Psalm 129

New International Version

Psalm 129

A song of ascents.

¹“They have greatly oppressed^(A) me from my youth,”^(B)
    let Israel say;^(C)
²“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
    but they have not gained the victory^(D) over me.
³Plowmen have plowed my back
    and made their furrows long.
⁴But the Lord is righteous;^(E)
    he has cut me free^(F) from the cords of the wicked.”^(G)

⁵May all who hate Zion^(H)
    be turned back in shame.^(I)
⁶May they be like grass on the roof,^(J)
    which withers^(K) before it can grow;
⁷a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,^(L)
    nor one who gathers fill his arms.
⁸May those who pass by not say to them,
    “The blessing of the Lord be on you;
    we bless you^(M) in the name of the Lord.”

Zechariah 13

New International Version

Cleansing From Sin

13 “On that day a fountain^(A) will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse^(B) them from sin and impurity.

²“On that day, I will banish the names of the idols^(C) from the land, and they will be remembered no more,”^(D) declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets^(E) and the spirit of impurity from the land. ³And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies^(F) in the Lord’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies.^(G)

⁴“On that day every prophet will be ashamed^(H) of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment^(I) of hair^(J) in order to deceive.^(K) ⁵Each will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.^[a]’^(L) ⁶If someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body^[b]?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered

⁷“Awake, sword,^(M) against my shepherd,^(N)
    against the man who is close to me!”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“Strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will be scattered,^(O)
    and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
⁸In the whole land,” declares the Lord,
    “two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
    yet one-third will be left in it.^(P)
⁹This third I will put into the fire;^(Q)
    I will refine them like silver^(R)
    and test them like gold.^(S)
They will call^(T) on my name^(U)
    and I will answer^(V) them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’^(W)
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.^(X)’”

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Footnotes

Zechariah 13:5 Or farmer; a man sold me in my youth
Zechariah 13:6 Or wounds between your hands

Ephesians 1:15-23

New International Version

Thanksgiving and Prayer

¹⁵For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus^(A) and your love for all God’s people,^(B) ¹⁶I have not stopped giving thanks for you,^(C) remembering you in my prayers.^(D) ¹⁷I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,^(E) may give you the Spirit^[a] of wisdom^(F) and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened^(G) in order that you may know the hope to which he has called^(H) you, the riches^(I) of his glorious inheritance^(J) in his holy people,^(K) ¹⁹and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power^(L) is the same as the mighty strength^(M) ²⁰he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead^(N) and seated him at his right hand^(O) in the heavenly realms,^(P) ²¹far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,^(Q) and every name^(R) that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.^(S) ²²And God placed all things under his feet^(T) and appointed him to be head^(U) over everything for the church, ²³which is his body,^(V) the fullness of him^(W) who fills everything in every way.^(X)

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Footnotes

Ephesians 1:17 Or a spirit

Luke 19:11-27

New International Version

The Parable of the Ten Minas^(A)

¹¹While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God^(B) was going to appear at once.^(C) ¹²He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. ¹³So he called ten of his servants^(D) and gave them ten minas.^[a] ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

¹⁴“But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

¹⁵“He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

¹⁶“The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

¹⁷“‘Well done, my good servant!’^(E) his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’^(F)

¹⁸“The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

¹⁹“His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

²⁰“Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. ²¹I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’^(G)

²²“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words,^(H) you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?^(I) ²³Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

²⁴“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

²⁵“‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

²⁶“He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.^(J) ²⁷But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”

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