Noah and the Flood

This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?

Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.

Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!”

And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”

Not Because of Israel’s Righteousness

Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky.

After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.

It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

Return their cloak by sunset so that your neighbor may sleep in it. Then they will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act in the sight of the Lord your God.

They will summon peoples to the mountain and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous; they will feast on the abundance of the seas, on the treasures hidden in the sand.”

He chose the best land for himself; the leader’s portion was kept for him. When the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the Lord’s righteous will, and his judgments concerning Israel.”

Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the Lord as to all the righteous acts performed by the Lord for you and your ancestors.

“You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.

The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.

“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.

The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God,

Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.”

Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.”

Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”

You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.

In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.

‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?

“I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God and he answered— a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!

“What are mortals, that they could be pure, or those born of woman, that they could be righteous?

Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger.

What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless?

The righteous see their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying,

How then can a mortal be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?

what he lays up the righteous will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver.

I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban.

Elihu

So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

If you are righteous, what do you give to him, or what does he receive from your hand?

Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself, and your righteousness only other people.

He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.

The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Psalm 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.

Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make your way straight before me.

Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Let the Lord judge the peoples. Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.

Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.

God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day.

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.

For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.

He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.

When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.

For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.

But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.

The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;

The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.

They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!

Psalm 31

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalm 33

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;

Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God; do not let them gloat over me.

My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.

Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;

for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death;

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.

You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness.

And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice.

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at you, saying,

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.

Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him!