Psalm 49

New International Version

Psalm 49^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

¹Hear^(A) this, all you peoples;^(B)
    listen, all who live in this world,^(C)
²both low and high,^(D)
    rich and poor alike:
³My mouth will speak words of wisdom;^(E)
    the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.^(F)
⁴I will turn my ear to a proverb;^(G)
    with the harp^(H) I will expound my riddle:^(I)

⁵Why should I fear^(J) when evil days come,
    when wicked deceivers surround me—
⁶those who trust in their wealth^(K)
    and boast^(L) of their great riches?^(M)
⁷No one can redeem the life of another
    or give to God a ransom for them—
⁸the ransom^(N) for a life is costly,
    no payment is ever enough—^(O)
⁹so that they should live on^(P) forever
    and not see decay.^(Q)
¹⁰For all can see that the wise die,^(R)
    that the foolish and the senseless^(S) also perish,
    leaving their wealth^(T) to others.^(U)
¹¹Their tombs^(V) will remain their houses^[b] forever,
    their dwellings for endless generations,^(W)
    though they had^[c] named^(X) lands after themselves.

¹²People, despite their wealth, do not endure;^(Y)
they are like the beasts that perish.^(Z)

¹³This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,^(AA)
    and of their followers, who approve their sayings.^[d]
¹⁴They are like sheep and are destined^(AB) to die;^(AC)
    death will be their shepherd
    (but the upright will prevail^(AD) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
    far from their princely mansions.
¹⁵But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;^(AE)
    he will surely take me to himself.^(AF)
¹⁶Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendor of their houses increases;
¹⁷for they will take nothing^(AG) with them when they die,
    their splendor will not descend with them.^(AH)
¹⁸Though while they live they count themselves blessed—^(AI)
    and people praise you when you prosper—
¹⁹they will join those who have gone before them,^(AJ)
    who will never again see the light^(AK) of life.

²⁰People who have wealth but lack understanding^(AL)
are like the beasts that perish.^(AM)

Footnotes

Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.

Deuteronomy 8:1-10

New International Version

Do Not Forget the Lord

8 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live^(A) and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors.^(B) ²Remember how the Lord your God led^(C) you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test^(D) you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³He humbled^(E) you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna,^(F) which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach^(G) you that man does not live on bread^(H) alone but on every word that comes from the mouth^(I) of the Lord.^(J) ⁴Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.^(K) ⁵Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.^(L)

⁶Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him^(M) and revering him.^(N) ⁷For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land^(O)—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills;^(P) ⁸a land with wheat and barley,^(Q) vines^(R) and fig trees,^(S) pomegranates, olive oil and honey;^(T) ⁹a land where bread^(U) will not be scarce and you will lack nothing;^(V) a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.^(W)

¹⁰When you have eaten and are satisfied,^(X) praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

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1 Corinthians 1:17-31

New International Version

¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize,^(A) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom^(B) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness^(C) to those who are perishing,^(D) but to us who are being saved^(E) it is the power of God.^(F) ¹⁹For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”^[a]^(G)

²⁰Where is the wise person?^(H) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(I) Has not God made foolish^(J) the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world^(K) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save^(L) those who believe.^(M) ²²Jews demand signs^(N) and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified:^(O) a stumbling block^(P) to Jews and foolishness^(Q) to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called,^(R) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God^(S) and the wisdom of God.^(T) ²⁵For the foolishness^(U) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness^(V) of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^(W) Not many of you were wise^(X) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose^(Y) the foolish^(Z) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^(AA)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him.^(AB) ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(AC) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(AD) holiness^(AE) and redemption.^(AF) ³¹Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[b]^(AG)

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Footnotes

1 Corinthians 1:19 Isaiah 29:14
1 Corinthians 1:31 Jer. 9:24

Mark 2:18-22

New International Version

Jesus Questioned About Fasting^(A)

¹⁸Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.^(B) Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

¹⁹Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. ²⁰But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them,^(C) and on that day they will fast.

²¹“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. ²²And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

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