Psalm 29

New International Version

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

¹Ascribe to the Lord,^(A) you heavenly beings,^(B)
ascribe to the Lord glory^(C) and strength.
²Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his^[a] holiness.^(D)

³The voice^(E) of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory^(F) thunders,^(G)
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.^(H)
⁴The voice of the Lord is powerful;^(I)
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.^(J)
⁶He makes Lebanon leap^(K) like a calf,
    Sirion^[b]^(L) like a young wild ox.^(M)
⁷The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.^(N)
⁸The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.^(O)
⁹The voice of the Lord twists the oaks^[c]^(P)
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”^(Q)

¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;^(R)
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.^(S)
¹¹The Lord gives strength to his people;^(T)
the Lord blesses his people with peace.^(U)

Footnotes

Psalm 29:2 Or Lord with the splendor of
Psalm 29:6 That is, Mount Hermon
Psalm 29:9 Or Lord makes the deer give birth

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

New International Version

Pleasures Are Meaningless

2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure^(A) to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. ²“Laughter,”^(B) I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” ³I tried cheering myself with wine,^(C) and embracing folly^(D)—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

⁴I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself^(E) and planted vineyards.^(F) ⁵I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. ⁷I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves^(G) who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. ⁸I amassed silver and gold^(H) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.^(I) I acquired male and female singers,^(J) and a harem^[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. ⁹I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem^(K) before me.^(L) In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

¹⁰I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
    I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
    and this was the reward for all my toil.
¹¹Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
    and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;^(M)
    nothing was gained under the sun.^(N)

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Footnotes

Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

1 Corinthians 2:1-10

New International Version

2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom^(A) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.^[a] ²For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.^(B) ³I came to you^(C) in weakness^(D) with great fear and trembling.^(E) ⁴My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,^(F) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,^(G) ⁵so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.^(H)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

⁶We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,^(I) but not the wisdom of this age^(J) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.^(K) ⁷No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery^(L) that has been hidden^(M) and that God destined for our glory before time began. ⁸None of the rulers of this age^(N) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.^(O) ⁹However, as it is written: