Psalm 140[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Rescue me,(A) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,(B)
who devise evil plans(C) in their hearts
    and stir up war(D) every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as(E) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers(F) is on their lips.[b]

Keep me safe,(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(H)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
The arrogant have hidden a snare(I) for me;
    they have spread out the cords of their net(J)
    and have set traps(K) for me along my path.

I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(L)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(M)
Sovereign Lord,(N) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant the wicked(O) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.(P)
10 May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,(Q)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.(R)

12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor(S)
    and upholds the cause(T) of the needy.(U)
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,(V)
    and the upright will live(W) in your presence.(X)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
  2. Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.

140 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.(A) 35 The Lord has blessed(B) my master abundantly,(C) and he has become wealthy.(D) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.(E) 36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,(F) and he has given him everything he owns.(G) 37 And my master made me swear an oath,(H) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,(I) 38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’(J)

39 “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’(K)

40 “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,(L) will send his angel with you(M) and make your journey a success,(N) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.(O) 41 You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’(P)

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34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.

35 And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

36 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:

38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

40 And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:

41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

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50 Laban and Bethuel(A) answered, “This is from the Lord;(B) we can say nothing to you one way or the other.(C) 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.(D)

52 When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.(E) 53 Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing(F) and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts(G) to her brother and to her mother. 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way(H) to my master.”

55 But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so;(I) then you[a] may go.”

56 But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success(J) to my journey. Send me on my way(K) so I may go to my master.”

57 Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.”(L) 58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,”(M) she said.

59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way,(N) along with her nurse(O) and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed(P) Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you increase
    to thousands upon thousands;(Q)
may your offspring possess
    the cities of their enemies.”(R)

61 Then Rebekah and her attendants(S) got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi,(T) for he was living in the Negev.(U) 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate,[b](V) and as he looked up,(W) he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel(X) 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil(Y) and covered herself.

66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent(Z) of his mother Sarah,(AA) and he married Rebekah.(AB) So she became his wife, and he loved her;(AC) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.(AD)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:55 Or she
  2. Genesis 24:63 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken.

52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.

53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.

55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.

56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.

58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.

60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.

63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.

66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

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Dear friends,(A) I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.(B) This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command;(C) its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing(D) and the true light(E) is already shining.(F)

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[a](G) is still in the darkness.(H) 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister[b] lives in the light,(I) and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.(J) 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister(K) is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.(L) They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 John 2:9 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15, 17; 4:20; 5:16.
  2. 1 John 2:10 The Greek word for brother and sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 3:10; 4:20, 21.

Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

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