The LORD Delivers from Trouble

1071 'Give ye thanks to Jehovah, For good, for to the age 'is' His kindness:' 2 Let the redeemed of Jehovah say, Whom He redeemed from the hand of an adversary. 3 And from the lands hath gathered them, From east and from west, From north, and from the sea. 4 They wandered in a wilderness, in a desert by the way, A city of habitation they have not found. 5 Hungry—yea—thirsty, Their soul in them becometh feeble, 6 And they cry unto Jehovah in their adversity, From their distress He delivereth them, 7 And causeth them to tread in a right way, To go unto a city of habitation. 8 They confess to Jehovah His kindness, And His wonders to the sons of men. 9 For He hath satisfied a longing soul, And a hungry soul hath filled 'with' goodness.

10 Inhabitants of dark places and death-shade, Prisoners of affliction and of iron, 11 Because they changed the saying of God, And the counsel of the Most High despised. 12 And He humbleth with labour their heart, They have been feeble, and there is no helper. 13 And they cry unto Jehovah in their adversity, From their distresses He saveth them. 14 He bringeth them out from the dark place, And death-shade, And their bands He draweth away. 15 They confess to Jehovah His kindness, And His wonders to the sons of men. 16 For He hath broken doors of brass, And bars of iron He hath cut.

17 Fools, by means of their transgression, And by their iniquities, afflict themselves. 18 All food doth their soul abominate, And they come nigh unto the gates of death, 19 And cry unto Jehovah in their adversity, From their distresses He saveth them, 20 He sendeth His word and healeth them, And delivereth from their destructions. 21 They confess to Jehovah His kindness, And His wonders to the sons of men, 22 And they sacrifice sacrifices of thanksgiving, And recount His works with singing.

23 Those going down 'to' the sea in ships, Doing business in many waters, 24 They have seen the works of Jehovah, And His wonders in the deep. 25 And He saith, and appointeth a tempest, And it lifteth up its billows, 26 They go up 'to' the heavens, they go down 'to' the depths, Their soul in evil is melted. 27 They reel to and fro, and move as a drunkard, And all their wisdom is swallowed up. 28 And they cry to Jehovah in their adversity, And from their distresses He bringeth them out. 29 He establisheth a whirlwind to a calm, And hushed are their billows. 30 And they rejoice because they are quiet, And He leadeth them to the haven of their desire. 31 They confess to Jehovah His kindness, And His wonders to the sons of men, 32 And they exalt Him in the assembly of the people, And in the seat of the elders praise Him.

33 He maketh rivers become a wilderness, And fountains of waters become dry land. 34 A fruitful land becometh a barren place, For the wickedness of its inhabitants. 35 He maketh a wilderness become a pool of water, And a dry land become fountains of waters. 36 And He causeth the hungry to dwell there, And they prepare a city of habitation. 37 And they sow fields, and plant vineyards, And they make fruits of increase. 38 And He blesseth them, and they multiply exceedingly, And their cattle He doth not diminish. 39 And they are diminished, and bow down, By restraint, evil, and sorrow. 40 He is pouring contempt upon nobles, And causeth them to wander in vacancy—no way. 41 And setteth on high the needy from affliction, And placeth families as a flock. 42 The upright do see and rejoice, And all perversity hath shut her mouth. 43 Who 'is' wise, and observeth these? They understand the kind acts of Jehovah!

A Prayer for Help against the Foe

1081 Prepared is my heart, O God, I sing, yea, I sing praise, also my honour. 2 Awake, psaltery and harp, I awake the dawn. 3 I thank Thee among peoples, O Jehovah, And I praise Thee among the nations. 4 For great above the heavens 'is' Thy kindness, And unto the clouds Thy truth. 5 Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God, And above all the earth Thy honour.

6 That Thy beloved ones may be delivered, Save 'with' Thy right hand, and answer us. 7 God hath spoken in His holiness: I exult, I apportion Shechem, And the valley of Succoth I measure, 8 Mine 'is' Gilead, mine 'is' Manasseh, And Ephraim 'is' the strength of my head, Judah 'is' my lawgiver, 9 Moab 'is' a pot for my washing, Upon Edom I cast my shoe, Over Philistia I shout habitually. 10 Who doth bring me in to the fenced city? Who hath led me unto Edom? 11 Hast not Thou, O God, cast us off? And Thou goest not out, O God, with our hosts! 12 Give to us help from adversity, And vain is the salvation of man. 13 In God we do mightily, And He doth tread down our adversaries!

