¹⁰ Now ^(A)the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, ^(B)and he kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹ And Israel said to Joseph, ^(C)“I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” ¹² Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. ¹³ And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him. ^14 (D)And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, ^(E)crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). ¹⁵ And he blessed Joseph and said,

¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father ^(K)laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. ¹⁸ And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” ¹⁹ But his father refused and said, ^(L)“I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, ^(M)his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude^[b] of nations.” ²⁰ So he blessed them that day, saying,

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. ²¹ Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but ^(O)God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. ²² Moreover, I have given to ^(P)you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope^[c] that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

David in Saul's Service

^14 (A)Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, ^(B)and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. ¹⁵ And Saul's servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord now command your servants ^(C)who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will ^(D)play it, and you will be well.” ¹⁷ So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” ¹⁸ One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, ^(E)a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, ^(F)and the Lord is with him.” ¹⁹ Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, ^(G)who is with the sheep.” ^20 (H)And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. ²¹ And David came to Saul ^(I)and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. ²² And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” ²³ And ^(J)whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre ^(K)and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.

Anguish over Judah's Desolation

²⁷ For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; ^(L)yet I will not make a full end.

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A ^(A)Miktam^[a] of David.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

^36 (A)Then Jesus went with them ^(B)to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ And taking with him ^(C)Peter and ^(D)the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, ^(E)“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and ^(F)watch^[a] with me.” ³⁹ And going a little farther he fell on his face ^(G)and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let ^(H)this cup pass from me; ^(I)nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” ⁴⁰ And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? ^41 (J)Watch and ^(K)pray that you ^(L)may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ⁴² Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, ^(M)your will be done.” ⁴³ And again he came and found them sleeping, for ^(N)their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for ^(O)the third time, saying the same words again. ⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on.^[b] See, ^(P)the hour is at hand, and ^(Q)the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Taming the Tongue

3 ^(A)Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ² For ^(B)we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, ^(C)he is a perfect man, ^(D)able also to bridle his whole body. ³ If we put ^(E)bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. ⁴ Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet ^(F)it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶ And ^(G)the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, ^(H)staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,^[a] and set on fire by hell.^{[b] 7} For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, ^(I)full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people ^(J)who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,^[c] these things ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.