Add parallel Print Page Options

Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.

A Song of [a]Ascents.

128 Blessed [happy and sheltered by God’s favor] is everyone who fears the Lord [and worships Him with obedience],
Who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments.(A)

For you shall eat the fruit of [the labor of] your hands,
You will be happy and blessed and it will be well with you.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
Within the innermost part of your house;
Your children will be like olive plants
Around your table.

Behold, for so shall the man be blessed and divinely favored
Who fears the Lord [and worships Him with obedience].


May the Lord bless you from Zion [His holy mountain],
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life;

Indeed, may you see your [family perpetuated in your] children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 128:1 See Psalm 120 title note.

Psalm 128

A song of ascents.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,(A)
    who walk in obedience to him.(B)
You will eat the fruit of your labor;(C)
    blessings and prosperity(D) will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine(E)
    within your house;
your children(F) will be like olive shoots(G)
    around your table.
Yes, this will be the blessing(H)
    for the man who fears the Lord.(I)

May the Lord bless you from Zion;(J)
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem(K)
    all the days of your life.
May you live to see your children’s children—(L)
    peace be on Israel.(M)

Israel to Be Renewed for His Name’s Sake

22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 For I will [a]take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My ordinances and do them. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will also save you from all your uncleanness, and I will call for the grain and make it abundant, and I will not bring famine on you. 30 I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not suffer again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember [clearly] your [own] evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your sins and for your outrageous atrocities. 32 I am not doing this for your sake,” says the Lord God. “Let that be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated for your [wicked] ways, O house of Israel!”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 36:24 This prophecy has been in the process of fulfillment since World War II. The Jews have for centuries been dispersed among all the nations with only a few remaining in the homeland. But by a.d. 1960 one-sixth of the Jewish population of the world was in Israel. Already they had been made “one nation” (37:22a)—between sunrise of one day and sunset of the next—“a nation born in one day” (Is 66:8). But the greatest event of all is yet to come (Ezek 37:22b-25). This prophecy will be fulfilled in its entirety.

22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name,(A) which you have profaned(B) among the nations where you have gone.(C) 23 I will show the holiness of my great name,(D) which has been profaned(E) among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,(F) declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy(G) through you before their eyes.(H)

24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.(I) 25 I will sprinkle(J) clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse(K) you from all your impurities(L) and from all your idols.(M) 26 I will give you a new heart(N) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone(O) and give you a heart of flesh.(P) 27 And I will put my Spirit(Q) in you and move you to follow my decrees(R) and be careful to keep my laws.(S) 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,(T) and I will be your God.(U) 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine(V) upon you. 30 I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.(W) 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.(X) 32 I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed(Y) and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!(Z)

Read full chapter

53 [a][And everyone went to his own house.

The Adulterous Woman

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came back into the temple [court], and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began teaching them. Now the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the center of the court, and they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women [to death]. So what do You say [to do with her—what is Your sentence]?”(A) They said this to test Him, hoping that they would have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground with His finger. However, when they persisted in questioning Him, He straightened up and said, “He who is without [any] sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”(B) Then He stooped down again and started writing on the ground. They listened [to His reply], and they began to go out one by one, starting with the oldest ones, until He was left alone, with the woman [standing there before Him] in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She answered, “No one, Lord!” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more.”]

Footnotes

  1. John 7:53 Most late mss include the story of the adulterous woman, numbering it as 7:53-8:11, though some mss place it elsewhere in the text. The story is considered authentic as part of the oral tradition of the early church, and perhaps for that reason it was inserted in John’s Gospel.


[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

53 Then they all went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.(A)

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.(B) The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.(C) Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap,(D) in order to have a basis for accusing him.(E)

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone(F) at her.”(G) Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,”(H) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”(I)