You Will Not Abandon My Soul
A Miktam1 of David.
1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 mI say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.2
4 The sorrows of those who run after3 another god shall multiply;
their ndrink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is omy chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me pcounsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.4
8 qI have set the Lord always before me;
because he is rat my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is sglad, and my whole being5 rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 tFor you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
God’s Judgment and the Law
12 For all who have sinned swithout the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned tunder the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is unot the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse vor even excuse them 16 on that wday when, according to my gospel, xGod judges the secrets of men yby Christ Jesus.
13 t“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy1 that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are ufew.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 v“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wwolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. xAre grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 yEvery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
I Never Knew You
21 z“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will aenter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who bdoes the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, c‘I never knew you; ddepart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
