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Psalm 31

1  In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
      let me never be put to shame; ♦︎
   deliver me in your righteousness.
2  Incline your ear to me; ♦︎
   make haste to deliver me.
3  Be my strong rock, a fortress to save me,
      for you are my rock and my stronghold; ♦︎
   guide me, and lead me for your name’s sake.
4  Take me out of the net
      that they have laid secretly for me, ♦︎
   for you are my strength.
5  Into your hands I commend my spirit, ♦︎
   for you have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.
6  I hate those who cling to worthless idols; ♦︎
   I put my trust in the Lord.
7  I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy, ♦︎
   for you have seen my affliction
      and known my soul in adversity.
8  You have not shut me up in the hand of the enemy; ♦︎
   you have set my feet in an open place.
9  Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in trouble; ♦︎
   my eye is consumed with sorrow,
      my soul and my body also.
10  For my life is wasted with grief,
      and my years with sighing; ♦︎
   my strength fails me because of my affliction,
      and my bones are consumed.
11  I have become a reproach to all my enemies
      and even to my neighbours,
      an object of dread to my acquaintances; ♦︎
   when they see me in the street they flee from me.
12  I am forgotten like one that is dead, out of mind; ♦︎
   I have become like a broken vessel.
13  For I have heard the whispering of the crowd;
      fear is on every side; ♦︎
   they scheme together against me,
      and plot to take my life.
14  But my trust is in you, O Lord. ♦︎
   I have said, ‘You are my God.
15  ‘My times are in your hand; ♦︎
   deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
      and from those who persecute me.
16  ‘Make your face to shine upon your servant, ♦︎
   and save me for your mercy’s sake.’
17  Lord, let me not be confounded
      for I have called upon you; ♦︎
   but let the wicked be put to shame;
      let them be silent in the grave.
18  Let the lying lips be put to silence ♦︎
   that speak against the righteous
      with arrogance, disdain and contempt.
19  How abundant is your goodness, O Lord,
      which you have laid up for those who fear you; ♦︎
   which you have prepared in the sight of all
      for those who put their trust in you.
20  You hide them in the shelter of your presence
      from those who slander them; ♦︎
   you keep them safe in your refuge from the strife of tongues.
21  Blessed be the Lord! ♦︎
   For he has shown me his steadfast love
      when I was as a city besieged.
22  I had said in my alarm,
      ‘I have been cut off from the sight of your eyes.’ ♦︎
   Nevertheless, you heard the voice of my prayer
      when I cried out to you.
23  Love the Lord, all you his servants; ♦︎
   for the Lord protects the faithful,
      but repays to the full the proud.
24  Be strong and let your heart take courage, ♦︎
   all you who wait in hope for the Lord.

Jacob and Esau Meet

33Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. ²He put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. ³He himself went on ahead of them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother.

4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. ⁵When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he said, ‘Who are these with you?’ Jacob said, ‘The children whom God has graciously given your servant.’ ⁶Then the maids drew near, they and their children, and bowed down; ⁷Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down; and finally Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. ⁸Esau said, ‘What do you mean by all this company that I met?’ Jacob answered, ‘To find favour with my lord.’ ⁹But Esau said, ‘I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.’ ¹⁰Jacob said, ‘No, please; if I find favour with you, then accept my present from my hand; for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God—since you have received me with such favour. ¹¹Please accept my gift that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have everything I want.’ So he urged him, and he took it.

12 Then Esau said, ‘Let us journey on our way, and I will go alongside you.’ ¹³But Jacob said to him, ‘My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds, which are nursing, are a care to me; and if they are overdriven for one day, all the flocks will die. ¹⁴Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.’

15 So Esau said, ‘Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.’ But he said, ‘Why should my lord be so kind to me?’ ¹⁶So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. ¹⁷But Jacob journeyed to Succoth,^* and built himself a house, and made booths for his cattle; therefore the place is called Succoth.

Maintain Good Deeds

3Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, ²to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone. ³For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. ⁴But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Saviour appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water^* of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. ⁶This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ⁸The saying is sure.

I desire that you insist on these things, so that those who have come to believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works; these things are excellent and profitable to everyone. ⁹But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. ¹⁰After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions, ¹¹since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned.

Final Messages and Benediction

12 When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. ¹³Make every effort to send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way, and see that they lack nothing. ¹⁴And let people learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet urgent needs, so that they may not be unproductive.

15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with all of you.^*