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Psalm 34

Blessed Is the Person Who Takes Refuge in God

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By David. When he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelek, who drove him away, and David left.[a]

David’s Thanks for Deliverance

I will bless the Lord at all times.
His praise will always be in my mouth.
In the Lord my soul will boast.
The humble will hear and rejoice.

An Invitation to Join David in Praise

Proclaim the greatness of the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.

The Story of David’s Deliverance

I sought the Lord, and he answered me.
From all my terrors he delivered me.
His people look to him and are radiant,
and their faces will never blush.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard.
From all his distress the Lord saved him.
The Angel of the Lord[b] camps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

The Application of This Truth to All Believers

Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Blessed is everyone who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his saints,
since those who fear him lack nothing.
10 Young lions may lack food and be hungry,
but those who seek the Lord do not lack any good thing.

11 Come, children, listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 Who wants to find pleasure in life?
Who would love to experience many good days?
13 Guard your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn from evil and do good.
Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord watch over the righteous.
His ears listen to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is set against those who do evil,
    to cut off memory of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears.
From all their distress he delivers them.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
He saves those whose spirits have been crushed.
19 Many are the troubles of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.
20 He watches over all his bones;
not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked.
Those who hate the righteous will be found guilty.
22 The Lord redeems the soul[c] of his servants.
Anyone who takes refuge in him will not be found guilty.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34:1 See 1 Samuel 21.
  2. Psalm 34:7 This seems to allude to the Angel of the Lord, who led Israel through the wilderness.
  3. Psalm 34:22 Or life

Governments Are Established by God

13 Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. For no authority exists except by God, and the authorities that do exist have been established by God. Therefore the one who rebels against the authority is opposing God’s institution, and those who oppose will bring judgment on themselves.

For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to evil. Would you like to have no fear of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will receive praise from him, because he is God’s servant for your benefit. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because he does not carry the sword without reason. He is God’s servant, a punisher to bring wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore it is necessary to submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of conscience.

For this reason you also pay taxes, because the authorities are God’s ministers, who are employed to do this very thing. Pay what you owe to all of them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, and honor to whom honor is owed.

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20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, while Mary was sitting in the house.

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the Last Day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. 26 And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish.[a] Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I believe[b] that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

28 After she said this, Martha went back to call her sister Mary. She whispered, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet gone into the village, but was still where Martha met him. 31 The Jews who were with Mary in the house consoling her saw that she got up quickly and left. So they followed her, supposing[c] she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled.

34 He asked, “Where have you laid him?”

They told him, “Lord, come and see.”

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

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Footnotes

  1. John 11:26 Literally not die into eternity
  2. John 11:27 Or have believed
  3. John 11:31 Some of the witnesses to the text read saying that.