Psalms 140; Psalms 141; Psalms 142; 1 Corinthians 14:1-20

1 Lord, save me from sinful men. Keep me safe from those who want to hurt me.

2 They make evil plans in their hearts. They are always starting fights.

3 Their tongues are as deadly as the tongue of a serpent. The words from their lips are like the poison of a snake. "Selah"

4 Lord, keep me out of the hands of sinful people. Keep me safe from men who want to hurt me. They plan to trip me up and make me fall.

5 Proud people have hidden their traps to catch me. They have spread out their nets. They have set traps for me along my path. "Selah"

6 Lord, I say to you, "You are my God." Lord, hear my cry for your favor.

7 LORD and King, you save me because you are strong. You are like a shield that keeps me safe in the day of battle.

8 Lord, don't give sinners what they want. Don't let their plans succeed. If you do, they will become proud. "Selah"

9 Those who are all around me have caused me trouble by what their lips have said. Let that trouble fall on their own heads.

10 Let burning coals fall on people like that. May they be thrown into the fire. May they be thrown into muddy pits and never get out.

11 Don't let men who tell lies about me settle down in the land. May trouble hunt down those who want to hurt me.

12 I know that the LORD makes sure that poor people are treated fairly. He stands up for those who are in need.

13 I'm sure that those who do right will praise your name. Those who are honest will live with you.

1 Lord, I call out to you. Come quickly to help me. Listen to me when I call out to you.

2 May my prayer come to you like the sweet smell of incense. When I lift up my hands in prayer, may it be like the evening sacrifice.

3 Lord, guard my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Don't let my heart be drawn to what is evil. Don't let me join men who do evil. They don't do what is right. Don't let me join them and eat their fancy food.

5 If a person who does what is right were to strike me, it would be an act of kindness. If that person were to correct me, it would be like pouring olive oil on my head. I wouldn't say no to it. But I always pray against the things that sinful people do.

6 When their rulers are thrown down from the rocky cliffs, those evil people will realize that my words were true.

7 They will say, "As clumps of dirt are left from plowing up the ground, so our bones will be scattered near an open grave."

8 But LORD and King, I keep looking to you. I go to you for safety. Don't let me die.

9 Keep me from the traps of those who do evil. Save me from the traps they have set for me.

10 Let evil people fall into their own nets. But let me go safely on my way.

1 I call out to the Lord. I pray to him for his favor.

2 I pour out my problem to him. I tell him about my trouble.

3 When I grow weak, you know what I'm going through. In the path where I walk, people have hidden a trap to catch me.

4 Look around me, and you will see that no one is concerned about me. I have no place of safety. No one cares whether I live or die.

5 Lord, I cry out to you. I say, "You are my place of safety. You are everything I need in this life."

6 Listen to my cry. I am in great need. Save me from those who are chasing me. They are too strong for me.

7 My troubles are like a prison. Set me free so I can praise your name. Then those who do what is right will gather around me because you have been good to me.

1 Follow the way of love. You should also want the gifts the Holy Spirit gives. Most of all, you should want the gift of prophecy.

2 Anyone who speaks in a language he had not known before doesn't speak to people. He speaks only to God. In fact, no one understands that person. What he says with his spirit remains a mystery.

3 But anyone who prophesies speaks to people. He says things to make them stronger, to give them hope and to comfort them.

4 Those who speak in other languages build themselves up. But those who prophesy build up the church.

5 I would like all of you to speak in other languages. But I would rather have you prophesy. Those who prophesy are more helpful than those who speak in other languages. But that is not the case if those who speak in other languages explain what they have said. Then the whole church can be built up.

6 Brothers and sisters, suppose I were to come to you and speak in other languages. What good would I be to you? None! I would need to come with new truth or knowledge, or a prophecy or a teaching.

7 Here are some examples. Certain objects make sounds. Take a flute or a harp. No one will know what the tune is unless different notes are played.

8 Also, if the trumpet call isn't clear, who will get ready for battle?

9 It's the same with you. You must speak words that people understand. If you don't, no one will know what you are saying. You will just be speaking into the air.

10 It is true that there are all kinds of languages in the world. And they all have meaning.

11 But if I don't understand what someone is saying, I am a stranger to that person. And that person is a stranger to me.

12 It's the same with you. You want to have gifts of the Spirit. So try to do your best in using gifts that build up the church.

13 For that reason, those who speak in languages they had not known before should pray that they can explain what they say.

14 If I pray in another language, my spirit prays. But my mind does not pray.

15 So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit. But I will also pray with my mind. I will sing with my spirit. But I will also sing with my mind.

16 Suppose you are praising God with your spirit. And suppose there are visitors among you who don't understand what's going on. How can they say "Amen" when you give thanks? They don't know what you are saying.

17 You might be giving thanks well enough. But the others are not being built up.

18 I thank God that I speak in other languages more than all of you do.

19 But in the church I would rather speak five words that people can understand than 10,000 words in another language. Then I would be teaching others.

20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. Be like babies as far as evil is concerned. But be grown up in your thinking.