The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon(A)

10 When the queen of Sheba(B) heard about the fame(C) of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions.(D) Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan(E)—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table,(F) the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe(G) these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth(H) you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear(I) your wisdom! Praise(J) be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love(K) for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice(L) and righteousness.”

10 And she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold,(M) large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:5 Or the ascent by which he went up to
  2. 1 Kings 10:10 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons

Psalm 37[a]

Of David.

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious(A) of those who do wrong;(B)
for like the grass they will soon wither,(C)
    like green plants they will soon die away.(D)

Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land(E) and enjoy safe pasture.(F)
Take delight(G) in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.(H)

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him(I) and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward(J) shine like the dawn,(K)
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still(L) before the Lord
    and wait patiently(M) for him;
do not fret(N) when people succeed in their ways,(O)
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

32 The wicked lie in wait(A) for the righteous,(B)
    intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned(C) when brought to trial.(D)

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Psalm 41[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed(A) are those who have regard for the weak;(B)
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(C)
The Lord protects(D) and preserves them—(E)
    they are counted among the blessed in the land—(F)
    he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(G)
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(H)
    and restores them from their bed of illness.(I)

I said, “Have mercy(J) on me, Lord;
    heal(K) me, for I have sinned(L) against you.”
My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?(M)
When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely,(N) while his heart gathers slander;(O)
    then he goes out and spreads(P) it around.

All my enemies whisper together(Q) against me;
    they imagine the worst for me, saying,
“A vile disease has afflicted him;
    he will never get up(R) from the place where he lies.”
Even my close friend,(S)
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned[b] against me.(T)

10 But may you have mercy(U) on me, Lord;
    raise me up,(V) that I may repay(W) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(X)
    for my enemy does not triumph over me.(Y)
12 Because of my integrity(Z) you uphold me(AA)
    and set me in your presence forever.(AB)

13 Praise(AC) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(AD)
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(AE)

BOOK II

Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42[c][d]

For the director of music. A maskil[e] of the Sons of Korah.

As the deer(AF) pants for streams of water,(AG)
    so my soul pants(AH) for you, my God.
My soul thirsts(AI) for God, for the living God.(AJ)
    When can I go(AK) and meet with God?
My tears(AL) have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(AM)
These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:(AN)
how I used to go to the house of God(AO)
    under the protection of the Mighty One[f]
with shouts of joy(AP) and praise(AQ)
    among the festive throng.(AR)

Why, my soul, are you downcast?(AS)
    Why so disturbed(AT) within me?
Put your hope in God,(AU)
    for I will yet praise(AV) him,
    my Savior(AW) and my God.(AX)

My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember(AY) you
from the land of the Jordan,(AZ)
    the heights of Hermon(BA)—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep(BB)
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.(BC)

By day the Lord directs his love,(BD)
    at night(BE) his song(BF) is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.(BG)

I say to God my Rock,(BH)
    “Why have you forgotten(BI) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(BJ)
    oppressed(BK) by the enemy?”(BL)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony(BM)
    as my foes taunt(BN) me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”(BO)

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.(BP)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 41:1 In Hebrew texts 41:1-13 is numbered 41:2-14.
  2. Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel
  3. Psalm 42:1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
  4. Psalm 42:1 In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
  5. Psalm 42:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  6. Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16] [a]

17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him(A) about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods(B) clean.)(C)

20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed,(D) malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 7:16 Some manuscripts include here the words of 4:23.

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