Psalms 70; Psalms 71; Romans 8:22-39

1 Hurry, God, to deliver me; hurry, LORD, to help me!

2 Let those who seek my life be ashamed and humiliated! Let them fall back and be disgraced— those people who delight in my downfall!

3 Let those who say, "Aha! Aha!" stop because of their shameful behavior.

4 But let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you, and let those who love your saving help say again and again: "God is great!"

5 But me? I'm poor and needy. Hurry to me, God! You are my helper and my deliverer. Oh, LORD, don't delay!

1 I've taken refuge in you, LORD. Don't let me ever be put to shame!

2 Deliver me and rescue me by your righteousness! Bend your ear toward me and save me!

3 Be my rock of refuge where I can always escape. You commanded that my life be saved because you are my rock and my fortress.

4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked; rescue me from the grip of the wrongdoer and the oppressor

5 because you are my hope, Lord. You, LORD, are the one I've trusted since childhood.

6 I've depended on you from birth— you cut the cord when I came from my mother's womb. My praise is always about you.

7 I've become an example to many people because you are my strong refuge.

8 My mouth is filled with your praise, glorifying you all day long.

9 Don't cast me off in old age. Don't abandon me when my strength is used up!

10 Yes, my enemies have been talking about me; those who stalk me plot together:

11 "God has abandoned him! Pursue him! Grab him because no one will deliver him!"

12 Don't be far from me, God! My God, hurry to help me!

13 Let my accusers be put to shame, completely finished off! Let those who seek my downfall be dressed in insults and disgrace!

14 But me? I will hope. Always. I will add to all your praise.

15 My mouth will repeat your righteous acts and your saving deeds all day long. I don't even know how many of those there are!

16 I will dwell on your mighty acts, my Lord. LORD, I will help others remember nothing but your righteous deeds.

17 You've taught me since my youth, God, and I'm still proclaiming your wondrous deeds!

18 So, even in my old age with gray hair, don't abandon me, God! Not until I tell generations about your mighty arm, tell all who are yet to come about your strength,

19 and about your ultimate righteousness, God, because you've done awesome things! Who can compare to you, God?

20 You, who have shown me many troubles and calamities, will revive me once more. From the depths of the earth, you will raise me up one more time.

21 Please increase my honor and comfort me all around.

22 Then I'll give you thanks with a harp— I will thank you for your faithfulness, my God. I will make music for you with the lyre, holy one of Israel.

23 My lips will rejoice aloud when I make music for you; my whole being, which you saved, will do the same.

24 My tongue, also, will tell of your righteousness all day long, because those who seek my downfall have been put to shame and disgraced.

22 We know that the whole creation is groaning together and suffering labor pains up until now.

23 And it's not only the creation. We ourselves who have the Spirit as the first crop of the harvest also groan inside as we wait to be adopted and for our bodies to be set free.

24 We were saved in hope. If we see what we hope for, that isn't hope. Who hopes for what they already see?

25 But if we hope for what we don't see, we wait for it with patience.

26 In the same way, the Spirit comes to help our weakness. We don't know what we should pray, but the Spirit himself pleads our case with unexpressed groans.

27 The one who searches hearts knows how the Spirit thinks, because he pleads for the saints, consistent with God's will.

28 We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.

29 We know this because God knew them in advance, and he decided in advance that they would be conformed to the image of his Son. That way his Son would be the first of many brothers and sisters.

30 Those who God decided in advance would be conformed to his Son, he also called. Those whom he called, he also made righteous. Those whom he made righteous, he also glorified.

31 So what are we going to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

32 He didn't spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. Won't he also freely give us all things with him?

33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect people? It is God who acquits them.

34 Who is going to convict them? It is Christ Jesus who died, even more, who was raised, and who also is at God's right side. It is Christ Jesus who also pleads our case for us.

35 Who will separate us from Christ's love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

36 As it is written, We are being put to death all day long for your sake. We are treated like sheep for slaughter.

37 But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loved us.

38 I'm convinced that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers

39 or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.