Tell of All His Wondrous Works
1 tOh give thanks to the Lord; ucall upon his name;
vmake known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
wtell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
4 Seek the Lord and his xstrength;
yseek his presence continually!
5 Remember the zwondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and athe judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of bAbraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his cchosen ones!
7 He is the Lord our God;
his djudgments are in all the earth.
8 He eremembers his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for fa thousand generations,
9 gthe covenant that he made with Abraham,
his hsworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to iJacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, j“To you I will give the land of Canaan
as kyour portion for an inheritance.”
12 When they were lfew in number,
of little account, and msojourners in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
14 he nallowed no one to oppress them;
he orebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, p“Touch not my anointed ones,
do my prophets no harm!”
16 When he qsummoned a famine on the land
and rbroke all supply1 of bread,
17 he had ssent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was tsold as a slave.
18 His ufeet were hurt with fetters;
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until vwhat he had said came to pass,
the word of the Lord wtested him.
20 xThe king sent and yreleased him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21 he zmade him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to bind2 his princes at his pleasure
and to teach his elders wisdom.
Pe
129 Your testimonies are twonderful;
therefore my soul ukeeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts vunderstanding to the simple.
131 I wopen my mouth and xpant,
because I ylong for your commandments.
132 zTurn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your way with those who love your name.
133 aKeep steady my steps according to your promise,
and let no iniquity bget dominion over me.
134 cRedeem me from man’s oppression,
that I may keep your precepts.
135 dMake your face shine upon your servant,
and eteach me your statutes.
136 My eyes fshed streams of tears,
because people gdo not keep your law.
Tsadhe
137 hRighteous are you, O Lord,
and right are your rules.
138 You have appointed your testimonies in irighteousness
and in all jfaithfulness.
139 My kzeal consumes me,
because my foes forget your words.
140 Your promise is well ltried,
and your servant mloves it.
141 I am small and despised,
yet I do not nforget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is righteous forever,
and your law is otrue.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me out,
but your commandments are my pdelight.
144 Your testimonies are righteous forever;
Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
6 For affliction does not come from the dust,
nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 but man is zborn to trouble
as the sparks fly upward.
8 “As for me, I would seek God,
and to God would I commit my cause,
9 who adoes great things and bunsearchable,
cmarvelous things without number:
10 he gives drain on the earth
and sends waters on the fields;
11 he esets on high those who are lowly,
and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He ffrustrates the devices of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.
13 He gcatches the wise in their own craftiness,
and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
14 They meet with darkness in the daytime
and hgrope at noonday as in the night.
15 But he isaves the needy from the sword of their mouth
and from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the poor have hope,
and jinjustice shuts her mouth.
17 “Behold, kblessed is the one whom God reproves;
therefore ldespise not the discipline of the mAlmighty.
18 For he wounds, but he nbinds up;
he oshatters, but his hands heal.
19 He will pdeliver you from six troubles;
in seven no qevil1 shall touch you.
20 rIn famine he will redeem you from death,
and in war from the power of the sword.
21 You shall be shidden from the lash of the tongue,
and shall not fear destruction when it comes.
22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh,
and shall not fear tthe beasts of the earth.
23 For you shall be in league with the stones of the field,
and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your utent is at peace,
and you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing.
25 You shall know also that your voffspring shall be many,
and your descendants as wthe grass of the earth.
26 You shall come to your grave in xripe old age,
like a sheaf gathered up in its season.
27 Behold, this we have ysearched out; it is true.
Hear, and know it for your good.”2
Shepherd the Flock of God
1 So I exhort the elders among you, mas a fellow elder and na witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 oshepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,1 pnot under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;2 qnot for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not rdomineering over those in your charge, but sbeing examples to the flock. 4 And when tthe chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the uunfading vcrown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. wClothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for x“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
6 xHumble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 ycasting all your anxieties on him, because zhe cares for you. 8 aBe sober-minded; bbe watchful. Your cadversary the devil dprowls around elike a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 fResist him, gfirm in your faith, knowing that hthe same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And iafter you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, jwho has called you to his keternal glory in Christ, will himself lrestore, mconfirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 nTo him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
