Psalm 54^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[b] of David. When the Ziphites^(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

¹⁸ “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread.^(A) For seven days eat bread made without yeast,^(B) as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv,^(C) for in that month you came out of Egypt.

¹⁹ “The first offspring^(D) of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. ²⁰ Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.^(E) Redeem all your firstborn sons.^(F)

“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.^(G)

²¹ “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest;^(H) even during the plowing season and harvest^(I) you must rest.

²² “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits^(J) of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering^(K) at the turn of the year.^{[a] 23} Three times^(L) a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. ²⁴ I will drive out nations^(M) before you and enlarge your territory,^(N) and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God.

²⁵ “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast,^(O) and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Festival remain until morning.^(P)

²⁶ “Bring the best of the firstfruits^(Q) of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.

“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”^(R)

²⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write^(S) down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant^(T) with you and with Israel.” ²⁸ Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights^(U) without eating bread or drinking water.^(V) And he wrote on the tablets^(W) the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.^(X)

The Radiant Face of Moses

²⁹ When Moses came down from Mount Sinai^(Y) with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands,^(Z) he was not aware that his face was radiant^(AA) because he had spoken with the Lord. ³⁰ When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community^(AB) came back to him, and he spoke to them. ³² Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands^(AC) the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

³³ When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil^(AD) over his face. ³⁴ But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, ³⁵ they saw that his face was radiant.^(AE) Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.

3 So when we could stand it no longer,^(A) we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.^{(B) 2} We sent Timothy,^(C) who is our brother and co-worker^(D) in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ,^(E) to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, ³ so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.^(F) For you know quite well that we are destined for them.^{(G) 4} In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.^{(H) 5} For this reason, when I could stand it no longer,^(I) I sent to find out about your faith.^(J) I was afraid that in some way the tempter^(K) had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.^(L)

Timothy’s Encouraging Report

⁶ But Timothy^(M) has just now come to us from you^(N) and has brought good news about your faith and love.^(O) He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.^{(P) 7} Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. ⁸ For now we really live, since you are standing firm^(Q) in the Lord. ⁹ How can we thank God enough for you^(R) in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?^{(S) 10} Night and day we pray^(T) most earnestly that we may see you again^(U) and supply what is lacking in your faith.

¹¹ Now may our God and Father^(V) himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹² May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other^(W) and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³ May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless^(X) and holy in the presence of our God and Father^(Y) when our Lord Jesus comes^(Z) with all his holy ones.^(AA)

Adultery

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^{[a](A) 28} But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.^{(B) 29} If your right eye causes you to stumble,^(C) gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble,^(D) cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce

³¹ “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’^{[b](E) 32} But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.^(F)

Oaths

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,^(G) but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’^{(H) 34} But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all:^(I) either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;^{(J) 35} or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.^{(K) 36} And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;^(L) anything beyond this comes from the evil one.^[c](M)