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Psalm 7-9
Contemporary English Version
Psalm 7-9
Contemporary English Version
(Written by David.[a] He sang this to the Lord because of Cush from the tribe of Benjamin.)
The Lord Always Does Right
1 You, Lord God,
are my protector.
Rescue me and keep me safe
from all who chase me.
2 Or else they will rip me apart
like lions attacking a victim,
and no one will save me.
3 I am innocent, Lord God!
4 I have not betrayed a friend
or had pity on an enemy[b]
who attacks for no reason.
5 If I have done any of this,
then let my enemies
chase and capture me.
Let them trample me to death
and leave me in the dirt.
6 Get angry, Lord God!
Do something!
Attack my furious enemies.
See that justice is done.
7 Make the nations come to you,
as you sit on your throne[c]
above them all.
8 Our Lord, judge the nations!
Judge me and show that I
am honest and innocent.
9 (A) You know every heart and mind,
and you always do right.
Now make violent people stop,
but protect all of us
who obey you.
10 You, God, are my shield,
the protector of everyone
whose heart is right.
11 You see that justice is done,
and each day
you take revenge.
12 Whenever your enemies refuse
to change their ways,
you sharpen your sword
and string your bow.
13 Your deadly arrows are ready
with flaming tips.
14 An evil person is like a woman
about to give birth
to a hateful, deceitful,
and rebellious child.
15 (B) Such people dig a deep hole,
then fall in it themselves.
16 The trouble they cause
comes back on them,
and their heads are crushed
by their own evil deeds.
17 I will praise you, Lord!
You always do right.
I will sing about you,
the Lord Most High.
(A psalm by David for the music leader.[d])
The Wonderful Name of the Lord
1 Our Lord and Ruler,
your name is wonderful
everywhere on earth!
You let your glory be seen[e]
in the heavens above.
2 (C) With praises from children
and from tiny infants,
you have built a fortress.
It makes your enemies silent,
and all who turn against you
are left speechless.
3 I often think of the heavens
your hands have made,
and of the moon and stars
you put in place.
4 (D) Then I ask, “Why do you care
about us humans?
Why are you concerned
for us weaklings?”
5 (E) You made us a little lower
than you yourself,[f]
and you have crowned us
with glory and honor.
6 (F) You let us rule everything
your hands have made.
And you put all of it
under our power—
7 the sheep and the cattle,
and every wild animal,
8 the birds in the sky,
the fish in the sea,
and all ocean creatures.
9 Our Lord and Ruler,
your name is wonderful
everywhere on earth!
(A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune “The Death of the Son.”)
Sing Praises to the Lord
1 I will praise you, Lord,
with all my heart
and tell about the wonders
you have worked.
2 God Most High, I will rejoice;
I will celebrate and sing
because of you.
3 When my enemies face you,
they run away and stumble
and are destroyed.
4 You take your seat as judge,
and your fair decisions prove
that I was in the right.
5 You warn the nations
and destroy evil people;
you wipe out their names
forever and ever.
6 Our enemies are destroyed
completely for all time.
Their cities are torn down,
and they will never
be remembered again.
7 You rule forever, Lord,
and you are on your throne,
ready for judgment.
8 You judge the world fairly
and treat all nations
with justice.
9 The poor can run to you
because you are a fortress
in times of trouble.
10 Everyone who honors your name
can trust you,
because you are faithful
to all who depend on you.
11 You rule from Zion, Lord,
and we sing about you
to let the nations know
everything you have done.
12 You did not forget
to punish the guilty
or listen to the cries
of those in need.
13 (G) Please have mercy, Lord!
My enemies mistreat me.
Keep me from the gates
that lead to death,
14 and I will sing about you
at the gate to Zion.
I will be happy there
because you rescued me.
15 (H) Our Lord, the nations fell
into their own pits,
and their feet were caught
in their own traps.
16 You showed what you are like,
and you made certain
that justice is done,
but evil people are trapped
by their own evil deeds.
17 The wicked will go down
to the world of the dead
to be with those nations
that forgot about you.
18 The poor and the homeless
won't always be forgotten
and without hope.
19 Do something, Lord!
Don't let the nations win.
