Psalm 19^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

¹⁸ The wrath of God^(A) is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.^{(B) 20} For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,^(C) so that people are without excuse.^(D)

²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.^{(E) 22} Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools^{(F) 23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images^(G) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over^(H) in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.^{(I) 25} They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,^(J) and worshiped and served created things^(K) rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.^(L) Amen.^(M)

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over^(N) to shameful lusts.^(O) Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.^{(P) 27} In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.^(Q)

²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over^(R) to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,^{(S) 30} slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;^{(T) 31} they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,^(U) no mercy. ³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,^(V) they not only continue to do these very things but also approve^(W) of those who practice them.

¹¹ It is written:

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:^(A)

⁴ They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?^(A) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”^{(B) 5} But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word^(C) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.^(D)

¹⁰ And the devil, who deceived them,^(A) was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,^(B) where the beast^(C) and the false prophet^(D) had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.^(E)

The Judgment of the Dead

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne^(F) and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,^(G) and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small,^(H) standing before the throne, and books were opened.^(I) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.^(J) The dead were judged^(K) according to what they had done^(L) as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades^(M) gave up the dead^(N) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.^{(O) 14} Then death^(P) and Hades^(Q) were thrown into the lake of fire.^(R) The lake of fire is the second death.^{(S) 15} Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life^(T) was thrown into the lake of fire.