Psalm 55:8-19

New International Version

⁸I would hurry to my place of shelter,^(A)
far from the tempest and storm.^(B)”

⁹Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,^(C)
    for I see violence and strife^(D) in the city.^(E)
¹⁰Day and night they prowl^(F) about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
¹¹Destructive forces^(G) are at work in the city;
    threats and lies^(H) never leave its streets.

¹²If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.
¹³But it is you, a man like myself,
    my companion, my close friend,^(I)
¹⁴with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship^(J)
    at the house of God,^(K)
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

¹⁵Let death take my enemies by surprise;^(L)
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,^(M)
for evil finds lodging among them.

¹⁶As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
¹⁷Evening,^(N) morning^(O) and noon^(P)
    I cry out in distress,
    and he hears my voice.
¹⁸He rescues me unharmed
    from the battle waged against me,
    even though many oppose me.
¹⁹God, who is enthroned from of old,^(Q)
    who does not change—
he will hear^(R) them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.^(S)

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Proverbs 12:16-18

New International Version

¹⁶Fools^(A) show their annoyance at once,^(B)
but the prudent overlook an insult.^(C)

¹⁷An honest witness tells the truth,
but a false witness tells lies.^(D)

¹⁸The words of the reckless pierce like swords,^(E)
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.^(F)

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Mark 6:14-29

New International Version

John the Baptist Beheaded^(A)^(B)

¹⁴King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,^[a] “John the Baptist^(C) has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

¹⁵Others said, “He is Elijah.”^(D)

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,^(E) like one of the prophets of long ago.”^(F)

¹⁶But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

¹⁷For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.^(G) He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. ¹⁸For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”^(H) ¹⁹So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, ²⁰because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.^(I) When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled^[b]; yet he liked to listen to him.

²¹Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet^(J) for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.^(K) ²²When the daughter of^[c] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” ²³And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”^(L)

²⁴She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

²⁵At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

²⁶The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, ²⁸and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. ²⁹On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

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Footnotes

Mark 6:14 Some early manuscripts He was saying
Mark 6:20 Some early manuscripts he did many things
Mark 6:22 Some early manuscripts When his daughter

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

New International Version

Sexual Immorality

¹²“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.^(A) “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”^(B) The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord,^(C) and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴By his power God raised the Lord from the dead,^(D) and he will raise us also.^(E) ¹⁵Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?^(F) Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”^[a]^(G) ¹⁷But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.^[b]^(H)

¹⁸Flee from sexual immorality.^(I) All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.^(J) ¹⁹Do you not know that your bodies are temples^(K) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;^(L) ²⁰you were bought at a price.^(M) Therefore honor God with your bodies.^(N)