A Cry for Vengeance

1091 O God of my praise, be not silent, 2 For the mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit, Against me they have opened, They have spoken with me—A tongue of falsehood, and words of hatred! 3 They have compassed me about, And they fight me without cause. 4 For my love they oppose me, and I—prayer! 5 And they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

6 Appoint Thou over him the wicked, And an adversary standeth at his right hand. 7 In his being judged, he goeth forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin. 8 His days are few, his oversight another taketh, 9 His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10 And wander continually do his sons, Yea, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places. 11 An exactor layeth a snare for all that he hath, And strangers spoil his labour. 12 He hath none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favour to his orphans. 13 His posterity is for cutting off, In another generation is their name blotted out. 14 The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered unto Jehovah, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out. 15 They are before Jehovah continually, And He cutteth off from earth their memorial. 16 Because that he hath not remembered to do kindness, And pursueth the poor man and needy, And the smitten of heart—to slay, 17 And he loveth reviling, and it meeteth him, And he hath not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him. 18 And he putteth on reviling as his robe, And it cometh in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones. 19 It is to him as apparel—he covereth himself, And for a continual girdle he girdeth it on. 20 This 'is' the wage of mine accusers from Jehovah, And of those speaking evil against my soul.

21 And Thou, O Jehovah Lord, Deal with me for Thy name's sake, Because Thy kindness 'is' good, deliver me. 22 For I 'am' poor and needy, And my heart hath been pierced in my midst. 23 As a shadow when it is stretched out I have gone, I have been driven away as a locust. 24 My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh hath failed of fatness. 25 And I—I have been a reproach to them, They see me, they shake their head. 26 Help me, O Jehovah my God, Save me, according to Thy kindness. 27 And they know that this 'is' Thy hand, Thou, O Jehovah, Thou hast done it. 28 They revile, and Thou dost bless, They have risen, and are ashamed, And Thy servant doth rejoice. 29 Mine accusers put on blushing, and are covered, As an upper robe 'is' their shame. 30 I thank Jehovah greatly with my mouth, And in the midst of many I praise Him, 31 For He standeth at the right hand of the needy, To save from those judging his soul.

The Ministry of the Apostles

41 Let a man so reckon us as officers of Christ, and stewards of the secrets of God, 2 and as to the rest, it is required in the stewards that one may be found faithful, 3 and to me it is for a very little thing that by you I may be judged, or by man's day, but not even myself do I judge, 4 for of nothing to myself have I been conscious, but not in this have I been declared right—and he who is discerning me is the Lord: 5 so, then, nothing before the time judge ye, till the Lord may come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of the darkness, and will manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then the praise shall come to each from God. 6 And these things, brethren, I did transfer to myself and to Apollos because of you, that in us ye may learn not to think above that which hath been written, that ye may not be puffed up one for one against the other,

7 for who doth make thee to differ? and what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? and if thou didst also receive, why dost thou glory as not having received? 8 Already ye are having been filled, already ye were rich, apart from us ye did reign, and I would also ye did reign, that we also with you may reign together, 9 for I think that God did set forth us the apostles last—as appointed to death, because a spectacle we became to the world, and messengers, and men; 10 we 'are' fools because of Christ, and ye wise in Christ; we 'are' ailing, and ye strong; ye glorious, and we dishonoured; 11 unto the present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and wander about, 12 and labour, working with 'our' own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer; 13 being spoken evil of, we entreat; as filth of the world we did become—of all things an offscouring—till now.

14 Not 'as' putting you to shame do I write these things, but as my beloved children I do admonish, 15 for if a myriad of child-conductors ye may have in Christ, yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus, through the good news, I—I did beget you; 16 I call upon you, therefore, become ye followers of me;

17 because of this I sent to you Timotheus, who is my child, beloved and faithful in the Lord, who shall remind you of my ways in Christ, according as everywhere in every assembly I teach. 18 And as if I were not coming unto you certain were puffed up; 19 but I will come quickly unto you, if the Lord may will, and I will know not the word of those puffed up, but the power; 20 for not in word is the reign of God, but in power? 21 what do ye wish? with a rod shall I come unto you, or in love, with a spirit also of meekness?