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Psalm 54-56
Contemporary English Version
Psalm 54-56
Contemporary English Version
(For the music leader. Use with stringed instruments. A special psalm that David wrote when the people of Ziph went to Saul and said, “David is hiding here with us.”)
Trusting God in Times of Trouble
1 (A) Save me, God, by your power
and prove that I am right.
2 Listen to my prayer
and hear what I say.
3 Cruel strangers have attacked
and want me dead.
Not one of them cares
about you.
4 You will help me, Lord God,
and keep me from falling;
5 you will punish my enemies
for their evil deeds.
Be my faithful friend
and destroy them.
6 I will bring a gift
and offer a sacrifice
to you, Lord.
I will praise your name
because you are good.
7 You have rescued me
from all my troubles,
and my own eyes have seen
my enemies fall.
(A special psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)
Betrayed by a Friend
1 Listen, God, to my prayer!
Don't reject my request.
2 Please listen and help me.
My thoughts are troubled,
and I keep groaning
3 because my enemies attack
with loud shouts.
They treat me terribly
and hold angry grudges.
4 My heart is racing fast,
and I am afraid of dying.
5 I am trembling with fear,
completely terrified.
6 I wish I had wings
like a dove,
so I could fly far away
and be at peace.
7 I would go and live
in some distant desert.
8 I would quickly find shelter
from howling winds
and raging storms.
9 Confuse my enemies, Lord!
Upset their plans.
Cruelty and violence
are all I see in the city,
10 and they are like guards
on patrol day and night.
The city is full of trouble,
evil, 11 and corruption.
Troublemakers and liars
freely roam the streets.
12 My enemies are not the ones
who sneer and make fun.
I could put up with that
or even hide from them.
13 But it was my closest friend,
the one I trusted most.
14 We enjoyed being together,
when we went with others
to your house, our God.
15 All who hate me are controlled
by the power of evil.
Sentence them to death
and send them down alive
to the world of the dead.
16 I ask for your help, Lord God,
and you will keep me safe.
17 Morning, noon, and night
you hear my concerns
and my complaints.
18 I am attacked from all sides,
but you will rescue me
unharmed by the battle.
19 You have always ruled,
and you will hear me.
You will defeat my enemies
because they won't turn
and worship you.
20 My friend turned against me
and broke his promise.
21 His words were smoother
than butter, and softer
than olive oil.
But hatred filled his heart,
and he was ready to attack
with a sword.
22 Our Lord, we belong to you.
We tell you what worries us,
and you won't let us fall.
23 But what about those people
who are cruel and brutal?
You will throw them down
into the deepest pit
long before their time.
I trust you, Lord!
(For the music leader. To the tune “A Silent Dove in the Distance.”[a] A special psalm by David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.)
A Prayer of Trust in God
1 (B) Have pity, God Most High!
My enemies chase me all day.
2 Many of them are pursuing
and attacking me,
3 but even when I am afraid,
I keep on trusting you.
4 I praise your promises!
I trust you and am not afraid.
No one can harm me.
5 Enemies spend the whole day
finding fault with me;
all they think about
is how to do me harm.
6 They attack from ambush,
watching my every step
and hoping to kill me.
7 They won't get away[b]
with these crimes, God,
because when you get angry,
you destroy people.
8 You have kept record
of my days of wandering.
You have stored my tears
in your bottle
and counted each of them.
9 When I pray, Lord God,
my enemies will retreat,
because I know for certain
that you are with me.
10 I praise your promises!
11 I trust you and am not afraid.
No one can harm me.
12 I will keep my promises
to you, my God,
and bring you gifts.
13 You protected me from death
and kept me from stumbling,
so that I would please you
and follow the light
that leads to life.
Psalm 54-56
New International Version
Psalm 54-56
New International Version
Psalm 54[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[b] of David. When the Ziphites(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
1 Save me(B), O God, by your name;(C)
vindicate me by your might.(D)
2 Hear my prayer, O God;(E)
listen to the words of my mouth.
3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;(F)
ruthless people(G) are trying to kill me(H)—
people without regard for God.[c](I)
6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering(N) to you;
I will praise(O) your name, Lord, for it is good.(P)
7 You have delivered me(Q) from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.(R)
Psalm 55[d]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[e] of David.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;(S)
2 hear me and answer me.(T)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught(U)
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me(V)
and assail(W) me in their anger.(X)
4 My heart is in anguish(Y) within me;
the terrors(Z) of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling(AA) have beset me;
horror(AB) has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;[f](AC)
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,(AD)
far from the tempest and storm.(AE)”
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,(AF)
for I see violence and strife(AG) in the city.(AH)
10 Day and night they prowl(AI) about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces(AJ) are at work in the city;
threats and lies(AK) never leave its streets.
12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,(AL)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(AM)
at the house of God,(AN)
as we walked about
among the worshipers.
