Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

Two Shepherds

⁴ This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.^{(H) 5} Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them.^{(I) 6} For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors^(J) and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”^(K)

⁷ So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter,^(L) particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. ⁸ In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.

The flock detested^(M) me, and I grew weary of them ⁹ and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish.^(N) Let those who are left eat^(O) one another’s flesh.”

¹⁰ Then I took my staff called Favor^(P) and broke it, revoking^(Q) the covenant I had made with all the nations. ¹¹ It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.

¹² I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.^(R)

¹³ And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver^(S) and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.^(T)

¹⁴ Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. ¹⁶ For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me,^(A) I laid a foundation^(B) as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.^{(C) 12} If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is,^(D) because the Day^(E) will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.^{(F) 14} If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.^{(G) 15} If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.^(H)

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple^(I) and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?^{(J) 17} If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

¹⁸ Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise^(K) by the standards of this age,^(L) you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness^(M) in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”^[a];^{(N) 20} and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”^{[b](O) 21} So then, no more boasting about human leaders!^(P) All things are yours,^{(Q) 22} whether Paul or Apollos^(R) or Cephas^[c](S) or the world or life or death or the present or the future^(T)—all are yours, ²³ and you are of Christ,^(U) and Christ is of God.

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time^(A)

³¹ Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem,^(B) and everything that is written by the prophets^(C) about the Son of Man^(D) will be fulfilled. ³² He will be delivered over to the Gentiles.^(E) They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; ³³ they will flog him^(F) and kill him.^(G) On the third day^(H) he will rise again.”^(I)

³⁴ The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.^(J)

A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight^(K)

³⁵ As Jesus approached Jericho,^(L) a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶ When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”^(M)

³⁸ He called out, “Jesus, Son of David,^(N) have mercy^(O) on me!”

³⁹ Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”^(P)

⁴⁰ Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

⁴² Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”^{(Q) 43} Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.^(R)