

²³ My lips shall shout for joy when I sing praises to You, and my inner being, which You have redeemed.

²⁴ My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; for they are put to shame, for they are confounded, who seek and demand my hurt.

Psalm 72^[a]

[A Psalm] for Solomon.

¹ Give the king [knowledge of] Your [way of] judging, O God, and [the spirit of] Your righteousness to the king’s son [to control all his actions].

² Let him judge and govern Your people with righteousness, and Your poor and afflicted ones with judgment and justice.

³ The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills, through [the general establishment of] righteousness.

⁴ May he judge and defend the poor of the people, deliver the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor,

⁵ So that they may revere and fear You while the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

⁶ May he [Solomon as a type of King David’s greater Son] be like rain that comes down upon the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.

⁷ In ^[b]His [Christ’s] days shall the [uncompromisingly] righteous flourish and peace abound till there is a moon no longer.^(A)

⁸ He [Christ] shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth.^(B)

⁹ Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him and His enemies shall lick the dust.

¹⁰ The kings of Tarshish and of the coasts shall bring offerings; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

¹¹ Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him.^(C)

¹² For He delivers the needy when he calls out, the poor also and him who has no helper.

¹³ He will have pity on the poor and weak and needy and will save the lives of the needy.

¹⁴ He will redeem their lives from oppression and fraud and violence, and precious and costly shall their blood be in His sight.

¹⁵ And He shall live; and to Him shall be given gold of Sheba; prayer also shall be made for Him and through Him continually, and they shall bless and praise Him all the day long.

¹⁶ There shall be abundance of grain in the soil upon the top of the mountains [the least fruitful places in the land]; the fruit of it shall wave like [the forests of] Lebanon, and [the inhabitants of] the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

¹⁷ His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun [indeed, His name continues before the sun]. And men shall be blessed and bless themselves by Him; all nations shall call Him blessed!

¹⁸ Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone does wondrous things!

¹⁹ Blessed be His glorious name forever; let the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen and Amen!

²⁰ The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

Book Three

Psalm 73

A Psalm of Asaph.

¹ Truly God is [only] good to Israel, even to those who are upright and pure in heart.

² But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well-nigh slipped.

³ For I was envious of the foolish and arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ For they suffer no violent pangs in their death, but their strength is firm.

⁵ They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they smitten and plagued like other men.

⁶ Therefore pride is about their necks like a chain; violence covers them like a garment [like a long, luxurious robe].

⁷ Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish; and the imaginations of their minds overflow [with follies].

⁸ They scoff, and wickedly utter oppression; they speak loftily [from on high, maliciously and blasphemously].

⁹ They set their mouths against and speak down from heaven, and their tongues swagger through the earth [invading even heaven with blasphemy and smearing earth with slanders].^(D)

¹⁰ Therefore His people return here, and waters of a full cup [offered by the wicked] are [blindly] drained by them.

¹¹ And they say, How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?

¹² Behold, these are the ungodly, who always prosper and are at ease in the world; they increase in riches.

¹³ Surely then in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocency.

¹⁴ For all the day long have I been smitten and plagued, and chastened every morning.

¹⁵ Had I spoken thus [and given expression to my feelings], I would have been untrue and have dealt treacherously against the generation of Your children.

¹⁶ But when I considered how to understand this, it was too great an effort for me and too painful

¹⁷ Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood [for I considered] their end.

¹⁸ [After all] You do set the [wicked] in slippery places; You cast them down to ruin and destruction.

¹⁹ How they become a desolation in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors!

²⁰ As a dream [which seems real] until one awakens, so, O Lord, when You arouse Yourself [to take note of the wicked], You will despise their outward show.

²¹ For my heart was grieved, embittered, and in a state of ferment, and I was pricked in my heart [as with the sharp fang of an adder].

²² So foolish, stupid, and brutish was I, and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.

²³ Nevertheless I am continually with You; You do hold my right hand.

²⁴ You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to honor and glory.

²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but You? And I have no delight or desire on earth besides You.

²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.

²⁷ For behold, those who are far from You shall perish; You will destroy all who are false to You and like [spiritual] harlots depart from You.

²⁸ But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.