Anger and wrath, these also are abominations, and the sinful man will hold them fast. 28 The one who seeks vengeance will be paid vengeance from the Lord, and he who keeps a record will have his own sins recorded. 2 Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray. 3 Does one person harbor anger against another and yet seek for healing from the Lord? 4 Does he have no mercy toward someone like himself and yet pray concerning his own sins? 5 If he himself, being flesh, maintains wrath, who will make atonement for his sins? 6 Remember the end of your life and cease from enmity, remember destruction and death and be true to the commandments. 7 Remember the commandments and do not be angry with your neighbor; remember the covenant of the Most High and overlook error.

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
     and all that is within me, praise his holy Name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
      and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgives all your sin
     and heals all your infirmities,
4 Who saves your life from the pit
     and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness,
5 Who satisfies you with good things,
     renewing your youth like an eagle’s.
6 The LORD executes righteousness and judgment
     for all those who are oppressed with wrong.
7 He showed his ways to Moses,
     his works to the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is full of compassion and mercy,
    long-suffering and of great goodness.
9 He will not always chide us,
     neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
     nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
     so great is his mercy also toward those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
     so far has he set our sins from us.
13 As a father pities his own children,
     so is the LORD merciful to those who fear him.
14 For he knows whereof we are made;
     he remembers that we are but dust. 

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
    and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

33 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.
7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.​

10 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ 11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes,
     * and I shall keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law;
     * indeed, I shall keep it with my whole heart.
35 Make me go in the path of your commandments,
     * for therein is my desire.
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies,
     * and not to covetous desires.
37 O turn away my eyes, lest they behold vanity,
     * and revive me in your ways.
38 Conë rm your word to your servant,
     * and to all those who fear you.
39 Take away the reproach that I am afraid of,
     * for your judgments are good.
40 Behold, my delight is in your precepts;
     * O revive me in your righteousness.
41 Let your loving mercy come to me, O LORD,
     * even your salvation, according to your word.
42 So shall I answer those who taunt me,
     * for my trust is in your word.
43 O do not take the word of your truth utterly out of my mouth,
     * for my hope is in your judgments.
44 So shall I always keep your law,
     * even for ever and ever;
45 And I will walk at liberty,
     * for I seek your commandments.
46 I will speak of your testimonies also, even before kings,
     * and will not be ashamed;
47 And my delight shall be in your commandments,
     * which I have loved exceedingly.
48 My hands also will I lift up to your commandments,
​     * and I will meditate on your statutes. 

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,[a] serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
​
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.[b] Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it[c] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with my whole heart;
     * even before the gods will I sing praises to you.
2 I will worship toward your holy temple and praise your Name, because of your loving-kindness and truth,
     * for you have magnify ed your Name and your word above all things.
3 When I called upon you, you heard me
     * and gave me increase of strength.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD,
      * for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5 They shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
     * that great is the glory of the LORD.
6 For though the LORD be high, yet he has respect for the lowly;
     * as for the proud, he beholds them from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, yet shall you refresh me;
     * you shall stretch forth your hand upon the furiousness of my enemies, and your right hand shall save me.
8 The LORD shall make good his loving-kindness toward me;
​     * your mercy, O LORD, endures for ever; despise not the works of your own hands.  

25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
    he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27 “and this will be my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”
28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.  (ESV)

1 May God be merciful unto us, and bless us,
     * and show us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us.
2 Let your way be known upon earth,
     * your saving health among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
     * indeed, let all the peoples praise you.
4 O let the nations rejoice and be glad,
     * for you shall judge the peoples righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
     * let all the peoples praise you.
6 Then shall the earth bring forth her increase,
     * and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing.  

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,
“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
    and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
    and you heard my voice.
3 For you cast me into the deep,
    into the heart of the seas,
    and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
    passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away
    from your sight;
yet I shall again look
    upon your holy temple.’
5 The waters closed in over me to take my life;
    the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
6     at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
    whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
    O Lord my God.
7 When my life was fainting away,
    I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
    into your holy temple.
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
    forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
    Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.  ESV

1 Ascribe unto the LORD, O you mighty,
     * ascribe unto the LORD worship and strength.
2 Give the LORD the honor due unto his Name;
     * worship the LORD with holy worship.
3 It is the LORD that commands the waters;
     * it is the glorious God that makes the thunder.
4 It is the LORD that rules the sea; the voice of the LORD is mighty in its working;
     * the voice of the LORD is a glorious voice.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedar trees;
     * indeed, the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes them also to skip like a calf,
     * Lebanon also, and Sirion, like a young ox.
7 The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire; the voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
     * indeed, the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 
8 The voice of the LORD makes the deer to bring forth young, and strips the forests bare;
     * in his temple all cry, “Glory.”
9 The LORD sits above the floodwaters,
     * and the LORD remains King for ever.
10 The LORD shall give strength to his people;
​     * the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace.

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way[a] from the land,[b] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night[c] he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind,[d] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

14 He divided the sea and let them go through;
     * he made the waters to stand in a heap.
15 In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
     * and all the night through with a light of fire. 
16 He split the hard rocks in the wilderness
     * and gave them drink in abundance, as out of the great deep.
17 He brought waters out of the stony rock,
     * so that it gushed out like the rivers.
18 Yet for all this they sinned more against him,
    * and provoked the Most High in the wilderness.
19 They tested God in their hearts
     * and demanded food for their craving.
20 They spoke against God, saying,
     * “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
21 Indeed, he smote the stony rock, so that water gushed out, and the streams overflowed;
     * but can he give bread also, or provide meat for his people?”
22 When the LORD heard this, he was full of wrath;
     * so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and there flared up fierce anger against Israel,
23 Because they did not believe in God,
     * and did not put their trust in his help.
24 So he commanded the clouds above
     * and opened the doors of heaven.
25 He rained down manna upon them to eat
     * and gave them food from heaven.
26 So mortals ate the bread of angels;
​     * for he sent them food enough. 

