1 Timothy 5:1-8

English Standard Version

Instructions for the Church

5 ^(A)Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, ^(B)younger men as brothers, ²older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

³Honor widows ^(C)who are truly widows. ⁴But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn ^(D)to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for ^(E)this is pleasing in the sight of God. ⁵She ^(F)who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and ^(G)continues in supplications and prayers night and day, ⁶but ^(H)she who is self-indulgent is ^(I)dead even while she lives. ⁷^(J)Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. ⁸But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for ^(K)members of his household, he has ^(L)denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Read full chapter

Psalm 103

English Standard Version

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Of David.

103 ^(A)Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
²^(B)Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and ^(C)forget not all his benefits,
³who ^(D)forgives all your iniquity,
    who ^(E)heals all your diseases,
⁴who ^(F)redeems your life from the pit,
    who ^(G)crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
⁵who ^(H)satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like ^(I)the eagle's.

⁶The Lord works ^(J)righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.
⁷He made known his ^(K)ways to Moses,
    his ^(L)acts to the people of Israel.
⁸The Lord is ^(M)merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹^(N)He will not always chide,
    nor will he ^(O)keep his anger forever.
¹⁰He does not deal with us ^(P)according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹For ^(Q)as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his ^(R)steadfast love toward ^(S)those who fear him;
¹²as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he ^(T)remove our transgressions from us.
¹³As ^(U)a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion ^(V)to those who fear him.
¹⁴For he knows our frame;^[a]
    he ^(W)remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are like ^(X)grass;
    he flourishes like ^(Y)a flower of the field;
¹⁶for ^(Z)the wind passes over it, and ^(AA)it is gone,
    and ^(AB)its place knows it no more.
¹⁷But ^(AC)the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on ^(AD)those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to ^(AE)children's children,
¹⁸to those who ^(AF)keep his covenant
    and ^(AG)remember to do his commandments.
¹⁹The Lord has ^(AH)established his throne in the heavens,
    and his ^(AI)kingdom rules over all.

²⁰Bless the Lord, O you ^(AJ)his angels,
    you ^(AK)mighty ones who ^(AL)do his word,
    obeying the voice of his word!
²¹Bless the Lord, all his ^(AM)hosts,
    his ^(AN)ministers, who do his will!
²²^(AO)Bless the Lord, all his works,
    in all places of his dominion.
^(AP)Bless the Lord, O my soul!