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Psalm 28

1  To you I call, O Lord my rock;
      be not deaf to my cry, ♦︎
   lest, if you do not hear me,
      I become like those who go down to the Pit.
2  Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, ♦︎
   when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.
3  Do not snatch me away with the wicked,
      with the evildoers, ♦︎
   who speak peaceably with their neighbours,
      while malice is in their hearts.
4  Repay them according to their deeds ♦︎
   and according to the wickedness of their devices.
5  Reward them according to the work of their hands ♦︎
   and pay them their just deserts.
6  They take no heed of the Lord’s doings,
      nor of the works of his hands; ♦︎
   therefore shall he break them down
      and not build them up.
7  Blessed be the Lord, ♦︎
   for he has heard the voice of my prayer.
8  The Lord is my strength and my shield; ♦︎
   my heart has trusted in him and I am helped;
9  Therefore my heart dances for joy ♦︎
   and in my song will I praise him.
10  The Lord is the strength of his people, ♦︎
   a safe refuge for his anointed.
11  Save your people and bless your inheritance; ♦︎
   shepherd them and carry them for ever.

Psalm 30

1  I will exalt you, O Lord,
      because you have raised me up ♦︎
   and have not let my foes triumph over me.
2  O Lord my God, I cried out to you ♦︎
   and you have healed me.
3  You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; ♦︎
   you restored me to life from among those that go down to the Pit.
4  Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; ♦︎
   give thanks to his holy name.
5  For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye,
      his favour for a lifetime. ♦︎
   Heaviness may endure for a night,
      but joy comes in the morning.
6  In my prosperity I said,
      ‘I shall never be moved. ♦︎
   You, Lord, of your goodness,
      have made my hill so strong.’
7  Then you hid your face from me ♦︎
   and I was utterly dismayed.
8  To you, O Lord, I cried; ♦︎
   to the Lord I made my supplication:
9  ‘What profit is there in my blood,
      if I go down to the Pit? ♦︎
   Will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
10  ‘Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; ♦︎
   O Lord, be my helper.’
11  You have turned my mourning into dancing; ♦︎
   you have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;
12  Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; ♦︎
   O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever.

3Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we decided to be left alone in Athens; ²and we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming^* the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, ³so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for. ⁴In fact, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer persecution; so it turned out, as you know. ⁵For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith; I was afraid that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labour had been in vain.