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16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.(A)

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16 For God so loved(A) the world that he gave(B) his one and only Son,(C) that whoever believes(D) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(E)

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But he answered, “It is written,

‘One does not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”(A)

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Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:4 Deut. 8:3

Psalm 139

The Inescapable God

To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.(A)
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.(B)
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.(C)
Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it completely.(D)
You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.(E)
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it.(F)

Where can I go from your spirit?
    Or where can I flee from your presence?(G)
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.(H)
If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.(I)
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and night wraps itself around me,”[a](J)
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is as bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.(K)

13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.(L)
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.(M)
15     My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.(N)
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
    all the days that were formed for me,
    when none of them as yet existed.[b]
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!(O)
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
    I come to the end[c]—I am still with you.

19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
    and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—(P)
20 those who speak of you maliciously
    and lift themselves up against you for evil![d](Q)
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?(R)
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
    I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my thoughts.(S)
24 See if there is any wicked[e] way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.[f](T)

Footnotes

  1. 139.11 Q ms: MT and the light around me become night
  2. 139.16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 139.18 Or I awake
  4. 139.20 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  5. 139.24 Heb hurtful
  6. 139.24 Or the ancient way

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

You have searched me,(A) Lord,
    and you know(B) me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;(C)
    you perceive my thoughts(D) from afar.
You discern my going out(E) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.(F)
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.(G)
You hem me in(H) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(I)
    too lofty(J) for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee(K) from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens,(L) you are there;
    if I make my bed(M) in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,(N)
    your right hand(O) will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark(P) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;(Q)
    you knit me together(R) in my mother’s womb.(S)
14 I praise you(T) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,(U)
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made(V) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together(W) in the depths of the earth.(X)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained(Y) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a](Z) God!(AA)
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(AB)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand(AC)
    when I awake,(AD) I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!(AE)
    Away from me,(AF) you who are bloodthirsty!(AG)
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries(AH) misuse your name.(AI)
21 Do I not hate those(AJ) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor(AK) those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.(AL)
23 Search me,(AM) God, and know my heart;(AN)
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way(AO) in me,
    and lead me(AP) in the way everlasting.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.(A) Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.(B) And God is able to provide you with every blessing[a] in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.(C) As it is written,

“He scatters abroad; he gives to the poor;
    his righteousness[b] endures forever.”(D)

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 9.8 Gk gift or grace
  2. 9.9 Or benevolence
  3. 9.10 Or benevolence

Generosity Encouraged

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.(A) Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,(B) not reluctantly or under compulsion,(C) for God loves a cheerful giver.(D) And God is able(E) to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,(F) you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts(G) to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”[a](H)

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food(I) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:9 Psalm 112:9

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,[a] or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?(A) 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?(B) 27 And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life?[b] 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God[c] and his[d] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.(C)

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

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Footnotes

  1. 6.25 Other ancient authorities lack or what you will drink
  2. 6.27 Or add one cubit to your height
  3. 6.33 Other ancient authorities lack of God
  4. 6.33 Or its

Do Not Worry(A)

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry(B) about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.(C) Are you not much more valuable than they?(D) 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?(E)

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor(F) was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?(G) 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.(H) 33 But seek first his kingdom(I) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.(J) 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height