Psalm 38-40

New International Version

Psalm 38^[a]

A psalm of David. A petition.

¹Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.^(A)
²Your arrows^(B) have pierced me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
³Because of your wrath there is no health^(C) in my body;
    there is no soundness in my bones^(D) because of my sin.
⁴My guilt has overwhelmed^(E) me
    like a burden too heavy to bear.^(F)

⁵My wounds^(G) fester and are loathsome^(H)
    because of my sinful folly.^(I)
⁶I am bowed down^(J) and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.^(K)
⁷My back is filled with searing pain;^(L)
    there is no health^(M) in my body.
⁸I am feeble and utterly crushed;^(N)
    I groan^(O) in anguish of heart.^(P)

⁹All my longings^(Q) lie open before you, Lord;
    my sighing^(R) is not hidden from you.
¹⁰My heart pounds,^(S) my strength fails^(T) me;
    even the light has gone from my eyes.^(U)
¹¹My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;^(V)
    my neighbors stay far away.
¹²Those who want to kill me set their traps,^(W)
    those who would harm me talk of my ruin;^(X)
    all day long they scheme and lie.^(Y)

¹³I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,^(Z)
    like the mute, who cannot speak;
¹⁴I have become like one who does not hear,
    whose mouth can offer no reply.
¹⁵Lord, I wait^(AA) for you;
    you will answer,^(AB) Lord my God.
¹⁶For I said, “Do not let them gloat^(AC)
    or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”^(AD)

¹⁷For I am about to fall,^(AE)
    and my pain^(AF) is ever with me.
¹⁸I confess my iniquity;^(AG)
    I am troubled by my sin.
¹⁹Many have become my enemies^(AH) without cause^[b];
    those who hate me^(AI) without reason^(AJ) are numerous.
²⁰Those who repay my good with evil^(AK)
    lodge accusations^(AL) against me,
    though I seek only to do what is good.

²¹Lord, do not forsake me;^(AM)
do not be far^(AN) from me, my God.
²²Come quickly^(AO) to help me,^(AP)
my Lord and my Savior.^(AQ)

Psalm 39^[c]

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

¹I said, “I will watch my ways^(AR)
    and keep my tongue from sin;^(AS)
I will put a muzzle on my mouth^(AT)
    while in the presence of the wicked.”
²So I remained utterly silent,^(AU)
    not even saying anything good.
But my anguish^(AV) increased;
³    my heart grew hot^(AW) within me.
While I meditated,^(AX) the fire^(AY) burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;^(AZ)
    let me know how fleeting^(BA) my life is.^(BB)
⁵You have made my days^(BC) a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,^(BD)
    even those who seem secure.^[d]

⁶“Surely everyone goes around^(BE) like a mere phantom;^(BF)
in vain they rush about,^(BG) heaping up wealth^(BH)
without knowing whose it will finally be.^(BI)

⁷“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.^(BJ)
⁸Save me^(BK) from all my transgressions;^(BL)
    do not make me the scorn^(BM) of fools.
⁹I was silent;^(BN) I would not open my mouth,^(BO)
    for you are the one who has done this.^(BP)
¹⁰Remove your scourge from me;
    I am overcome by the blow^(BQ) of your hand.^(BR)
¹¹When you rebuke^(BS) and discipline^(BT) anyone for their sin,
    you consume^(BU) their wealth like a moth^(BV)—
    surely everyone is but a breath.^(BW)

¹²“Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;^(BX)
    do not be deaf^(BY) to my weeping.^(BZ)
I dwell with you as a foreigner,^(CA)
    a stranger,^(CB) as all my ancestors were.^(CC)
¹³Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”^(CD)

Psalm 40^[e]^(CE)

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

¹I waited patiently^(CF) for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.^(CG)
²He lifted me out of the slimy pit,^(CH)
    out of the mud^(CI) and mire;^(CJ)
he set my feet^(CK) on a rock^(CL)
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
³He put a new song^(CM) in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord^(CN)
    and put their trust^(CO) in him.

⁴Blessed is the one^(CP)
    who trusts in the Lord,^(CQ)
who does not look to the proud,^(CR)
    to those who turn aside to false gods.^[f]^(CS)
⁵Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders^(CT) you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare^(CU) with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many^(CV) to declare.

⁶Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—^(CW)
    but my ears you have opened^[g]—^(CX)
    burnt offerings^(CY) and sin offerings^[h] you did not require.
⁷Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.^[i]^(CZ)
⁸I desire to do your will,^(DA) my God;^(DB)
    your law is within my heart.”^(DC)

⁹I proclaim your saving acts^(DD) in the great assembly;^(DE)
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.^(DF)
¹⁰I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness^(DG) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.^(DH)

¹¹Do not withhold your mercy^(DI) from me, Lord;
    may your love^(DJ) and faithfulness^(DK) always protect^(DL) me.
¹²For troubles^(DM) without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.^(DN)
They are more than the hairs of my head,^(DO)
    and my heart fails^(DP) within me.
¹³Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.^(DQ)

¹⁴May all who want to take my life^(DR)
    be put to shame and confusion;^(DS)
may all who desire my ruin^(DT)
    be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”^(DU)
    be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶But may all who seek you^(DV)
    rejoice and be glad^(DW) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”^(DX)

¹⁷But as for me, I am poor and needy;^(DY)
may the Lord think^(DZ) of me.
You are my help^(EA) and my deliverer;^(EB)
you are my God, do not delay.^(EC)

Footnotes

Psalm 38:1 In Hebrew texts 38:1-22 is numbered 38:2-23.
Psalm 38:19 One Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript; Masoretic Text my vigorous enemies
Psalm 39:1 In Hebrew texts 39:1-13 is numbered 39:2-14.
Psalm 39:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 11.
Psalm 40:1 In Hebrew texts 40:1-17 is numbered 40:2-18.
Psalm 40:4 Or to lies
Psalm 40:6 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts but a body you have prepared for me
Psalm 40:6 Or purification offerings
Psalm 40:7 Or come / with the scroll written for me

Acts 23:12-35

New International Version

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹²The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy^(A) and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.^(B) ¹³More than forty men were involved in this plot. ¹⁴They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.^(C) ¹⁵Now then, you and the Sanhedrin^(D) petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

¹⁶But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks^(E) and told Paul.

¹⁷Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸So he took him to the commander.

The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner,^(F) sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

¹⁹The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

²⁰He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin^(G) tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.^(H) ²¹Don’t give in to them, because more than forty^(I) of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him.^(J) They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

²²The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

²³Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen^[a] to go to Caesarea^(K) at nine tonight.^(L) ²⁴Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”^(M)

²⁵He wrote a letter as follows:

²⁶Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency,^(N) Governor Felix:

Greetings.^(O)

²⁷This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him,^(P) but I came with my troops and rescued him,^(Q) for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.^(R) ²⁸I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.^(S) ²⁹I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law,^(T) but there was no charge against him^(U) that deserved death or imprisonment. ³⁰When I was informed^(V) of a plot^(W) to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers^(X) to present to you their case against him.

³¹So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. ³²The next day they let the cavalry^(Y) go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.^(Z) ³³When the cavalry^(AA) arrived in Caesarea,^(AB) they delivered the letter to the governor^(AC) and handed Paul over to him. ³⁴The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,^(AD) ³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers^(AE) get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard^(AF) in Herod’s palace.