Psalm 40[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

I waited patiently(B) for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.(C)
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,(D)
    out of the mud(E) and mire;(F)
he set my feet(G) on a rock(H)
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song(I) in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord(J)
    and put their trust(K) in him.

Blessed is the one(L)
    who trusts in the Lord,(M)
who does not look to the proud,(N)
    to those who turn aside to false gods.[b](O)
Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders(P) you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare(Q) with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many(R) to declare.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—(S)
    but my ears you have opened[c](T)
    burnt offerings(U) and sin offerings[d] you did not require.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.[e](V)
I desire to do your will,(W) my God;(X)
    your law is within my heart.”(Y)

I proclaim your saving acts(Z) in the great assembly;(AA)
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.(AB)
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness(AC) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.(AD)

11 Do not withhold your mercy(AE) from me, Lord;
    may your love(AF) and faithfulness(AG) always protect(AH) me.
12 For troubles(AI) without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.(AJ)
They are more than the hairs of my head,(AK)
    and my heart fails(AL) within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.(AM)

14 May all who want to take my life(AN)
    be put to shame and confusion;(AO)
may all who desire my ruin(AP)
    be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(AQ)
    be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you(AR)
    rejoice and be glad(AS) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”(AT)

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(AU)
    may the Lord think(AV) of me.
You are my help(AW) and my deliverer;(AX)
    you are my God, do not delay.(AY)

Psalm 41[f]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed(AZ) are those who have regard for the weak;(BA)
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(BB)
The Lord protects(BC) and preserves them—(BD)
    they are counted among the blessed in the land—(BE)
    he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(BF)
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(BG)
    and restores them from their bed of illness.(BH)

I said, “Have mercy(BI) on me, Lord;
    heal(BJ) me, for I have sinned(BK) against you.”
My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?(BL)
When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely,(BM) while his heart gathers slander;(BN)
    then he goes out and spreads(BO) it around.

All my enemies whisper together(BP) against me;
    they imagine the worst for me, saying,
“A vile disease has afflicted him;
    he will never get up(BQ) from the place where he lies.”
Even my close friend,(BR)
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned[g] against me.(BS)

10 But may you have mercy(BT) on me, Lord;
    raise me up,(BU) that I may repay(BV) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(BW)
    for my enemy does not triumph over me.(BX)
12 Because of my integrity(BY) you uphold me(BZ)
    and set me in your presence forever.(CA)

13 Praise(CB) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(CC)
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(CD)

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42[h][i]

For the director of music. A maskil[j] of the Sons of Korah.

As the deer(CE) pants for streams of water,(CF)
    so my soul pants(CG) for you, my God.
My soul thirsts(CH) for God, for the living God.(CI)
    When can I go(CJ) and meet with God?
My tears(CK) have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(CL)
These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:(CM)
how I used to go to the house of God(CN)
    under the protection of the Mighty One[k]
with shouts of joy(CO) and praise(CP)
    among the festive throng.(CQ)

Why, my soul, are you downcast?(CR)
    Why so disturbed(CS) within me?
Put your hope in God,(CT)
    for I will yet praise(CU) him,
    my Savior(CV) and my God.(CW)

My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember(CX) you
from the land of the Jordan,(CY)
    the heights of Hermon(CZ)—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep(DA)
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.(DB)

By day the Lord directs his love,(DC)
    at night(DD) his song(DE) is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.(DF)

I say to God my Rock,(DG)
    “Why have you forgotten(DH) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(DI)
    oppressed(DJ) by the enemy?”(DK)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(DL)
    as my foes taunt(DM) me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(DN)

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.(DO)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
  2. Psalm 40:4 Or to lies
  3. Psalm 40:6 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts but a body you have prepared for me
  4. Psalm 40:6 Or purification offerings
  5. Psalm 40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me
  6. Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
  7. Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel
  8. Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
  9. Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
  10. Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  11. Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.

Paul Sails for Rome

27 When it was decided that we(A) would sail for Italy,(B) Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.(C) We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia,(D) and we put out to sea. Aristarchus,(E) a Macedonian(F) from Thessalonica,(G) was with us.

The next day we landed at Sidon;(H) and Julius, in kindness to Paul,(I) allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.(J) From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.(K) When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia(L) and Pamphylia,(M) we landed at Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship(N) sailing for Italy(O) and put us on board. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course,(P) we sailed to the lee of Crete,(Q) opposite Salmone. We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.[a](R) So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”(S) 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete,(T) facing both southwest and northwest.

The Storm

13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force,(U) called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat(V) secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground(W) on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.(X) 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice(Y) not to sail from Crete;(Z) then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage,(AA) because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel(AB) of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve(AC) stood beside me(AD) 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar;(AE) and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’(AF) 25 So keep up your courage,(AG) men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.(AH) 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground(AI) on some island.”(AJ)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 27:9 That is, Yom Kippur
  2. Acts 27:17 Or the sails

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