You Will Not Abandon My Soul
A hMiktam1 of David.
1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I itake refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
jI have no good apart from you.”
3 As for kthe saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.2
4 The sorrows of those who run after3 another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or ltake their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is mmy chosen portion and my ncup;
you hold my olot.
6 pThe lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who qgives me counsel;
in rthe night also my sheart instructs me.4
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my xwhole being5 rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to ySheol,
11 You make known to me cthe path of life;
in your presence there is dfullness of joy;
at your right hand are epleasures forevermore.
God’s Judgment and the Law
12 For all who have sinned vwithout the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For wit is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, xby nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is ywritten on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 zon that day when, aaccording to my gospel, God judges bthe secrets of men cby Christ Jesus.
13 g“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy1 that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and hthe way is hard that leads to life, and ithose who find it are few.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 j“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are kravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them lby their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, mevery healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 nEvery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them lby their fruits.
I Never Knew You
21 o“Not everyone who psays to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will qenter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who rdoes the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 sOn that day tmany will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not uprophesy in your name, and cast out demons vin your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 tAnd then will I declare to them, ‘I wnever knew you; xdepart from me, yyou workers of lawlessness.’
