Old/New Testament
Psalm 57
Praise for God’s Protection
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[a] A Davidic Miktam. When he fled before Saul into the cave.(A)
1 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
for I take refuge in You.
I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings
until danger passes.(B)
2 I call to God Most High,
to God who fulfills His purpose for me.[b](C)
3 He reaches down from heaven and saves me,
challenging the one who tramples me.(D)
God sends His faithful love and truth.(E)
4 I am surrounded by lions;
I lie down with those who devour men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows;
their tongues are sharp swords.(F)
5 God, be exalted above the heavens;
let Your glory be over the whole earth.(G)
6 They prepared a net for my steps;
I was despondent.
They dug a pit ahead of me,
but they fell into it!(H)
7 My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.
I will sing; I will sing praises.(I)
8 Wake up, my soul![c]
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.(J)
9 I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.(K)
10 For Your faithful love is as high as the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches the clouds.(L)
11 God, be exalted above the heavens;(M)
let Your glory be over the whole earth.(N)
Psalm 58
A Cry against Injustice
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[d] A Davidic Miktam.
1 Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?[e]
Do you judge people fairly?(O)
2 No, you practice injustice in your hearts;
with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.(P)
3 The wicked go astray from the womb;
liars err from birth.(Q)
4 They have venom like the venom of a snake,
like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,(R)
5 that does not listen to the sound of the charmers
who skillfully weave spells.(S)
6 God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;
Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.(T)
7 They will vanish like water that flows by;
they will aim their useless arrows.[f][g](U)
8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,
like a woman’s miscarried child,
they will not see the sun.(V)
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether green or burning—
He will sweep them away.[h](W)
10 The righteous one will rejoice
when he sees the retribution;(X)
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.(Y)
11 Then people will say,
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
There is a God who judges on earth!”(Z)
Psalm 59
God Our Stronghold
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[i] A Davidic Miktam. When Saul sent agents to watch the house and kill him.(AA)
1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God;(AB)
protect me from those who rise up against me.(AC)
2 Deliver me from those who practice sin,
and save me from men of bloodshed.(AD)
3 Lord, look! They set an ambush for me.(AE)
Powerful men attack me,
but not because of any sin or rebellion of mine.(AF)
4 For no fault of mine,
they run and take up a position.
Awake to help me, and take notice.(AG)
5 Lord God of Hosts, You are the God of Israel,
rise up to punish all the nations;
do not show grace to any wicked traitors.(AH)
6 They return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(AI)
7 Look, they spew from their mouths—
sharp words from[j] their lips.(AJ)
“For who,” they say, “will hear?”(AK)
8 But You laugh at them, Lord;
You ridicule all the nations.(AL)
9 I will keep watch for You, my[k] strength,
because God is my stronghold.(AM)
10 My faithful God[l] will come to meet me;
God will let me look down on my adversaries.(AN)
11 Do not kill them; otherwise, my people will forget.
By Your power, make them homeless wanderers(AO)
and bring them down,
Lord, our shield.(AP)
12 For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride.
They utter curses and lies.(AQ)
13 Consume them in rage;
consume them until they are gone.(AR)
Then people will know throughout[m] the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(AS)
Abraham Justified by Faith
4 What then can we say that Abraham, our physical ancestor,[a](A) has found? 2 If Abraham was justified[b] by works,(B) he has something to brag about—but not before God.[c] 3 For what does the Scripture say?
4 Now to the one who works,(D) pay is not considered as a gift, but as something owed. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous,[e](E) his faith is credited for righteousness.
David Celebrating the Same Truth
6 Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the man God credits righteousness to apart from works:
7 How joyful are those whose lawless acts are forgiven
and whose sins are covered!
8 How joyful is the man
the Lord will never charge with sin!(F)[f]
Abraham Justified before Circumcision
9 Is this blessing only for the circumcised,(G) then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness.(H)[g] 10 In what way then was it credited—while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision(I) as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith[h](J) while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father(K) of all who believe(L) but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also. 12 And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.
The Promise Granted through Faith
13 For the promise to Abraham(M) or to his descendants that he would inherit the world(N) was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.[i] 14 If those who are of the law are heirs,(O) faith is made empty and the promise is canceled. 15 For the law produces wrath.(P) And where there is no law,(Q) there is no transgression.
16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace,(R) to guarantee it to all the descendants(S)—not only to those who are of the law[j] but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all 17 in God’s sight. As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations.(T)[k] He believed in God, who gives life to the dead(U) and calls(V) things into existence that do not exist.(W) 18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations(X)[l] according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.(Y)[m] 19 He considered[n] his own body to be already dead(Z) (since he was about 100 years old)(AA) and also considered the deadness of Sarah’s womb,(AB) without weakening in the faith. 20 He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,(AC) 21 because he was fully convinced(AD) that what He had promised He was also able to perform.(AE) 22 Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness.(AF)[o] 23 Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone,(AG) 24 but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in Him(AH) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.(AI) 25 He was delivered up for[p] our trespasses(AJ) and raised for[q] our justification.[r](AK)
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