491 Hear this, all you peoples.
Listen, all you inhabitants of the world, 2 both low and high,
rich and poor together. 3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom.
My heart shall utter understanding. 4 I will incline my ear to a proverb.
I will open my riddle on the harp. 5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,
when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6 Those who trust in their wealth,
and boast in the multitude of their riches— 7 none of them can by any means redeem his brother,
nor give God a ransom for him. 8 For the redemption of their life is costly,
no payment is ever enough, 9 That he should live on forever,
that he should not see corruption. 10 For he sees that wise men die;
likewise the fool and the senseless perish,
and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever,
and their dwelling places to all generations.
They name their lands after themselves. 12 But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure.
He is like the animals that perish. 13 This is the destiny of those who are foolish,
and of those who approve their sayings. Selah. 14 They are appointed as a flock for Sheol.
Death shall be their shepherd.
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning.
Their beauty shall decay in Sheol,
far from their mansion.
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah. 16 Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich,
when the glory of his house is increased. 17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away.
His glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul—
and men praise you when you do well for yourself— 19 he shall go to the generation of his fathers.
They shall never see the light. 20 A man who has riches without understanding,
is like the animals that perish.
501 The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, speaks,
and calls the earth from sunrise to sunset. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth. 3 Our God comes, and does not keep silent.
A fire devours before him.
It is very stormy around him. 4 He calls to the heavens above,
to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 “Gather my saints together to me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” 6 The heavens shall declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge. Selah.
7 “Hear, my people, and I will speak;
Israel, and I will testify against you.
I am God, your God. 8 I don’t rebuke you for your sacrifices.
Your burnt offerings are continually before me. 9 I have no need for a bull from your stall,
nor male goats from your pens. 10 For every animal of the forest is mine,
and the livestock on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains.
The wild animals of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call on me in the day of trouble.
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right do you have to declare my statutes,
that you have taken my covenant on your lips, 17 seeing you hate instruction,
and throw my words behind you? 18 When you saw a thief, you consented with him,
and have participated with adulterers. 19 “You give your mouth to evil.
Your tongue frames deceit. 20 You sit and speak against your brother.
You slander your own mother’s son. 21 You have done these things, and I kept silent.
You thought that the I was just like you.
I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes. 22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,
lest I tear you into pieces, and there be none to deliver. 23 Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me,
and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.”
11 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, 2 which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name’s sake; 6 among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ; 7 to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established; 12 that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. 17 For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.” [1]
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. 20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse. 21 Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. 28 Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, 30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
