I bless the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart exhorts me. I keep the Lord always before me; with the Lord at my right, I shall never be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure. For you will not abandon me to Sheol, nor let your faithful servant see the pit. You will show me the path of life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.

I will listen for the word of God; surely the Lord will proclaim peace to his people, to the faithful, to those who trust in him. Near indeed is salvation for the loyal; prosperity will fill our land. Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss. Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from heaven. The Lord will surely grant abundance; our land will yield its increase. Prosperity will march before the Lord, and good fortune will follow behind.

When the just cry out, the Lord hears and rescues them from distress. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed. Many are the troubles of the just, but the Lord delivers from them all. God watches over all their bones; not one shall be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; those who hate the just are condemned. The Lord redeems loyal servants; no one is condemned whose refuge is God.

Praise the Lord, my soul; I shall praise the Lord all my life, sing praise to my God while I live. Put no trust in princes, in mere mortals powerless to save. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth; that day all their planning comes to nothing. Happy those whose help is Jacob’s God, whose hope is in the Lord, their God, the maker of heaven and earth, the seas and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free; the Lord gives sight to the blind. The Lord raises up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord protects the stranger, sustains the orphan and the widow, but thwarts the way of the wicked. The Lord shall reign forever, your God, Zion, through all generations!

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent, whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.  But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;  put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.  

Understand, you stupid people! You fools, when will you be wise? Does the one who shaped the ear not hear? The one who formed the eye not see? Does the one who guides nations not rebuke? The one who teaches humans not have knowledge? The Lord does know human plans; they are only puffs of air. Happy those whom you guide, Lord, whom you teach by your instruction. You give them rest from evil days, while a pit is being dug for the wicked. You, Lord, will not forsake your people, nor abandon your very own. Judgment shall again be just, and all the upright of heart will follow it

I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.  Who is the liar?  Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ.  Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.  No one who denies the Son has the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

You once favored, Lord, your land, restored the good fortune of Jacob. You forgave the guilt of your people, you pardoned all their sins. You withdrew all your wrath, turned back your burning anger. Restore us once more, God our savior; abandon your wrath against us. Will you be angry with us forever, drag out your anger for all generations? Please give us life again, that your people may rejoice in you. Show us, Lord, your love; grant us your salvation.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.  Elijah was a human being like us; yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land.  Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruits.

After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also.  I went up in accord with a revelation, and I presented to them the gospel that I preach to the Gentiles – but privately to those of repute – so that I might not be running, or have run, in vain.  Moreover, not even Titus, who was with me, although he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. From those who were reputed to be important (what they once were makes no difference to me: God shows no partiality) – those of repute make me add nothing.  On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter to the circumcised, for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcised worked also in me for the Gentiles, and when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me, James and Kephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership, that we should go the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.  Only, we were to be mindful of the poor, which is the very thing I was eager to do.