Psalm 120-122

New International Version

Psalm 120

A song of ascents.

¹I call on the Lord^(A) in my distress,^(B)
    and he answers me.
²Save me, Lord,
    from lying lips^(C)
    and from deceitful tongues.^(D)

³What will he do to you,
    and what more besides,
    you deceitful tongue?
⁴He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,^(E)
    with burning coals of the broom bush.

⁵Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
    that I live among the tents of Kedar!^(F)
⁶Too long have I lived
    among those who hate peace.
⁷I am for peace;
    but when I speak, they are for war.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

¹I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
²My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven^(G) and earth.^(H)

³He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴indeed, he who watches^(I) over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord watches over^(J) you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶the sun^(K) will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord will keep you from all harm^(L)—
he will watch over your life;
⁸the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.^(M)

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
²Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.

³Jerusalem is built like a city
    that is closely compacted together.
⁴That is where the tribes go up—
    the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
    according to the statute given to Israel.
⁵There stand the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love^(N) you be secure.
⁷May there be peace^(O) within your walls
    and security within your citadels.^(P)”
⁸For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
⁹For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.^(Q)

2 Thessalonians 2

New International Version

The Man of Lawlessness

2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ^(A) and our being gathered to him,^(B) we ask you, brothers and sisters, ²not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter^(C)—asserting that the day of the Lord^(D) has already come.^(E) ³Don’t let anyone deceive you^(F) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion^(G) occurs and the man of lawlessness^[a] is revealed,^(H) the man doomed to destruction. ⁴He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God^(I) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.^(J)

⁵Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?^(K) ⁶And now you know what is holding him back,^(L) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back^(M) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸And then the lawless one will be revealed,^(N) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth^(O) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.^(P) ⁹The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan^(Q) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders^(R) that serve the lie, ¹⁰and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.^(S) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^(T) ¹¹For this reason God sends them^(U) a powerful delusion^(V) so that they will believe the lie^(W) ¹²and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.^(X)

Stand Firm

¹³But we ought always to thank God for you,^(Y) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits^[b]^(Z) to be saved^(AA) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit^(AB) and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴He called you^(AC) to this through our gospel,^(AD) that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm^(AE) and hold fast to the teachings^[c] we passed on to you,^(AF) whether by word of mouth or by letter.

¹⁶May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,^(AG) who loved us^(AH) and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷encourage^(AI) your hearts and strengthen^(AJ) you in every good deed and word.

Footnotes

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Some manuscripts sin
2 Thessalonians 2:13 Some manuscripts because from the beginning God chose you
2 Thessalonians 2:15 Or traditions