Psalm 73:1-20

New International Version

BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

¹Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.^(A)

²But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;^(B)
I had nearly lost my foothold.^(C)
³For I envied^(D) the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(E)

⁴They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.^[a]
⁵They are free^(F) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶Therefore pride^(G) is their necklace;^(H)
    they clothe themselves with violence.^(I)
⁷From their callous hearts^(J) comes iniquity^[b];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸They scoff, and speak with malice;^(K)
    with arrogance^(L) they threaten oppression.^(M)
⁹Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.^[c]
¹¹They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

¹²This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care,^(N) they go on amassing wealth.^(O)

¹³Surely in vain^(P) I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.^(Q)
¹⁴All day long I have been afflicted,^(R)
and every morning brings new punishments.

¹⁵If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶When I tried to understand^(S) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
¹⁷till I entered the sanctuary^(T) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.^(U)

¹⁸Surely you place them on slippery ground;^(V)
    you cast them down to ruin.^(W)
¹⁹How suddenly^(X) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away^(Y) by terrors!
²⁰They are like a dream^(Z) when one awakes;^(AA)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.^(AB)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

Proverbs 8:32-9:6

New International Version

³²“Now then, my children, listen^(A) to me;
    blessed are^(B) those who keep my ways.^(C)
³³Listen to my instruction and be wise;
    do not disregard it.
³⁴Blessed are those who listen^(D) to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
³⁵For those who find me^(E) find life^(F)
    and receive favor from the Lord.^(G)
³⁶But those who fail to find me harm themselves;^(H)
    all who hate me love death.”^(I)

Invitations of Wisdom and Folly

9 Wisdom has built^(J) her house;
    she has set up^[a] its seven pillars.
²She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;^(K)
    she has also set her table.^(L)
³She has sent out her servants, and she calls^(M)
    from the highest point of the city,^(N)
⁴    “Let all who are simple^(O) come to my house!”
To those who have no sense^(P) she says,
⁵    “Come,^(Q) eat my food
    and drink the wine I have mixed.^(R)
⁶Leave your simple ways and you will live;^(S)
    walk in the way of insight.”^(T)

Footnotes

Proverbs 9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

New International Version

²⁹By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.^(A)

³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.^(B)

³¹By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^[a]^(C)

³²And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,^(D) Barak,^(E) Samson^(F) and Jephthah,^(G) about David^(H) and Samuel^(I) and the prophets, ³³who through faith conquered kingdoms,^(J) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,^(K) ³⁴quenched the fury of the flames,^(L) and escaped the edge of the sword;^(M) whose weakness was turned to strength;^(N) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.^(O) ³⁵Women received back their dead, raised to life again.^(P) There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶Some faced jeers and flogging,^(Q) and even chains and imprisonment.^(R) ³⁷They were put to death by stoning;^[b]^(S) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.^(T) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,^(U) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves^(V) and in holes in the ground.

³⁹These were all commended^(W) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,^(X) ⁴⁰since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us^(Y) would they be made perfect.^(Z)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run^(AA) with perseverance^(AB) the race marked out for us, ²fixing our eyes on Jesus,^(AC) the pioneer^(AD) and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,^(AE) scorning its shame,^(AF) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.^(AG)