Make them stand trial
in your court of law.
20 Make the nations afraid
and let them all discover
just how weak they are.
Footnotes
- Psalm 7 Written by David: The Hebrew text has “a shiggaion by David,” which may refer to a psalm of mourning.
- 7.4 had pity on an enemy: Or “failed to have pity on an enemy.”
- 7.7 sit … throne: Or “return to your place.”
- Psalm 8 leader: The Hebrew text adds “according to the gittith,” which may refer to either a musical instrument or a tune.
- 8.1 You … seen: Or “I will worship your glory.”
- 8.5 you yourself: Or “the angels” or “the beings in heaven.”
Psalm 7-9
New International Version
Psalm 7-9
New International Version
Psalm 7[a]
A shiggaion[b](A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1 Lord my God, I take refuge(B) in you;
save and deliver me(C) from all who pursue me,(D)
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion(E)
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue(F) me.
3 Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands(G)—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
or without cause(H) have robbed my foe—
5 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)
6 Arise,(L) Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.(M)
Awake,(N) my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.(O)
8 Let the Lord judge(P) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,(Q)
according to my integrity,(R) O Most High.(S)
9 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.
1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name(AK) in all the earth!
You have set your glory(AL)
in the heavens.(AM)
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold(AN) against your enemies,
to silence the foe(AO) and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,(AP)
the work of your fingers,(AQ)
the moon and the stars,(AR)
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?[h](AS)
5 You have made them[i] a little lower than the angels[j](AT)
and crowned them[k] with glory and honor.(AU)
6 You made them rulers(AV) over the works of your hands;(AW)
you put everything under their[l] feet:(AX)
7 all flocks and herds,(AY)
and the animals of the wild,(AZ)
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,(BA)
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 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.
1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;(BC)
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.(BD)
2 I will be glad and rejoice(BE) in you;
I will sing the praises(BF) of your name,(BG) O Most High.
3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right(BH) and my cause,(BI)
sitting enthroned(BJ) as the righteous judge.(BK)
5 You have rebuked the nations(BL) and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name(BM) for ever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
you have uprooted their cities;(BN)
even the memory of them(BO) has perished.
7 The Lord reigns forever;(BP)
he has established his throne(BQ) for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness(BR)
and judges the peoples with equity.(BS)
9 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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-17 is numbered 7:2-18.
- Psalm 7:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 7:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 7:10 Or sovereign
- Psalm 7:12 Or If anyone does not repent, / God
- Psalm 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-9 is numbered 8:2-10.
- Psalm 8:1 Title: Probably a musical term
- Psalm 8:4 Or what is a human being that you are mindful of him, / a son of man that you care for him?
- Psalm 8:5 Or him
- Psalm 8:5 Or than God
- Psalm 8:5 Or him
- Psalm 8:6 Or made him ruler . . . ; / . . . his
- 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.
- Psalm 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1-20 is numbered 9:2-21.
- Psalm 9:16 The Hebrew has Higgaion and Selah (words of uncertain meaning) here; Selah occurs also at the end of verse 20.
Acts 18
Contemporary English Version
Acts 18
Contemporary English Version
Paul in Corinth
18 Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, 2 where he met Aquila, a Jewish man from Pontus. Not long before this, Aquila had come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Emperor Claudius had ordered the Jewish people to leave Rome.[a] Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla 3 and found out they were tent makers. Paul was also a tent maker, so he stayed with them, and they worked together.
4 Every Sabbath, Paul went to the synagogue. He spoke to Jews and Gentiles[b] and tried to win them over. 5 But after Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, he spent all his time preaching to the Jews about Jesus the Messiah. 6 Finally, they turned against him and insulted him. So he shook the dust from his clothes[c] and told them, “Whatever happens to you will be your own fault! I am not to blame. From now on I am going to preach to the Gentiles.”
7 Paul then moved into the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus was the leader of the synagogue. He and everyone in his family put their faith in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard the message, and all the people who had faith in the Lord were baptized.
9 One night, Paul had a vision, and in it the Lord said, “Don't be afraid to keep on preaching. Don't stop! 10 I am with you, and you won't be harmed. Many people in this city belong to me.” 11 Paul stayed on in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching God's message to the people.
