O Lord, Deliver My Life
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to vThe Sheminith.1 A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, wrebuke me not in your anger,
nor xdiscipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
yheal me, O Lord, zfor my bones are troubled.
3 My asoul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O Lord—bhow long?
4 Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in cdeath there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who will give you praise?
6 I am dweary with my emoaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My feye wastes away because of grief;
it grows weak because of all my foes.
8 gDepart from me, all you hworkers of evil,
for the Lord ihas heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my jplea;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
they shall kturn back and be put to shame in a moment.
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.
Final Greetings
12 By oSilvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, pI have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is qthe true grace of God. rStand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does sMark, my son. 14 tGreet one another with the kiss of love.
uPeace to all of you who are in Christ.
