Psalm 95

Come,(A) let us sing for joy(B) to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud(C) to the Rock(D) of our salvation.
Let us come before him(E) with thanksgiving(F)
    and extol him with music(G) and song.

For the Lord is the great God,(H)
    the great King(I) above all gods.(J)
In his hand are the depths of the earth,(K)
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.(L)

Come, let us bow down(M) in worship,(N)
    let us kneel(O) before the Lord our Maker;(P)
for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,(Q)
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
“Do not harden your hearts(R) as you did at Meribah,[a](S)
    as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness,(T)
where your ancestors tested(U) me;
    they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years(V) I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,(W)
    and they have not known my ways.’(X)
11 So I declared on oath(Y) in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”(Z)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 95:8 Meribah means quarreling.
  2. Psalm 95:8 Massah means testing.

Manasseh King of Judah(A)(B)

21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.(C) He did evil(D) in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices(E) of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places(F) his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal(G) and made an Asherah pole,(H) as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts(I) and worshiped them. He built altars(J) in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”(K) In the two courts(L) of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son(M) in the fire, practiced divination,(N) sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.(O) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing(P) his anger.

He took the carved Asherah pole(Q) he had made and put it in the temple,(R) of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name(S) forever. I will not again(T) make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses(U) gave them.” But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil(V) than the nations(W) the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

10 The Lord said through his servants the prophets: 11 “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil(X) than the Amorites(Y) who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols.(Z) 12 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster(AA) on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.(AB) 13 I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line(AC) used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe(AD) out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 I will forsake(AE) the remnant(AF) of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; 15 they have done evil(AG) in my eyes and have aroused(AH) my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”

16 Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood(AI) that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah(AJ) to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

17 As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 18 Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden,(AK) the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

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Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper

14 Therefore, my dear friends,(A) flee from idolatry.(B) 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break(C) a participation in the body of Christ?(D) 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,(E) for we all share the one loaf.

18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices(F) participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?(G) 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons,(H) not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.(I) 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy?(J) Are we stronger than he?(K)

The Believer’s Freedom

23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.(L) “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.(M)

25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,(N) 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”[a](O)

27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you(P) without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.(Q) 29 I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom(R) being judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?(S)

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.(T) 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble,(U) whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God(V) 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way.(W) For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many,(X) so that they may be saved.(Y) 11 Follow my example,(Z) as I follow the example of Christ.(AA)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 10:26 Psalm 24:1

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men(A)

28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,[a] two demon-possessed(B) men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us,(C) Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”(D)

30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; other manuscripts Gerasenes

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