12 While Gallio was governor of Achaia, some of the Jewish leaders got together and grabbed Paul. They brought him into court 13 and said, “This man is trying to make our people worship God in a way that is against our Law!”
14 Even before Paul could speak, Gallio said, “If you were charging this man with a crime or some other wrong, I would have to listen to you. 15 But since this concerns only words, names, and your own law, you will have to take care of it yourselves. I refuse to judge such matters.” 16 Then he sent them out of the court. 17 The crowd grabbed Sosthenes, the Jewish leader, and beat him up in front of the court. But none of this mattered to Gallio.
Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria
18 (A) After Paul had stayed for a while with the Lord's followers in Corinth, he told them goodbye and sailed on to Syria with Aquila and Priscilla. But before he left, he had his head shaved[d] at Cenchreae because he had made a promise to God.
19 The three of them arrived in Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He then went into the synagogue to talk with the people there. 20 They asked him to stay longer, but he refused. 21 He told them goodbye and said, “If God lets me, I will come back.”
22 Paul sailed to Caesarea, where he greeted the church. Then he went on to Antioch. 23 After staying there for a while, he left and visited several places in Galatia and Phrygia. He helped the followers there to become stronger in their faith.
Apollos in Ephesus
24 A Jewish man named Apollos came to Ephesus. Apollos had been born in the city of Alexandria. He was a very good speaker and knew a lot about the Scriptures. 25 He also knew much about the Lord's Way,[e] and he spoke about it with great excitement. What he taught about Jesus was right, but all he knew was John's message about baptism.
26 Apollos started speaking bravely in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home and helped him understand God's Way even better.
27 Apollos decided to travel through Achaia. So the Lord's followers wrote letters, encouraging the followers there to welcome him. After Apollos arrived in Achaia, he was a great help to everyone who had put their faith in the Lord Jesus because of God's gift of undeserved grace. 28 He got into fierce arguments with the Jewish people, and in public he used the Scriptures to prove that Jesus is the Messiah.
Footnotes
- 18.2 Emperor Claudius had ordered the Jewish people to leave Rome: Probably a.d. 49, though it may have been a.d. 41.
- 18.4 Gentiles: Here the word is “Greeks.” But see the note at 14.1.
- 18.6 shook the dust from his clothes: This means the same as shaking dust from the feet (see the note at 13.51).
- 18.18 he had his head shaved: Paul had promised to be a “Nazirite” for a while. This meant that for the time of the promise, he could not cut his hair or drink wine. When the time was over, he would have to cut his hair and offer a sacrifice to God.
- 18.25 the Lord's Way: See the note at 9.2.
Acts 18
New International Version
Acts 18
New International Version
In Corinth
18 After this, Paul left Athens(A) and went to Corinth.(B) 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,(C) because Claudius(D) had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.(E) 4 Every Sabbath(F) he reasoned in the synagogue,(G) trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas(H) and Timothy(I) came from Macedonia,(J) Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.(K) 6 But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,(L) he shook out his clothes in protest(M) and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!(N) I am innocent of it.(O) From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”(P)
7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.(Q) 8 Crispus,(R) the synagogue leader,(S) and his entire household(T) believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.
9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:(U) “Do not be afraid;(V) keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you,(W) and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.(X)
12 While Gallio was proconsul(Y) of Achaia,(Z) the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law(AA)—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16 So he drove them off. 17 Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes(AB) the synagogue leader(AC) and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.
Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos
18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters(AD) and sailed for Syria,(AE) accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.(AF) Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae(AG) because of a vow he had taken.(AH) 19 They arrived at Ephesus,(AI) where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.”(AJ) Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he landed at Caesarea,(AK) he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.(AL)
23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia(AM) and Phrygia,(AN) strengthening all the disciples.(AO)
24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos,(AP) a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.(AQ) He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor[a](AR) and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.(AS) 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila(AT) heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia,(AU) the brothers and sisters(AV) encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures(AW) that Jesus was the Messiah.(AX)
Footnotes
- Acts 18:25 Or with fervor in the Spirit
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