Psalms 143; Psalms 144; Psalms 145; 1 Corinthians 14:21-40

Psalms 143

1 Lord, hear my prayer! In your righteousness listen to my plea; answer me in your faithfulness!

2 Don't put me, your servant, on trial; no one is innocent in your sight.

3 My enemies have hunted me down and completely defeated me. They have put me in a dark prison, and I am like those who died long ago.

4 So I am ready to give up; I am in deep despair.

5 I remember the days gone by; I think about all that you have done, I bring to mind all your deeds.

6 I lift up my hands to you in prayer; like dry ground my soul is thirsty for you.

7 Answer me now, Lord! I have lost all hope. Don't hide yourself from me, or I will be among those who go down to the world of the dead.

8 Remind me each morning of your constant love, for I put my trust in you. My prayers go up to you; show me the way I should go.

9 I go to you for protection, Lord; rescue me from my enemies.

10 You are my God; teach me to do your will. Be good to me, and guide me on a safe path.

11 Rescue me, Lord, as you have promised; in your goodness save me from my troubles!

12 Because of your love for me, kill my enemies and destroy all my oppressors, for I am your servant.

Psalms 144

1 Praise the Lord, my protector! He trains me for battle and prepares me for war.

2 He is my protector and defender, my shelter and savior, in whom I trust for safety. He subdues the nations under me.

3 Lord, what are mortals, that you notice them; mere mortals, that you pay attention to us?

4 We are like a puff of wind; our days are like a passing shadow.

5 O Lord, tear the sky open and come down; touch the mountains, and they will pour out smoke.

6 Send flashes of lightning and scatter your enemies; shoot your arrows and send them running.

7 Reach down from above, pull me out of the deep water, and rescue me; save me from the power of foreigners,

8 who never tell the truth and lie even under oath.

9 I will sing you a new song, O God; I will play the harp and sing to you.

10 You give victory to kings and rescue your servant David.

11 Save me from my cruel enemies; rescue me from the power of foreigners, who never tell the truth and lie even under oath.

12 May our sons in their youth be like plants that grow up strong. May our daughters be like stately columns which adorn the corners of a palace.

13 May our barns be filled with crops of every kind. May the sheep in our fields bear young by the tens of thousands.

14 May our cattle reproduce plentifully without miscarriage or loss. May there be no cries of distress in our streets.

15 Happy is the nation of whom this is true; happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

Psalms 145

1 I will proclaim your greatness, my God and king; I will thank you forever and ever.

2 Every day I will thank you; I will praise you forever and ever.

3 The Lord is great and is to be highly praised; his greatness is beyond understanding.

4 What you have done will be praised from one generation to the next; they will proclaim your mighty acts.

5 They will speak of your glory and majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.

6 People will speak of your mighty deeds, and I will proclaim your greatness.

7 They will tell about all your goodness and sing about your kindness.

8 The Lord is loving and merciful, slow to become angry and full of constant love.

9 He is good to everyone and has compassion on all he made.

10 All your creatures, Lord, will praise you, and all your people will give you thanks.

11 They will speak of the glory of your royal power and tell of your might,

12 so that everyone will know your mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of your kingdom.

13 Your rule is eternal, and you are king forever. The Lord is faithful to his promises; he is merciful in all his acts.

14 He helps those who are in trouble; he lifts those who have fallen.

15 All living things look hopefully to you, and you give them food when they need it.

16 You give them enough and satisfy the needs of all.

17 The Lord is righteous in all he does, merciful in all his acts.

18 He is near to those who call to him, who call to him with sincerity.

19 He supplies the needs of those who honor him; he hears their cries and saves them.

20 He protects everyone who loves him, but he will destroy the wicked.

21 I will always praise the Lord; let all his creatures praise his holy name forever.

1 Corinthians 14:21-40

21 In the Scriptures it is written, "By means of people speaking strange languages I will speak to my people, says the Lord. I will speak through lips of foreigners, but even then my people will not listen to me."

22 So then, the gift of speaking in strange tongues is proof for unbelievers, not for believers, while the gift of proclaiming God's message is proof for believers, not for unbelievers.

23 If, then, the whole church meets together and everyone starts speaking in strange tongues - and if some ordinary people or unbelievers come in, won't they say that you are all crazy?

24 But if everyone is proclaiming God's message when some unbelievers or ordinary people come in, they will be convinced of their sin by what they hear. They will be judged by all they hear,

25 their secret thoughts will be brought into the open, and they will bow down and worship God, confessing, "Truly God is here among you!"

26 This is what I mean, my friends. When you meet for worship, one person has a hymn, another a teaching, another a revelation from God, another a message in strange tongues, and still another the explanation of what is said. Everything must be of help to the church.

27 If someone is going to speak in strange tongues, two or three at the most should speak, one after the other, and someone else must explain what is being said.

28 But if no one is there who can explain, then the one who speaks in strange tongues must be quiet and speak only to himself and to God.

29 Two or three who are given God's message should speak, while the others are to judge what they say.

30 But if someone sitting in the meeting receives a message from God, the one who is speaking should stop.

31 All of you may proclaim God's message, one by one, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged.

32 The gift of proclaiming God's message should be under the speaker's control,

33 because God does not want us to be in disorder but in harmony and peace. As in all the churches of God's people,

34 the women should keep quiet in the meetings. They are not allowed to speak; as the Jewish Law says, they must not be in charge.

35 If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a disgraceful thing for a woman to speak in a church meeting.

36 Or could it be that the word of God came from you? Or are you the only ones to whom it came?

37 If anyone supposes he is God's messenger or has a spiritual gift, he must realize that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command.

38 But if he does not pay attention to this, pay no attention to him.

39 So then, my friends, set your heart on proclaiming God's message, but do not forbid the speaking in strange tongues.

40 Everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.