Psalm 31^[a](A)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.^{(A) 19} Teach them to your children,^(B) talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.^{(C) 20} Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,^{(D) 21} so that your days and the days of your children may be many^(E) in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.^(F)

²⁶ See, I am setting before you today a blessing^(A) and a curse^(B)— ²⁷ the blessing^(C) if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; ²⁸ the curse if you disobey^(D) the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods,^(E) which you have not known.

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel,^(A) because it is the power of God^(B) that brings salvation to everyone who believes:^(C) first to the Jew,^(D) then to the Gentile.^{(E) 17} For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed^(F)—a righteousness that is by faith^(G) from first to last,^[a] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”^[b](H)

²² This righteousness^(A) is given through faith^(B) in^[a] Jesus Christ^(C) to all who believe.^(D) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,^{(E) 23} for all have sinned^(F) and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified^(G) freely by his grace^(H) through the redemption^(I) that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[b](J) through the shedding of his blood^(K)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished^(L)— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where, then, is boasting?^(M) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. ²⁸ For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.^(N)

²⁹ Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,^{(A) 30} since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.^{(B) 31} Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

True and False Disciples

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’^(A) will enter the kingdom of heaven,^(B) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.^{(C) 22} Many will say to me on that day,^(D) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’^{(E) 23} Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’^(F)

The Wise and Foolish Builders^(G)

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice^(H) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things,^(I) the crowds were amazed at his teaching,^{(J) 29} because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.