Psalm 120

A song of ascents.

The One Place of Worship

12 These are the decrees^(A) and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land.^{(B) 2} Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains,^(C) on the hills and under every spreading tree,^(D) where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. ³ Break down their altars, smash^(E) their sacred stones and burn^(F) their Asherah^(G) poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names^(H) from those places.

⁴ You must not worship the Lord your God in their way.^{(I) 5} But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name^(J) there for his dwelling.^(K) To that place you must go; ⁶ there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes^(L) and special gifts, what you have vowed^(M) to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.^{(N) 7} There, in the presence^(O) of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice^(P) in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

⁸ You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,^{(Q) 9} since you have not yet reached the resting place^(R) and the inheritance^(S) the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁰ But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving^(T) you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest^(U) from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. ¹¹ Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name^(V)—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord.^{(W) 12} And there rejoice^(X) before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites^(Y) from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance^(Z) of their own.

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

4 Therefore, since through God’s mercy^(A) we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.^{(B) 2} Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;^(C) we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.^(D) On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience^(E) in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel^(F) is veiled,^(G) it is veiled to those who are perishing.^{(H) 4} The god^(I) of this age^(J) has blinded^(K) the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,^(L) who is the image of God.^{(M) 5} For what we preach is not ourselves,^(N) but Jesus Christ as Lord,^(O) and ourselves as your servants^(P) for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a](Q) made his light shine in our hearts^(R) to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.^(S)

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay^(T) to show that this all-surpassing power is from God^(U) and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side,^(V) but not crushed; perplexed,^(W) but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted,^(X) but not abandoned;^(Y) struck down, but not destroyed.^{(Z) 10} We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,^(AA) so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.^{(AB) 11} For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake,^(AC) so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.^(AD)

¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”^[b](AE) Since we have that same spirit of^[c] faith,^(AF) we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead^(AG) will also raise us with Jesus^(AH) and present us with you to himself.^{(AI) 15} All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving^(AJ) to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart.^(AK) Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly^(AL) we are being renewed^(AM) day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.^{(AN) 18} So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,^(AO) since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy

¹¹ Now on his way to Jerusalem,^(A) Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.^{(B) 12} As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy^[a](C) met him. They stood at a distance^{(D) 13} and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master,^(E) have pity on us!”

¹⁴ When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”^(F) And as they went, they were cleansed.

¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God^(G) in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.^(H)

¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”^(I)