Protection

¹He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. ²I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” ³Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly plague. ⁴He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart. ⁵You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ⁶nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the calamity that destroys at noon. ⁷Though a thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, no harm will come near you. ⁸You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked. ⁹Because you have made the LORD your dwelling—my refuge, the Most High— ¹⁰no evil will befall you, no plague will approach your tent. ¹¹For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. ¹²They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. ¹³You will tread on the lion and cobra; you will trample the young lion and serpent. ¹⁴“Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him. ¹⁵When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”

¹A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? ²My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. ³He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. ⁴Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. ⁵The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand. ⁶The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. ⁷The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. ⁸The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.

¹⁴In righteousness you will be established, far from oppression, for you will have no fear. Terror will be far removed, for it will not come near you. ¹⁵If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me; whoever assails you will fall before you. ¹⁶Behold, I have created the craftsman who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its task; and I have created the destroyer to wreak havoc. ¹⁷No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

¹¹I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one. ¹²While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. ¹³But now I am coming to You; and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them. ¹⁴I have given them Your word and the world has hated them. For they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.

³But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

¹⁰The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

³¹What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? ³³Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

¹⁵Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

¹³The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a sign; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. ²³When the LORD passes through to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway; so He will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

¹³But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. ¹⁴The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

²⁰Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

⁶Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁸The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

¹²Concerning Benjamin he said: “May the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him; God shields him all day long, and upon His shoulders he rests.” ²⁷The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’

⁵No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁹Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

⁹He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.

²He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. ³My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence. ⁴I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. ³¹As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

¹⁶“Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” ¹⁷Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

²¹And there by the Ahava Canal I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. ²²For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.” ²³So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He granted our request. ³¹On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.

³But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. ⁴To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah ⁵I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me. ⁶I will not fear the myriads set against me on every side.

⁸I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

¹¹But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever shout for joy. May You shelter them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. ¹²For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with the shield of Your favor.

⁷Show the wonders of Your loving devotion, You who save by Your right hand those who seek refuge from their foes. ⁸Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings ⁹from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

²The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ³I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. ³⁰As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

¹Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread? ²When the wicked came upon me to devour my flesh, my enemies and foes stumbled and fell. ³Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust. ⁴One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple. ⁵For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.

¹⁹How great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have bestowed before the sons of men on those who take refuge in You! ²⁰You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues.

⁷You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

⁷The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.

¹For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. ²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, ³though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah

¹For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. ²From the ends of the earth I call out to You whenever my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. ³For You have been my refuge, a tower of strength against the enemy. ⁴Let me dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

¹A song of ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion. It cannot be moved; it abides forever. ²As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forevermore.

⁷If I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve me from the anger of my foes; You extend Your hand, and Your right hand saves me.

⁴Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked. Keep me safe from men of violence who scheme to make me stumble. ⁷O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You shield my head in the day of battle.

²⁰The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

⁷He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity, ⁸to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints. ¹¹Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,

²¹My son, do not lose sight of this: Preserve sound judgment and discernment. ²²They will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck. ²³Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. ²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you rest, your sleep will be sweet. ²⁵Do not fear sudden danger or the ruin that overtakes the wicked, ²⁶for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from the snare.

²⁵The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.

⁵Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy, ⁶a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and the rain.

¹⁰Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

¹But now, this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine! ²When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.

¹²For you will not leave in a hurry nor flee in haste, for the LORD goes before you, and the God of Israel is your rear guard.

⁷The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him.

⁵For I will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory within it.’”

²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. ³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

¹⁹Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.

²⁷My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

⁸We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

¹⁸And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

⁵Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” ⁶So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

⁹if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

²⁴Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—

²⁴‘May the LORD bless you and keep you; ²⁵may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; ²⁶may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’

¹⁰He found him in a desert land, in a barren, howling wilderness; He surrounded him, He instructed him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye. ¹¹As an eagle stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings to catch them and carried them on His pinions.

¹⁷The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles. ¹⁸The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit. ¹⁹Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all. ²⁰He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.

¹A song of ascents. Of David. If the LORD had not been on our side—let Israel now declare— ²if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, ³when their anger flared against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, ⁴then the floods would have engulfed us, then the torrent would have overwhelmed us, ⁵then the raging waters would have swept us away. ⁶Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. ⁷We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; the net is torn, and we have slipped away. ⁸Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

³³But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”

⁵Like birds hovering overhead, so the LORD of Hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will shield it and deliver it; He will pass over it and preserve it.”

²⁰When he reached the den, he cried out in a voice of anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” ²¹Then Daniel replied, “O king, may you live forever! ²²My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.” ²³The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den, and when Daniel was lifted out of the den, no wounds whatsoever were found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

³¹Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you like wheat. ³²But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

⁵So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him. ⁶On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison. ⁷Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. ⁸“Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” ⁹So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision. ¹⁰They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him. ¹¹Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”

²²But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship. ²³For just last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me ²⁴and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’ ²⁵So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me.

¹⁸We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him.

⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.