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

121 I have done that which is lawful and right;
       * O give me not over to my oppressors.
122 Be surety for your servant’s good;
       * O let not the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes have wasted away with looking for your salvation,   
       * and for the word of your righteousness.
124 O deal with your servant according to your loving mercy,
       * and teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; O grant me understanding,
       * that I may know your testimonies.
126 It is time for you, O LORD, to act,
       * for they have broken your law.
127 For I love your commandments above all things,
       * more than gold and precious stones.
128 Therefore I hold all your commandments to be right,
       * and all false ways I utterly abhor.
129 Your testimonies are wonderful;
       * therefore does my soul keep them.
130 When your word goes forth it gives light
       * and understanding to the simple.
131 I opened my mouth, and drew in my breath,
       * for my delight was in your commandments.
132 O look upon me, and be merciful unto me,
       * as you always do for those who love your Name.
133 Order my steps according to your word,
       * and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me.
134 O deliver me from those who deal wrongfully,
       * and so shall I keep your commandments.
135 Show the light of your countenance upon your servant,
       * and teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes gush out water
       * because of those who do not keep your law. 

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For neither is there any God besides you, whose care is for all, 16 For your strength is the source of righteousness, and your sovereignty over all causes you to spare all. 17 For you show your strength when men doubt the completeness of your power, and you rebuke any insolence among those who know it. 18  You are sovereign in strength but you judge with mildness, and with great forbearance you govern us; for you have power to act whenever you choose. 19 Through such works you have taught your people that the one who is righteous must be kind, and you have filled your sons with good hope, because you give repentance for sins. 

1 Bow down your ear, O LORD, and hear me,
   * for I am poor and in misery.
2 Preserve my life, for I am faithful;
   * my God, save your servant who puts his trust in you.
3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord,
   * for I will call daily upon you.
4 Comfort the soul of your servant,
   * for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, Lord, are good and gracious,
   * and of great mercy to all those who call upon you.
6 Give ear, LORD, unto my prayer,
   * and attend to the voice of my humble supplications.
7 In the time of my trouble I will call upon you,
   * for you answer me when I call.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord,
   * nor are there any deeds like yours.
9 All nations that you have made shall come and worship you, O Lord,
   * and shall glorify your Name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
   * indeed, you are God alone.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth;
   * O knit my heart to you, that I may fear your Name.
12 I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
   * and will praise your Name for evermore.
13 For great is your mercy toward me;
   * you have delivered my life from the nethermost Pit.
14 O God, the proud have risen up against me,
  * and the company of violent men have sought after my life, and have not set you before
     their eyes.
15 But you, O Lord God, are full of compassion and mercy,
   * long-suffering, plenteous in goodness and truth.
16 O turn then unto me, and have mercy upon me;
​   * give your strength unto your servant, and help the son of your handmaid. 

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds[a] among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants[b] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

​34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:[a]
“I will open my mouth in parables;
    I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Weeds Explained36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

9   Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
    and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
    and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
    and from the River[a] to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
    I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
    today I declare that I will restore to you double.

 1  I will magnify you, O God my King,
   * and I will praise your Name for ever and ever.
 2 Every day will I give thanks to you,
   * and praise your Name for ever and ever.
 3 Great is the Lord, and most worthy to be praised;
   * there is no end of his greatness.
 4 One generation shall praise your works to another,
   * and shall declare your power.
 5 As for me, I will be talking of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
   * and of all your wondrous works.
 6 They shall speak of the might of your marvelous acts,
   * and I also will tell of your greatness.
 7 The remembrance of your abundant goodness shall they proclaim,
   * and they shall sing of your righteousness.
 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   * long-suffering, and of great kindness.
 9 The Lord is loving to everyone,
   * and his mercy is over all his works.
10 All your works praise you, O Lord,
   * and your faithful servants give thanks to you.
11 They speak of the glory of your kingdom
   * and talk of your power,
12 That your power may be known to the children of men,
   * even the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   * and your dominion endures throughout all ages.
14 The Lord upholds all those who fall
   * and lifts up all those who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord,
   * and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open wide your hand,
   * and fill all things living with plenteousness.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
   * and merciful in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all those who call upon him,
   * to all who call upon him faithfully.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him;
   * he also will hear their cry and will help them.
20 The Lord preserves all those who love him,
   * but he will destroy all the ungodly.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
​   * and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever.

7:21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[a] 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you[b] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,[c] he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.[a] 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

1​ My song shall be always of the loving-kindness of the LORD; *
     with my mouth will I ever be proclaiming your faithfulness, from one generation to another.
2 For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up for ever; *
     your faithfulness shall be established in the heavens.”
3 I have made a covenant with my chosen one; *
     I have sworn to David my servant:
4 “Your seed will I establish for ever, *
     and set up your throne from one generation to another.”
5 O LORD, the heavens will praise your wondrous works *
     and your faithfulness in the assembly of the saints.
6 For who in the clouds can be compared unto the LORD? *
     And who among the gods is like unto the LORD?
7 God is greatly to be feared in the council of the saints, *
     and to be held in reverence by all those who are round about him.
8 O LORD God of hosts, who is like you? *
     Your faithfulness, most mighty LORD, is round about you.
9 You rule the raging of the sea; *
     you still the waves when they arise.
10 You have subdued Rahab of the deep, and destroyed her; *
     you have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; *
     you laid the foundation of the world, and all that is in it.
12 You have made the north and the south; *
     Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in your Name.
13 You have a mighty arm; *
​     strong is your hand, and high is your right hand.

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self[a] was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free[b] from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”