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?”

Psalm 51^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.^(A)

⁶ Now these things occurred as examples^(A) to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. ⁷ Do not be idolaters,^(B) as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”^{[a](C) 8} We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.^{(D) 9} We should not test Christ,^[b](E) as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.^{(F) 10} And do not grumble, as some of them did^(G)—and were killed^(H) by the destroying angel.^(I)

¹¹ These things happened to them as examples^(J) and were written down as warnings for us,^(K) on whom the culmination of the ages has come.^{(L) 12} So, if you think you are standing firm,^(M) be careful that you don’t fall! ¹³ No temptation^[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful;^(N) he will not let you be tempted^[d] beyond what you can bear.^(O) But when you are tempted,^[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

16 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.^{(A) 2} So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

³ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— ⁴ I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

⁵ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

⁶ “‘Nine hundred gallons^[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’

⁷ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels^[b] of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

⁸ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world^(B) are more shrewd^(C) in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.^{(D) 9} I tell you, use worldly wealth^(E) to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.^(F)

¹⁰ “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,^(A) and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ¹¹ So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth,^(B) who will trust you with true riches? ¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”^(C)

Psalm 8^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] A psalm of David.