The Ark^(A)

¹⁰ “Have them make an ark^[a](B) of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.^{[b] 11} Overlay^(C) it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. ¹² Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings^(D) on one side and two rings on the other. ¹³ Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.^{(E) 14} Insert the poles^(F) into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. ¹⁵ The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed.^{(G) 16} Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law,^(H) which I will give you.

¹⁷ “Make an atonement cover^(I) of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. ¹⁸ And make two cherubim^(J) out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. ¹⁹ Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. ²⁰ The cherubim^(K) are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing^(L) the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. ²¹ Place the cover on top of the ark^(M) and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law^(N) that I will give you. ²² There, above the cover between the two cherubim^(O) that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet^(P) with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.^(Q)

David Mourns

¹⁹ Now Ahimaaz^(A) son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.^(B)”

²⁰ “You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”

²¹ Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.

²² Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.”

But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.”

²³ He said, “Come what may, I want to run.”

So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain^[a] and outran the Cushite.

²⁴ While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman^(C) went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. ²⁵ The watchman called out to the king and reported it.

The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” And the runner came closer and closer.

²⁶ Then the watchman saw another runner, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!”

The king said, “He must be bringing good news,^(D) too.”

²⁷ The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like^(E) Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”

“He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.”

²⁸ Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise be to the Lord your God! He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king.”

²⁹ The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”

³⁰ The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there.

³¹ Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.”

³² The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.”^(F)

³⁵ This is what the Lord says,

³⁷ This is what the Lord says:

³⁸ “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt^(V) for me from the Tower of Hananel^(W) to the Corner Gate.^{(X) 39} The measuring line^(Y) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. ⁴⁰ The whole valley^(Z) where dead bodies^(AA) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley^(AB) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,^(AC) will be holy^(AD) to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

¹⁶ But to the wicked person, God says:

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us^(A)

³⁸ “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”^(B)

³⁹ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, ⁴⁰ for whoever is not against us is for us.^{(C) 41} Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.^(D)

Causing to Stumble

⁴² “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble,^(E) it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.^{(F) 43} If your hand causes you to stumble,^(G) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell,^(H) where the fire never goes out.^{(I) [44] [a] 45} And if your foot causes you to stumble,^(J) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.^{(K) [46] [b] 47} And if your eye causes you to stumble,^(L) pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,^{(M) 48} where

⁴⁹ Everyone will be salted^(O) with fire.

⁵⁰ “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?^(P) Have salt among yourselves,^(Q) and be at peace with each other.”^(R)

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

6 What shall we say, then?^(A) Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?^{(B) 2} By no means! We are those who have died to sin;^(C) how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized^(D) into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death^(E) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead^(F) through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.^(G)

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.^{(H) 6} For we know that our old self^(I) was crucified with him^(J) so that the body ruled by sin^(K) might be done away with,^[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin^(L)— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.^(M)

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.^{(N) 9} For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,^(O) he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.^{(P) 10} The death he died, he died to sin^(Q) once for all;^(R) but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin^(S) but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign^(T) in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,^(U) but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.^{(V) 14} For sin shall no longer be your master,^(W) because you are not under the law,^(X) but under grace.^(Y)