Psalm 47^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God^(A) of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”

² This is what the Lord says:

³ The Lord appeared to us in the past,^[a] saying:

⁷ This is what the Lord says:

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,^(A) which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces^[a] of this world^(B) rather than on Christ.

⁹ For in Christ all the fullness^(C) of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head^(D) over every power and authority.^{(E) 11} In him you were also circumcised^(F) with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh^[b](G) was put off when you were circumcised by^[c] Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism,^(H) in which you were also raised with him^(I) through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.^(J)

¹³ When you were dead in your sins^(K) and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you^[d] alive^(L) with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,^{(M) 14} having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,^(N) which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.^{(O) 15} And having disarmed the powers and authorities,^(P) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them^(Q) by the cross.^[e]

Freedom From Human Rules

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you^(R) by what you eat or drink,^(S) or with regard to a religious festival,^(T) a New Moon celebration^(U) or a Sabbath day.^{(V) 17} These are a shadow of the things that were to come;^(W) the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility^(X) and the worship of angels disqualify you.^(Y) Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹ They have lost connection with the head,^(Z) from whom the whole body,^(AA) supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.^(AB)

²⁰ Since you died with Christ^(AC) to the elemental spiritual forces of this world,^(AD) why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:^{(AE) 21} “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish^(AF) with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.^{(AG) 23} Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility^(AH) and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

³⁹ He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?^{(A) 40} The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.^(B)

⁴¹ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit^(C)

⁴³ “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.^(D) People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.^(E)

The Wise and Foolish Builders^(F)

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’^(G) and do not do what I say?^{(H) 47} As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice,^(I) I will show you what they are like. ⁴⁸ They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”