Psalms 57; Psalms 58; Psalms 59; Romans 4

1 Show me your favor, God. Show me your favor. I go to you for safety. I will find safety in the shadow of your wings. There I will stay until the danger is gone.

2 I cry out to God Most High. I cry out to God, and he carries out his plan for me.

3 He answers from heaven and saves me. He puts to shame those who chase me. "Selah" He shows me his love and his truth.

4 Men who are like lions are all around me. I am lying down among hungry animals. Their teeth are like spears and arrows. Their tongues are like sharp swords.

5 God, may you be honored above the heavens. Let your glory be over the whole earth.

6 My enemies spread a net to catch me by the feet. I felt helpless. They dug a pit in my path. But they fell into it themselves. "Selah"

7 God, my heart feels secure. My heart feels secure. I will sing and make music to you.

8 My spirit, wake up! Harp and lyre, wake up! I want to sing and make music before the sun rises.

9 Lord, I will praise you among the nations. I will sing about you among the people of the earth.

10 Great is your love. It reaches to the heavens. Your truth reaches to the skies.

11 God, may you be honored above the heavens. Let your glory be over the whole earth.

1 Are you rulers really fair when you speak? Do you judge people honestly?

2 No, in your hearts you plan to be unfair. With your hands you do terrible things on the earth.

3 Even from birth those who are evil go down the wrong path. From the day they are born they go the wrong way and speak lies.

4 Their words are like the poison of a snake. They are like the poison of a cobra that has covered up its ears.

5 It won't listen to any tune of a snake charmer, even if the charmer really plays well.

6 God, break the teeth in the mouths of those sinners! Lord, tear out the sharp teeth of those lions!

7 Let those people disappear like water that flows away. When they draw their bows, let their arrows be dull.

8 Let them be like a slug that melts away as it moves along. Let them be like a baby that is born dead and never sees the sun.

9 Evil people will be swept away quicker than a pot can feel the heat of thorns burning under it. And it doesn't matter if the thorns are green or dry.

10 Godly people will be glad when those who have hurt them are paid back. They will wash their feet in the blood of those who do evil.

11 Then people will say, "The godly will get their reward. There really is a God who judges the earth."

1 God, save me from my enemies. Keep me safe from those who rise up against me.

2 Save me from those who do evil. Save me from murderers.

3 See how they hide and wait for me! Lord, angry people plan to harm me, even though I haven't hurt them in any way or sinned against them.

4 I haven't done anything wrong to them. But they are ready to attack me. Rise up and help me! Look at what I'm up against!

5 LORD God who rules over all, rise up. God of Israel, punish all of the nations. Don't show any mercy to those sinful people who have turned against me. "Selah"

6 My enemies are like a pack of barking dogs that come back to the city in the evening. They prowl around the city.

7 Listen to what pours out of their mouths. The words from their lips are like swords. They think, "Who can hear us?"

8 But you laugh at them, Lord. You make fun of all those nations.

9 You give me strength. I look to you. God, you are like a fort to me.

10 You are my loving God. God will march out in front of me. He will let me look down on those who tell lies about me.

11 Lord, you are like a shield that keeps us safe. Don't kill my enemies all at once. If you do, my people will forget about it. Use your power to make my enemies wander around. Destroy them.

12 They have sinned with their mouths. Their lips have spoken evil words. They have called down a curse on me and lied. Let them be caught in their pride.

13 Burn them up in your anger. Burn them up until there isn't anything left of them. Then everyone from one end of the earth to the other will know that God rules over the people of Jacob. "Selah"

14 My enemies are like a pack of barking dogs that come back into the city in the evening. They prowl around the city.

15 They wander around looking for food. They groan if they don't find something that will satisfy them.

16 But I will sing about your strength. In the morning I will sing about your love. You are like a fort to me. You keep me safe in times of trouble.

17 You give me strength. I sing praise to you. God, you are like a fort to me. You are my loving God.

1 What should we say about those things? What did our father Abraham discover about being right with God?

2 Did he become right with God because of something he did? If so, he could brag about it. But he couldn't brag to God.

3 What do we find in Scripture? It says, "Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham's faith, and so his faith made him right with God."(Genesis 15:6)

4 When a man works, his pay is not considered a gift. It is owed to him.

5 But things are different with God. He makes evil people right with himself. If people trust in him, their faith is accepted even though they do not work. Their faith makes them right with God.

6 King David says the same thing. He tells us how blessed some people are. God makes those people right with himself. But they don't have to do anything in return. David says,

7 "Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven. Blessed are those whose sins are taken away.

8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord never counts against him." (Psalm 32:1,2)

9 Is that blessing only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also for those who are not circumcised? We have been saying that God accepted Abraham's faith, and so his faith made him right with God.

10 When did it happen? Was it after Abraham was circumcised, or before? It was before he was circumcised, not after!

11 He was circumcised as a sign of the covenant God had made with him. It showed that his faith had made him right with God before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all believers who have not been circumcised. God accepts their faith. So their faith makes them right with him.

12 Abraham is also the father of the circumcised who believe. So just being circumcised is not enough. Those who are circumcised must also follow the steps of our father Abraham. He had faith before he was circumcised.

13 Abraham and his family received a promise. God promised that Abraham would receive the world. It would not come to him because he obeyed the law. It would come because of his faith, which made him right with God.

14 Do those who obey the law receive the promise? If they do, faith would have no value. God's promise would be worthless.

15 The law brings God's anger. Where there is no law, the law can't be broken.

16 The promise is based on God's grace. The promise comes by faith. All of Abraham's children will certainly receive the promise. And it is not only for those who are ruled by the law. Those who have the same faith that Abraham had are also included. He is the father of us all.

17 It is written, "I have made you a father of many nations."(Genesis 17:5) God considers Abraham to be our father. The God that Abraham believed in gives life to the dead. Abraham's God also speaks of things that do not exist as if they do exist.

18 When there was no reason for hope, Abraham believed because he had hope. He became the father of many nations, exactly as God had promised. God said, "That is how many children you will have."(Genesis 15:5)

19 Without becoming weak in his faith, Abraham accepted the fact that he was past the time when he could have children. At that time he was about 100 years old. He also realized that Sarah was too old to have children.

20 But he kept believing in God's promise. He became strong in his faith. He gave glory to God.

21 He was absolutely sure that God had the power to do what he had promised.

22 That's why "God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God."

23 The words "God accepted Abraham's faith" were written not only for Abraham.

24 They were written also for us. We believe in the God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. So God will accept our faith and make us right with himself.

25 Jesus was handed over to die for our sins. He was raised to life in order to make us right with God.