Psalm 21

Thanksgiving for Victory

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.” ²⁵ He replied, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the fourth has the appearance of a god.”^[a]

¹³ Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you.^{(A) 14} We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers and sisters. Whoever does not love abides in death.^(B)

¹⁶ We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters.^(A)

The Testing of Jesus

4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,^{(A) 2} where for forty days he was tested by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished.^{(B) 3} The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” ⁴ Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ”^(C)

⁵ Then the devil^[a] led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And the devil^[b] said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.^{(D) 7} If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” ⁸ Jesus answered him, “It is written,

⁹ Then the devil^[c] led him to Jerusalem and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰ for it is written,

¹¹ and

¹² Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”^{(G) 13} When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.^(H)