15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;(AO)
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,(AP)
for evil finds lodging among them.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening,(AQ) morning(AR) and noon(AS)
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,(AT)
who does not change—
he will hear(AU) them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.(AV)
20 My companion attacks his friends;(AW)
he violates his covenant.(AX)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,(AY)
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,(AZ)
yet they are drawn swords.(BA)
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;(BB)
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.(BC)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit(BD) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful(BE)
will not live out half their days.(BF)
But as for me, I trust in you.(BG)
Psalm 56[g]
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[h] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me,(BH) my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(BI)
all day long they press their attack.(BJ)
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;(BK)
in their pride many are attacking me.(BL)
3 When I am afraid,(BM) I put my trust in you.(BN)
4 In God, whose word I praise—(BO)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(BP)
What can mere mortals do to me?(BQ)
5 All day long they twist my words;(BR)
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire,(BS) they lurk,
they watch my steps,(BT)
hoping to take my life.(BU)
7 Because of their wickedness do not[i] let them escape;(BV)
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(BW)
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll[j](BX)—
are they not in your record?(BY)
9 Then my enemies will turn back(BZ)
when I call for help.(CA)
By this I will know that God is for me.(CB)
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?
Footnotes
- Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
- Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
- Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.
- Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
- Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
- Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
Romans 3
Contemporary English Version
Romans 3
Contemporary English Version
3 What good is it to be a Jew? What good is it to be circumcised? 2 It is good in a lot of ways! First of all, God's messages were spoken to the Jews. 3 It is true that some of them did not believe the message. But does this mean that God cannot be trusted, just because they did not have faith? 4 (A) No, indeed! God tells the truth, even if everyone else is a liar. The Scriptures say about God,
“Your words
will be proven true,
and in court
you will win your case.”
5 If our evil deeds show how right God is, then what can we say? Is it wrong for God to become angry and punish us? What a foolish thing to ask. 6 But the answer is, “No.” Otherwise, how could God judge the world? 7 Since your lies bring great honor to God by showing how truthful he is, you may ask why God still says you are a sinner. 8 You might as well say, “Let's do something evil, so that something good will come of it!” Some people even claim that we are saying this. But God is fair and will judge them as well.
No One Is Good
9 What does all this mean? Does it mean that we Jews are better off[a] than the Gentiles? No, it doesn't! Jews, as well as Gentiles, are ruled by sin, just as I have said. 10 (B) The Scriptures tell us,
“No one is acceptable to God!
11 Not one of them understands
or even searches for God.
12 They have all turned away
and are worthless.
There isn't one person
who does right.
13 (C) Their words are like
an open pit,
and their tongues are good
only for telling lies.
Each word is as deadly
as the fangs of a snake,
14 (D) and they say nothing
but bitter curses.
15 (E) These people quickly
become violent.
16 Wherever they go,
they leave ruin
and destruction.
17 They don't know how
to live in peace.
18 (F) They don't even fear God.”
19 We know that everything in the Law was written for those who are under its power. The Law says these things to stop anyone from making excuses and to let God show that the whole world is guilty. 20 (G) God doesn't accept people simply because they obey the Law. No, indeed! All the Law does is to point out our sin.
God's Way of Accepting People
21 Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets[b] tell how we become acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses. 22 (H) God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ. 23 All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. 25-26 (I) God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life's blood, so by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus.
27 What is left for us to brag about? Not a thing! Is it because we obeyed some law? No! It is because of faith. 28 We see that people are acceptable to God because they have faith, and not because they obey the Law. 29 Does God belong only to the Jews? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, he is! 30 (J) There is only one God, and he accepts Gentiles as well as Jews, simply because of their faith. 31 Do we destroy the Law by our faith? Not at all! We make it even more powerful.
Romans 3
New International Version
Romans 3
New International Version
God’s Faithfulness
3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way!(A) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.(B)
3 What if some were unfaithful?(C) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?(D) 4 Not at all! Let God be true,(E) and every human being a liar.(F) As it is written:
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,(H) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)(I) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?(J) 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,(K) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”(L) 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?(M) Their condemnation is just!
No One Is Righteous
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?(N) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.(O) 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[b](P)
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[c](Q)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d](R)
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e](S)
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f](T)
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g](U)
19 Now we know that whatever the law says,(V) it says to those who are under the law,(W) so that every mouth may be silenced(X) and the whole world held accountable to God.(Y) 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;(Z) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.(AA)
Righteousness Through Faith
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God(AB) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.(AC) 22 This righteousness(AD) is given through faith(AE) in[h] Jesus Christ(AF) to all who believe.(AG) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,(AH) 23 for all have sinned(AI) and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified(AJ) freely by his grace(AK) through the redemption(AL) that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i](AM) through the shedding of his blood(AN)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished(AO)— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting?(AP) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.(AQ) 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,(AR) 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.(AS) 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:4 Psalm 51:4
- Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
- Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
- Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
- Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
- Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
- Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
- Romans 3:22 Or through the faithfulness of
- Romans 3:25 The Greek for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant (see Lev. 16:15,16).
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