The King Rejoices in the Lord’s Strength
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, in your zstrength the king rejoices,
and in your asalvation how greatly he exults!
2 You have bgiven him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
3 For you cmeet him with rich blessings;
you set da crown of efine gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you; you fgave it to him,
glength of days forever and ever.
5 His hglory is great through your salvation;
isplendor and majesty you bestow on him.
6 For you make him most blessed forever;1
you make him glad with the jjoy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be kmoved.
8 Your hand will lfind out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
9 You will make them as ma blazing oven
when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his nwrath,
and ofire will consume them.
10 You pwill destroy their qdescendants from the earth,
and their offspring from among the children of man.
11 Though they plan evil against you,
though they rdevise mischief, they will not succeed.
12 For you will put them sto flight;
you will taim at their faces with your bows.
13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.
Preach the Word
1 hI charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, iwho is to judge the living and the dead, and by jhis appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; kreprove, rebuke, and lexhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 mFor the time is coming when people will not endure nsound1 teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and owill turn away from listening to the truth and pwander off into myths. 5 As for you, qalways be sober-minded, rendure suffering, do the work of san evangelist, tfulfill your ministry.
6 For uI am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my vdeparture has come. 7 wI have fought the good fight, xI have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is ylaid up for me zthe crown of righteousness, which the Lord, athe righteous judge, will award to me on bthat day, and not only to me but also to all cwho have loved his appearing.
Personal Instructions
9 dDo your best to come to me soon. 10 For eDemas, fin love with gthis present world, hhas deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia,2 iTitus to Dalmatia. 11 hLuke alone is with me. Get jMark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 kTychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 lAlexander the coppersmith did me great harm; mthe Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. nMay it not be charged against them! 17 But othe Lord stood by me and pstrengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and qall the Gentiles might hear it. So rI was rescued sfrom the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. tTo him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
19 Greet uPrisca and Aquila, and vthe household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left wTrophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 xDo your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.3
