Psalm 138

Of David.

²⁰ Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom^(A) and Gomorrah is so great^(B) and their sin so grievous^{(C) 21} that I will go down^(D) and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

²² The men^(E) turned away and went toward Sodom,^(F) but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.^{[a](G) 23} Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?^{(H) 24} What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare^[b] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?^{(I) 25} Far be it from you to do such a thing^(J)—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous^(K) and the wicked alike.^(L) Far be it from you! Will not the Judge^(M) of all the earth do right?”^(N)

²⁶ The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.^(O)”

²⁷ Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,^{(P) 28} what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

²⁹ Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”

He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

³⁰ Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry,^(Q) but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”

He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

³¹ Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”

He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

³² Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more.^(R) What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of ten,^(S) I will not destroy it.”

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,^(A) continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted^(B) and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,^(C) and overflowing with thankfulness.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,^(D) which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces^[a] of this world^(E) rather than on Christ.

⁹ For in Christ all the fullness^(F) of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head^(G) over every power and authority.^{(H) 11} In him you were also circumcised^(I) with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh^[b](J) was put off when you were circumcised by^[c] Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism,^(K) in which you were also raised with him^(L) through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.^(M)

¹³ When you were dead in your sins^(N) and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you^[d] alive^(O) with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,^{(P) 14} having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,^(Q) which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.^{(R) 15} And having disarmed the powers and authorities,^(S) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them^(T) by the cross.^[e]

Freedom From Human Rules

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you^(A) by what you eat or drink,^(B) or with regard to a religious festival,^(C) a New Moon celebration^(D) or a Sabbath day.^{(E) 17} These are a shadow of the things that were to come;^(F) the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility^(G) and the worship of angels disqualify you.^(H) Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹ They have lost connection with the head,^(I) from whom the whole body,^(J) supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.^(K)

Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer^(A)(B)

11 One day Jesus was praying^(C) in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord,^(D) teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

² He said to them, “When you pray, say:

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity^[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.^(H)

⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you;^(I) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for^[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”