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Psalm 31

Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader. A Psalm of David.
¹ In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
   do not let me ever be put to shame;
   in your righteousness deliver me.
² Incline your ear to me;
   rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
   a strong fortress to save me.

³ You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
   for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,
⁴ take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
   for you are my refuge.
⁵ Into your hand I commit my spirit;
   you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

⁶ You hate^* those who pay regard to worthless idols,
   but I trust in the Lord.
⁷ I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,
   because you have seen my affliction;
   you have taken heed of my adversities,
⁸ and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
   you have set my feet in a broad place.

⁹ Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
   my eye wastes away from grief,
   my soul and body also.
¹⁰ For my life is spent with sorrow,
   and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,^*
   and my bones waste away.

¹¹ I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
   a horror^* to my neighbours,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
   those who see me in the street flee from me.
¹² I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
   I have become like a broken vessel.
¹³ For I hear the whispering of many—
   terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
   as they plot to take my life.

¹⁴ But I trust in you, O Lord;
   I say, ‘You are my God.’
¹⁵ My times are in your hand;
   deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
¹⁶ Let your face shine upon your servant;
   save me in your steadfast love.
¹⁷ Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,
   for I call on you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
   let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.
¹⁸ Let the lying lips be stilled
   that speak insolently against the righteous
   with pride and contempt.

¹⁹ O how abundant is your goodness
   that you have laid up for those who fear you,
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
   in the sight of everyone!
²⁰ In the shelter of your presence you hide them
   from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
   from contentious tongues.

²¹ Blessed be the Lord,
   for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
   when I was beset as a city under siege.
²² I had said in my alarm,
   ‘I am driven far^* from your sight.’
But you heard my supplications
   when I cried out to you for help.

²³ Love the Lord, all you his saints.
   The Lord preserves the faithful,
   but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.
²⁴ Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
   all you who wait for the Lord.

Psalm 143

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

A Psalm of David.
¹ Hear my prayer, O Lord;
   give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;
   answer me in your righteousness.
² Do not enter into judgement with your servant,
   for no one living is righteous before you.

³ For the enemy has pursued me,
   crushing my life to the ground,
   making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
⁴ Therefore my spirit faints within me;
   my heart within me is appalled.

⁵ I remember the days of old,
   I think about all your deeds,
   I meditate on the works of your hands.
⁶ I stretch out my hands to you;
   my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
          Selah

⁷ Answer me quickly, O Lord;
   my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
   or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
⁸ Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
   for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
   for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹ Save me, O Lord, from my enemies;
   I have fled to you for refuge.^*
10 Teach me to do your will,
   for you are my God.
Let your good spirit lead me
   on a level path.

¹¹ For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life.
   In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.
¹² In your steadfast love cut off my enemies,
   and destroy all my adversaries,
   for I am your servant.

Pronouncement about the Sabbath

23 One sabbath he was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. ²⁴The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ ²⁵And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? ²⁶He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ ²⁷Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; ²⁸so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’

The Man with a Withered Hand

3Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. ²They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. ³And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ ⁴Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. ⁵He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.