Psalm 138

New International Version

Psalm 138

Of David.

¹I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods”^(A) I will sing^(B) your praise.
²I will bow down toward your holy temple^(C)
    and will praise your name^(D)
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,^(E)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.^(F)
³When I called,^(G) you answered me;^(H)
    you greatly emboldened^(I) me.

⁴May all the kings of the earth^(J) praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵May they sing^(K) of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord^(L) is great.

⁶Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;^(M)
    though lofty, he sees them^(N) from afar.
⁷Though I walk^(O) in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.^(P)
You stretch out your hand^(Q) against the anger of my foes;^(R)
    with your right hand^(S) you save me.^(T)
⁸The Lord will vindicate^(U) me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever^(V)—
    do not abandon^(W) the works of your hands.^(X)

Ezekiel 31:15-18

New International Version

¹⁵“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away.^(A) ¹⁶I made the nations tremble^(B) at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees^(C) of Eden,^(D) the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled^(E) in the earth below.^(F) ¹⁷They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword,^(G) along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.

¹⁸“‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised,^(H) with those killed by the sword.

“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

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2 Corinthians 10:12-18

New International Version

¹²We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.^(A) When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. ¹³We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us,^(B) a sphere that also includes you. ¹⁴We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you^(C) with the gospel of Christ.^(D) ¹⁵Neither do we go beyond our limits^(E) by boasting of work done by others.^(F) Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow,^(G) our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, ¹⁶so that we can preach the gospel^(H) in the regions beyond you.^(I) For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. ¹⁷But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[a]^(J) ¹⁸For it is not the one who commends himself^(K) who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.^(L)