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13 “Keep the Sabbath day holy.
    Don’t pursue your own interests on that day,
but enjoy the Sabbath
    and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day.
Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day,
    and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.

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13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath(A)
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight(B)
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,(C)

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21 This is what the Lord says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day. 22 Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day. I gave this command to your ancestors, 23 but they did not listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or accept my discipline.

24 “‘But if you obey me, says the Lord, and do not carry on your trade at the gates or work on the Sabbath day, and if you keep it holy, 25 then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever. There will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. Kings and their officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses, and this city will remain forever. 26 And from all around Jerusalem, from the towns of Judah and Benjamin, from the western foothills[a] and the hill country and the Negev, the people will come with their burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will bring their grain offerings, frankincense, and thanksgiving offerings to the Lord’s Temple.

27 “‘But if you do not listen to me and refuse to keep the Sabbath holy, and if on the Sabbath day you bring loads of merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem just as on other days, then I will set fire to these gates. The fire will spread to the palaces, and no one will be able to put out the roaring flames.’”

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Footnotes

  1. 17:26 Hebrew the Shephelah.

21 This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath(A) day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors.(B) 23 Yet they did not listen or pay attention;(C) they were stiff-necked(D) and would not listen or respond to discipline.(E) 24 But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy(F) by not doing any work on it, 25 then kings who sit on David’s throne(G) will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.(H) 26 People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev,(I) bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. 27 But if you do not obey(J) me to keep the Sabbath(K) day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire(L) in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.’”(M)

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10 A single day in your courts
    is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
    than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.

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10 Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper(A) in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

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Blessed are all those
    who are careful to do this.
Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest
    and keep themselves from doing wrong.

“Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say,
    ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’
And don’t let the eunuchs say,
    ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’
For this is what the Lord says:
I will bless those eunuchs
    who keep my Sabbath days holy
and who choose to do what pleases me
    and commit their lives to me.
I will give them—within the walls of my house—
    a memorial and a name
    far greater than sons and daughters could give.
For the name I give them is an everlasting one.
    It will never disappear!

“I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord,
    who serve him and love his name,
who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest,
    and who hold fast to my covenant.

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Blessed(A) is the one who does this—
    the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(B) without desecrating it,
    and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”

Let no foreigner(C) who is bound to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(D)
And let no eunuch(E) complain,
    “I am only a dry tree.”

For this is what the Lord says:

“To the eunuchs(F) who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose what pleases me
    and hold fast to my covenant(G)
to them I will give within my temple and its walls(H)
    a memorial(I) and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(J)
    that will endure forever.(K)
And foreigners(L) who bind themselves to the Lord
    to minister(M) to him,
to love the name(N) of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(O) without desecrating it
    and who hold fast to my covenant—

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I long, yes, I faint with longing
    to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
    I will shout joyfully to the living God.

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My soul yearns,(A) even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.(B)

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Psalm 92

A psalm. A song to be sung on the Sabbath Day.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praises to the Most High.
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
    your faithfulness in the evening,

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Psalm 92[a]

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music(A) to your name,(B) O Most High,(C)
proclaiming your love in the morning(D)
    and your faithfulness at night,

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 92:1 In Hebrew texts 92:1-15 is numbered 92:2-16.

15 In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day. 16 Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem at that!

17 So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked. 18 “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!”

19 Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening,[a] not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 The merchants and tradesmen with a variety of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I spoke sharply to them and said, “What are you doing out here, camping around the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you!” And that was the last time they came on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the gates in order to preserve the holiness of the Sabbath.

Remember this good deed also, O my God! Have compassion on me according to your great and unfailing love.

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Footnotes

  1. 13:19 Hebrew on the day before the Sabbath.

15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath.(A) Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. 16 People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath(B) to the people of Judah. 17 I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? 18 Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city?(C) Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”(D)

19 When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath,(E) I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember(F) me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

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10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.[a] Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:10 Or in spirit.

10 On the Lord’s Day(A) I was in the Spirit,(B) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,(C)

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My heart is breaking
    as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
    leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks
    amid the sound of a great celebration!

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These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:(A)
how I used to go to the house of God(B)
    under the protection of the Mighty One[a]
with shouts of joy(C) and praise(D)
    among the festive throng.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:4 See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

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“Remember the Sabbath(A) day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,(B) 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath(C) to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,(D) the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested(E) on the seventh day.(F) Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

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Psalm 122

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

I was glad when they said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

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Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

I rejoiced with those who said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

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13 “Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. 14 You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. 15 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. 16 The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. 17 It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’”

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13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.(A) This will be a sign(B) between me and you for the generations to come,(C) so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.(D)

14 “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death;(E) those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15 For six days work(F) is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,(G) holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath,(H) celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign(I) between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.(J)’”(K)

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The one thing I ask of the Lord
    the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
    delighting in the Lord’s perfections
    and meditating in his Temple.

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One thing(A) I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,(B)
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.

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