¹I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my  ²conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit,

That I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart.

For I could wish that I myself were a  ¹curse, separated from Christ for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh,

Who are Israelites, whose are the  ¹sonship and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the  ²service and the promises;

Whose are the fathers, and out of whom, as regards what is according to flesh, is the Christ, who is  ¹God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

But it is not as though the word of God has fallen away, for  ¹not all who are out of Israel are Israel;

Neither is it that because they are the seed of Abraham, they are all children; but, “In Isaac shall your seed be called,”

That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are accounted as the seed.

For this is the word of promise, “At this time next year I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”

And not only so, but Rebecca also, having conceived by one, Isaac our father,

Though the children had not yet been born nor had done anything good or bad (that the  ¹purpose of God according to selection might remain, not of works but of Him who calls),

It was said to her, “The greater shall  ¹serve the less”;

As it is written, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”

What then shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? Absolutely not!

For to Moses He says,  ¹“I will have  ²mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have  ²compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”

So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very thing I have raised you up, that I might show in you My power, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

So then He has mercy on whom He wills, and He hardens whom He wills.

Of David, when he disguised his sanity before  ¹Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed

 ¹I will  ²bless Jehovah at all times;
His praise will continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in Jehovah;
The lowly hear and they rejoice.

Magnify Jehovah with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

I sought Jehovah, and He answered me;
And He delivered me from all that terrified me.

They looked to Him and were radiant;
And their faces will never be abashed.

This poor man called out, and Jehovah heard;
And He  ¹saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of Jehovah encamps
Around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.

 ¹Taste and see that Jehovah is good;
 ²Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

Fear Jehovah, you who are His saints;
For there is no lack with those who fear Him.

The young lions hunger and starve,
But those who seek Jehovah will not lack any good thing.

Come, children; hear me.
I will teach you the fear of Jehovah.

Who is the man who desires life,
Who loves having days in order to see good?

Guard your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.

Turn away from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of Jehovah are set toward the righteous,
And His ears, toward their cry.

The face of Jehovah is against those who do evil,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and Jehovah hears;
And He saves them out of all their troubles.

Jehovah is near to those who are broken in heart,
And He saves those who are contrite in spirit.

Many are the troubles of the righteous man,
But Jehovah delivers him from all of them.

He keeps all his bones;
 ¹Not one of them is broken.

Evil will slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous man will be condemned.

Jehovah redeems the soul of His servants,
And none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Of David

 ¹Strive, O Jehovah, with those who strive with me;
 ¹Battle against those who battle against me.

Take hold of buckler and shield,
And rise up as my help.

Draw out also the spear, and close up the way
Against those who pursue me;
Say to my soul,
I am your salvation.

Let those who seek my life
Be put to shame and humiliated;
Let those who devise evil for me
Be turned back and confounded.

Let them be like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of Jehovah driving them on.

Let their way be darkness and slipperiness itself,
With the angel of Jehovah pursuing them.

For without cause they hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a pit for me.

Let destruction come upon him unawares,
And let his net, which he hid, catch him;
Let him fall into it, into destruction.

Then my soul will exult in Jehovah;
It will rejoice in His salvation.

All my bones will say,
Jehovah, who is like You,
Who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him,
And the poor and needy from him who robs him?

Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me about things I know nothing of.

They repay me evil for good;
I am bereaved in soul.

But I, when they were sick,
Had sackcloth as my clothing;
I afflicted my soul with fasting,
And my prayer returned to my own bosom.

I conducted myself as if it had been my friend or my brother;
Like one mourning for his mother, I bowed down gloomily.

But at my stumbling they rejoice and gather together;
The attackers, whom I did not know
Gather together against me;
They tear at me and do not cease.

As profane mocking parasites,
They gnash their teeth at me.

O Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul from their destruction,
My  ¹precious life from the lions.

I will give You thanks in the great congregation;
Among a mighty people I will praise You.

Do not let those who are wrongly my enemies rejoice over me;
Do not let those who hate me without cause narrow their eyes at me.

For they do not speak peace,
But devise words of deceit
Against the quiet people of the land.

And they open their mouth wide against me;
They say, Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen it.

You have seen, O Jehovah; do not be silent.
O Lord, do not be far from me.

Awake, and stir Yourself for my cause,
For my claim, O my God and my Lord.

Vindicate me according to Your righteousness, O Jehovah my God;
And do not let them rejoice over me.

Do not let them say in their heart,
Aha!  ¹That is what we wanted.
Do not let them say, We have swallowed him up.

May those who rejoice at my trouble
Be ashamed and confounded together;
May those who magnify themselves against me
Be clothed with shame and humiliation.

May those who delight in the vindication of my righteousness
Give a ringing shout and rejoice,
And may they say continually,
Jehovah be magnified,
Who delights in the well-being of His servant.

And my tongue will declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.

To the choir director. Of the servant of Jehovah; of David

Transgression speaks to the wicked
Within  ¹his heart;
There is no dread of God
Before his eyes.

For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
That his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased being wise and doing good.

He plans wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself on a way that is not good;
He does not reject evil.

 ¹O Jehovah, Your lovingkindness is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches unto the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Your judgments are like the great deep;
You preserve man and beast, O Jehovah.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Thus the sons of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

They are saturated with the  ¹fatness of Your  ²house,
And You cause them to drink of the river of Your pleasures.

For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.

Continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to those who are upright in heart.

Do not let the foot of the arrogant come upon me,
Nor let the hand of the wicked drive me away.

There the workers of iniquity are fallen;
They are cast down and unable to rise.