Psalm 147

New International Version

Psalm 147

¹Praise the Lord.^[a]

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant^(A) and fitting to praise him!^(B)

²The Lord builds up Jerusalem;^(C)
    he gathers the exiles^(D) of Israel.
³He heals the brokenhearted^(E)
    and binds up their wounds.^(F)
⁴He determines the number of the stars^(G)
    and calls them each by name.
⁵Great is our Lord^(H) and mighty in power;^(I)
    his understanding has no limit.^(J)
⁶The Lord sustains the humble^(K)
    but casts the wicked^(L) to the ground.

⁷Sing to the Lord^(M) with grateful praise;^(N)
make music^(O) to our God on the harp.^(P)

⁸He covers the sky with clouds;^(Q)
    he supplies the earth with rain^(R)
    and makes grass grow^(S) on the hills.
⁹He provides food^(T) for the cattle
    and for the young ravens^(U) when they call.

¹⁰His pleasure is not in the strength^(V) of the horse,^(W)
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
¹¹the Lord delights^(X) in those who fear him,^(Y)
who put their hope^(Z) in his unfailing love.^(AA)

¹²Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;^(AB)
praise your God, Zion.

¹³He strengthens the bars of your gates^(AC)
and blesses your people^(AD) within you.
¹⁴He grants peace^(AE) to your borders
and satisfies you^(AF) with the finest of wheat.^(AG)

¹⁵He sends his command^(AH) to the earth;
    his word runs^(AI) swiftly.
¹⁶He spreads the snow^(AJ) like wool
    and scatters the frost^(AK) like ashes.
¹⁷He hurls down his hail^(AL) like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
¹⁸He sends his word^(AM) and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes,^(AN) and the waters flow.

¹⁹He has revealed his word^(AO) to Jacob,^(AP)
his laws and decrees^(AQ) to Israel.
²⁰He has done this for no other nation;^(AR)
they do not know^(AS) his laws.^[b]

Praise the Lord.^(AT)

Footnotes

Psalm 147:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 20
Psalm 147:20 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint nation; / he has not made his laws known to them

Genesis 27:30-45

New International Version

³⁰After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. ³¹He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”^(A)

³²His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”^(B)

“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.^(C)”

³³Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me?^(D) I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!^(E)”

³⁴When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry^(F) and said to his father, “Bless^(G) me—me too, my father!”

³⁵But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully^(H) and took your blessing.”^(I)

³⁶Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob^[a]?^(J) This is the second time he has taken advantage of^(K) me: He took my birthright,^(L) and now he’s taken my blessing!”^(M) Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”

³⁷Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine.^(N) So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”

³⁸Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.^(O)

³⁹His father Isaac answered him,^(P)

“Your dwelling will be
    away from the earth’s richness,
    away from the dew^(Q) of heaven above.^(R)
⁴⁰You will live by the sword
    and you will serve^(S) your brother.^(T)
But when you grow restless,
    you will throw his yoke
    from off your neck.^(U)”

⁴¹Esau held a grudge^(V) against Jacob^(W) because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning^(X) for my father are near; then I will kill^(Y) my brother Jacob.”^(Z)

⁴²When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau^(AA) had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you.^(AB) ⁴³Now then, my son, do what I say:^(AC) Flee at once to my brother Laban^(AD) in Harran.^(AE) ⁴⁴Stay with him for a while^(AF) until your brother’s fury subsides. ⁴⁵When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him,^(AG) I’ll send word for you to come back from there.^(AH) Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

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Footnotes

Genesis 27:36 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.

Romans 12:9-21

New International Version

Love in Action

⁹Love must be sincere.^(A) Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.^(B) ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in love.^(C) Honor one another above yourselves.^(D) ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,^(E) serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope,^(F) patient in affliction,^(G) faithful in prayer.^(H) ¹³Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.^(I) Practice hospitality.^(J)

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you;^(K) bless and do not curse. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.^(L) ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another.^(M) Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[a] Do not be conceited.^(N)

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil.^(O) Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.^(P) ¹⁸If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.^(Q) ¹⁹Do not take revenge,^(R) my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[b]^(S) says the Lord. ²⁰On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[c]^(T)

²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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Footnotes

Romans 12:16 Or willing to do menial work
Romans 12:19 Deut. 32:35
Romans 12:20 Prov. 25:21,22

John 8:21-32

New International Version

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

²¹Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die^(A) in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”^(B)

²²This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

²³But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.^(C) ²⁴I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he,^(D) you will indeed die in your sins.”

²⁵“Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. ²⁶“I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy,^(E) and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”^(F)

²⁷They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. ²⁸So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up^[a] the Son of Man,^(G) then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.^(H) ²⁹The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone,^(I) for I always do what pleases him.”^(J) ³⁰Even as he spoke, many believed in him.^(K)

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

³¹To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,^(L) you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”^(M)

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