Psalm 18-19

New International Version

Psalm 18^[a]^(A)

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

¹I love you, Lord, my strength.^(B)

²The Lord is my rock,^(C) my fortress^(D) and my deliverer;^(E)
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,^(F)
my shield^[b]^(G) and the horn^[c] of my salvation,^(H) my stronghold.

³I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,^(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.^(J)
⁴The cords of death^(K) entangled me;
    the torrents^(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
⁵The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death^(M) confronted me.

⁶In my distress^(N) I called to the Lord;^(O)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;^(P)
    my cry came^(Q) before him, into his ears.
⁷The earth trembled^(R) and quaked,^(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;^(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.^(U)
⁸Smoke rose from his nostrils;^(V)
    consuming fire^(W) came from his mouth,
    burning coals^(X) blazed out of it.
⁹He parted the heavens and came down;^(Y)
    dark clouds^(Z) were under his feet.
¹⁰He mounted the cherubim^(AA) and flew;
    he soared^(AB) on the wings of the wind.^(AC)
¹¹He made darkness his covering,^(AD) his canopy^(AE) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
¹²Out of the brightness of his presence^(AF) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones^(AG) and bolts of lightning.^(AH)
¹³The Lord thundered^(AI) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.^[d]
¹⁴He shot his arrows^(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning^(AK) he routed them.^(AL)
¹⁵The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations^(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,^(AN) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.^(AO)

¹⁶He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.^(AP)
¹⁷He rescued me from my powerful enemy,^(AQ)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.^(AR)
¹⁸They confronted me in the day of my disaster,^(AS)
    but the Lord was my support.^(AT)
¹⁹He brought me out into a spacious place;^(AU)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.^(AV)

²⁰The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;^(AW)
    according to the cleanness of my hands^(AX) he has rewarded me.^(AY)
²¹For I have kept the ways of the Lord;^(AZ)
    I am not guilty of turning^(BA) from my God.
²²All his laws are before me;^(BB)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
²³I have been blameless^(BC) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
²⁴The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,^(BD)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵To the faithful^(BE) you show yourself faithful,^(BF)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
²⁶to the pure^(BG) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.^(BH)
²⁷You save the humble^(BI)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.^(BJ)
²⁸You, Lord, keep my lamp^(BK) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.^(BL)
²⁹With your help^(BM) I can advance against a troop^[e];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

³⁰As for God, his way is perfect:^(BN)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;^(BO)
    he shields^(BP) all who take refuge^(BQ) in him.
³¹For who is God besides the Lord?^(BR)
    And who is the Rock^(BS) except our God?
³²It is God who arms me with strength^(BT)
    and keeps my way secure.^(BU)
³³He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;^(BV)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.^(BW)
³⁴He trains my hands for battle;^(BX)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains^(BY) me;
    your help has made me great.
³⁶You provide a broad path^(BZ) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.^(CA)

³⁷I pursued my enemies^(CB) and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
³⁸I crushed them^(CC) so that they could not rise;^(CD)
    they fell beneath my feet.^(CE)
³⁹You armed me with strength^(CF) for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries^(CG) before me.
⁴⁰You made my enemies turn their backs^(CH) in flight,
    and I destroyed^(CI) my foes.
⁴¹They cried for help, but there was no one to save them^(CJ)—
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.^(CK)
⁴²I beat them as fine as windblown dust;^(CL)
    I trampled them^[f] like mud in the streets.
⁴³You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.^(CM)
People I did not know^(CN) now serve me,
⁴⁴    foreigners^(CO) cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
⁴⁵They all lose heart;^(CP)
    they come trembling^(CQ) from their strongholds.^(CR)

⁴⁶The Lord lives!^(CS) Praise be to my Rock!^(CT)
    Exalted be God^(CU) my Savior!^(CV)
⁴⁷He is the God who avenges^(CW) me,
    who subdues nations^(CX) under me,
⁴⁸    who saves^(CY) me from my enemies.^(CZ)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man^(DA) you rescued me.
⁴⁹Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;^(DB)
    I will sing^(DC) the praises of your name.^(DD)

⁵⁰He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,^(DE)
to David^(DF) and to his descendants forever.^(DG)

Psalm 19^[g]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹The heavens^(DH) declare^(DI) the glory of God;^(DJ)
    the skies^(DK) proclaim the work of his hands.^(DL)
²Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.^(DM)
³They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
⁴Yet their voice^[h] goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.^(DN)
In the heavens God has pitched a tent^(DO) for the sun.^(DP)
⁵    It is like a bridegroom^(DQ) coming out of his chamber,^(DR)
    like a champion^(DS) rejoicing to run his course.
⁶It rises at one end of the heavens^(DT)
    and makes its circuit to the other;^(DU)
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

⁷The law of the Lord^(DV) is perfect,^(DW)
    refreshing the soul.^(DX)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,^(DY)
    making wise the simple.^(DZ)
⁸The precepts of the Lord are right,^(EA)
    giving joy^(EB) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.^(EC)
⁹The fear of the Lord^(ED) is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.^(EE)

¹⁰They are more precious than gold,^(EF)
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,^(EG)
    than honey from the honeycomb.^(EH)
¹¹By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
¹²But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.^(EI)
¹³Keep your servant also from willful sins;^(EJ)
    may they not rule over me.^(EK)
Then I will be blameless,^(EL)
    innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing^(EM) in your sight,
Lord, my Rock^(EN) and my Redeemer.^(EO)

Footnotes

Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out
Psalm 19:1 In Hebrew texts 19:1-14 is numbered 19:2-15.
Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Jerome and Syriac; Hebrew measuring line

Acts 20:17-38

New International Version

¹⁷From Miletus,^(A) Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders^(B) of the church. ¹⁸When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you,^(C) from the first day I came into the province of Asia.^(D) ¹⁹I served the Lord with great humility and with tears^(E) and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.^(F) ²⁰You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything^(G) that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹I have declared to both Jews^(H) and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance^(I) and have faith in our Lord Jesus.^(J)

²²“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,^(K) not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me^(L) that prison and hardships are facing me.^(M) ²⁴However, I consider my life worth nothing to me;^(N) my only aim is to finish the race^(O) and complete the task^(P) the Lord Jesus has given me^(Q)—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.^(R)

²⁵“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom^(S) will ever see me again.^(T) ²⁶Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.^(U) ²⁷For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.^(V) ²⁸Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock^(W) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.^(X) Be shepherds of the church of God,^[a]^(Y) which he bought^(Z) with his own blood.^[b]^(AA) ²⁹I know that after I leave, savage wolves^(AB) will come in among you and will not spare the flock.^(AC) ³⁰Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples^(AD) after them. ³¹So be on your guard! Remember that for three years^(AE) I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.^(AF)

³²“Now I commit you to God^(AG) and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance^(AH) among all those who are sanctified.^(AI) ³³I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.^(AJ) ³⁴You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.^(AK) ³⁵In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.^(AL) ³⁷They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.^(AM) ³⁸What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.^(AN) Then they accompanied him to the ship.^(AO)