Old/New Testament

Praise in Zion

87 The city God built stands on the holy mountains. ² The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other places of Jacob. ³ Great things are said about you, O city of God. ⁴ I will say that Rahab and Babylon are among those who know Me. Look, Philistia and Tyre and Ethiopia say, “This one was born there.” ⁵ But it will be said of Zion, “This one and that one were born in her.” And the Most High Himself will make her strong. ⁶ The Lord will write in the book of the people, “This one was born there.” ⁷ Then those who sing and those who play music will say, “All my wells of joy are in you.”

A Prayer to Be Saved from Death

88 O Lord, the God Who saves me, I have cried out before You day and night. ² Let my prayer come to You. Listen to my cry. ³ For my soul is filled with troubles. And my life comes near the grave. ⁴ I am added among those who go down into the deep hole. I am like a man without strength. ⁵ I am left among the dead, like those who have been killed and lie in the grave, whom You remember no more. They are cut off from Your help. ⁶ You have put me in the deepest hole, in a dark and deep place. ⁷ Your anger has rested upon me. And You have troubled me with all Your waves. ⁸ You have taken my good friends far from me. You have made me hated by them. I am shut in and cannot go out. ⁹ My eyes have become weak because of trouble. I have called to You every day, O Lord. I have spread out my hands to You.

¹⁰ Will You show Your great works to the dead? Will the dead rise and praise You? ¹¹ Will Your loving-kindness be told about in the grave, and how faithful You are in the place that destroys? ¹² Will Your great works be known in the darkness, and Your right and good works in the land where all is forgotten?

¹³ But I have cried to You for help, O Lord. My prayer comes to You in the morning. ¹⁴ O Lord, why do You turn away from me? Why do You hide Your face from me? ¹⁵ I have been troubled and near death since I was young. I have suffered Your punishment. And I cannot win. ¹⁶ Your burning anger has passed over me. The punishment You have sent destroys me. ¹⁷ They gather around me like water all day long. Together they close in upon me. ¹⁸ You have taken my friend and loved one far from me. Friends that were near to me are in darkness.

13 Every person must obey the leaders of the land. There is no power given but from God, and all leaders are allowed by God. ² The person who does not obey the leaders of the land is working against what God has done. Anyone who does that will be punished.

³ Those who do right do not have to be afraid of the leaders. Those who do wrong are afraid of them. Do you want to be free from fear of them? Then do what is right. You will be respected instead. ⁴ Leaders are God’s servants to help you. If you do wrong, you should be afraid. They have the power to punish you. They work for God. They do what God wants done to those who do wrong.

⁵ You must obey the leaders of the land, not only to keep from God’s anger, but so your own heart will have peace. ⁶ It is right for you to pay taxes because the leaders of the land are servants for God who care for these things. ⁷ Pay taxes to whom taxes are to be paid. Be afraid of those you should fear. Respect those you should respect.

⁸ Do not owe anyone anything, but love each other. Whoever loves his neighbor has done what the Law says to do. ⁹ The Law says, “You must not do any sex sin. You must not kill another person. You must not steal. You must not tell a lie about another person. You must not want something someone else has.” The Law also says that these and many other Laws are brought together in one Law, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Anyone who loves his neighbor will do no wrong to him. You keep the Law with love.

¹¹ There is another reason for doing what is right. You know what time it is. It is time for you to wake up from your sleep. The time when we will be taken up to be with Christ is not as far off as when we first put our trust in Him. ¹² Night is almost gone. Day is almost here. We must stop doing the sinful things that are done in the dark. We must put on all the things God gives us to fight with for the day. ¹³ We must act all the time as if it were day. Keep away from wild parties and do not be drunk. Keep yourself free from sex sins and bad actions. Do not fight or be jealous. ¹⁴ Let every part of you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not allow your weak thoughts to lead you into sinful actions.