Psalm 70-71
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 70
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
To the leader. Of David, for the memorial offering.
1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
O Lord, make haste to help me!(A)
2 Let those be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire to hurt me.(B)
3 Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!”
turn back because of their shame.(C)
4 Let all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”
5 But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay!(D)
Psalm 71
Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help
1 In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.(E)
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me.(F)
3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
a strong fortress[a] to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.(G)
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.(H)
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.(I)
6 From my birth I have leaned upon you,
my protector since my mother’s womb.[b]
My praise is continually of you.(J)
7 I have been like a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.(K)
8 My mouth is filled with your praise
and with your glory all day long.(L)
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
do not forsake me when my strength is spent.(M)
10 For my enemies speak concerning me,
and those who watch for my life consult together.(N)
11 They say, “Pursue and seize that person
whom God has forsaken,
for there is no one to deliver.”(O)
12 O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!(P)
13 Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
let those who seek to hurt me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.(Q)
14 But I will hope continually
and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
of your deeds of salvation all day long,
though their number is past my knowledge.(R)
16 I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God;
I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.(S)
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.(T)
18 So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
to all the generations to come.[c]
Your power(U) 19 and your righteousness, O God,
reach the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?(V)
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.(W)
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.(X)
23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have rescued.(Y)
24 All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help,
for those who tried to do me harm
have been put to shame and disgraced.(Z)
Romans 8:22-39
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.(A) 24 For in[a] hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes[b] with groanings too deep for words.(B) 27 And God,[c] who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit[d] intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.(C)
28 We know that all things work together[e] for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.(D) 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.[f](E) 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.(F)
God’s Love in Christ Jesus
31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?(G) 32 He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.(H) 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ[g] who died, or rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.(I) 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”(J)
37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us.(K) 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,(L) 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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