Psalm 81:1

New International Version

Psalm 81^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] Of Asaph.

¹Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!^(A)

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Footnotes

Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term

Psalm 81:1 in all English translations

Psalm 81:10-16

New International Version

¹⁰I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.^(A)
Open^(B) wide your mouth and I will fill^(C) it.

¹¹“But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.^(D)
¹²So I gave them over^(E) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.

¹³“If my people would only listen to me,^(F)
    if Israel would only follow my ways,
¹⁴how quickly I would subdue^(G) their enemies
    and turn my hand against^(H) their foes!
¹⁵Those who hate the Lord would cringe^(I) before him,
    and their punishment would last forever.
¹⁶But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;^(J)
    with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

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Jeremiah 2:1-3

New International Version

Israel Forsakes God

2 The word^(A) of the Lord came to me: ²“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“This is what the Lord says:

“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,^(B)
    how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,^(C)
    through a land not sown.
³Israel was holy^(D) to the Lord,^(E)
    the firstfruits^(F) of his harvest;
all who devoured^(G) her were held guilty,^(H)
    and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the Lord.

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Jeremiah 2:14-22

New International Version

¹⁴Is Israel a servant, a slave^(A) by birth?
    Why then has he become plunder?
¹⁵Lions^(B) have roared;
    they have growled at him.
They have laid waste^(C) his land;
    his towns are burned^(D) and deserted.^(E)
¹⁶Also, the men of Memphis^(F) and Tahpanhes^(G)
    have cracked your skull.
¹⁷Have you not brought this on yourselves^(H)
    by forsaking^(I) the Lord your God
    when he led you in the way?
¹⁸Now why go to Egypt^(J)
    to drink water from the Nile^[a]?^(K)
And why go to Assyria^(L)
    to drink water from the Euphrates?^(M)
¹⁹Your wickedness will punish you;
    your backsliding^(N) will rebuke^(O) you.
Consider then and realize
    how evil and bitter^(P) it is for you
when you forsake^(Q) the Lord your God
    and have no awe^(R) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

²⁰“Long ago you broke off your yoke^(S)
    and tore off your bonds;^(T)
    you said, ‘I will not serve you!’^(U)
Indeed, on every high hill^(V)
    and under every spreading tree^(W)
    you lay down as a prostitute.^(X)
²¹I had planted^(Y) you like a choice vine^(Z)
    of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
    into a corrupt,^(AA) wild vine?
²²Although you wash^(AB) yourself with soap^(AC)
    and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
    the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AD)

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 2:18 Hebrew Shihor; that is, a branch of the Nile

Matthew 20:20-28

New International Version

A Mother’s Request^(A)

²⁰Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons^(B) came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down,^(C) asked a favor of him.

²¹“What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”^(D)

²²“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup^(E) I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

²³Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup,^(F) but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

²⁴When the ten heard about this, they were indignant^(G) with the two brothers. ²⁵Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,^(H) ²⁷and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸just as the Son of Man^(I) did not come to be served, but to serve,^(J) and to give his life as a ransom^(K) for many.”