Psalm 136

Towns for the Levites

35 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho,^(A) the Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in^(B) from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands^(C) around the towns. ³ Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.^(D)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁰ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^{(A) 11} select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone^(B) accidentally^(C) may flee. ¹² They will be places of refuge from the avenger,^(D) so that anyone accused of murder^(E) may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.^{(F) 13} These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.^{(G) 14} Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. ¹⁵ These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

³⁰ “‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.^(A)

³¹ “‘Do not accept a ransom^(B) for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

³² “‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

³³ “‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land,^(C) and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. ³⁴ Do not defile the land^(D) where you live and where I dwell,^(E) for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’”

More Than Conquerors

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things?^(A) If God is for us,^(B) who can be against us?^{(C) 32} He who did not spare his own Son,^(D) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge^(E) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns?^(F) No one. Christ Jesus who died^(G)—more than that, who was raised to life^(H)—is at the right hand of God^(I) and is also interceding for us.^{(J) 35} Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?^(K) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?^{(L) 36} As it is written:

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors^(N) through him who loved us.^{(O) 38} For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[b] neither the present nor the future,^(P) nor any powers,^{(Q) 39} neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God^(R) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.^(S)

Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

¹³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!^(A) You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.^{(B) [14] [a]}

¹⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert,^(C) and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell^(D) as you are.

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides!^(E) You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’^{(F) 17} You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?^{(G) 18} You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?^{(H) 20} Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells^(I) in it. ²² And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.^(J)

²³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth^(K) of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.^(L) You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. ²⁴ You blind guides!^(M) You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

²⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish,^(N) but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.^{(O) 26} Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.