Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

Judges

¹⁸ Appoint judges^(A) and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly.^{(B) 19} Do not pervert justice^(C) or show partiality.^(D) Do not accept a bribe,^(E) for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. ²⁰ Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.

The King

¹⁴ When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession^(A) of it and settled in it,^(B) and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”^{(C) 15} be sure to appoint^(D) over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites.^(E) Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. ¹⁶ The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses^(F) for himself^(G) or make the people return to Egypt^(H) to get more of them,^(I) for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.”^{(J) 17} He must not take many wives,^(K) or his heart will be led astray.^(L) He must not accumulate^(M) large amounts of silver and gold.^(N)

¹⁸ When he takes the throne^(O) of his kingdom, he is to write^(P) for himself on a scroll a copy^(Q) of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹ It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life^(R) so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees^{(S) 20} and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law^(T) to the right or to the left.^(U) Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.^(V)

Paul’s Hardships

³ We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,^(A) so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴ Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵ in beatings, imprisonments^(B) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;^{(C) 6} in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit^(D) and in sincere love;^{(E) 7} in truthful speech^(F) and in the power of God;^(G) with weapons of righteousness^(H) in the right hand and in the left; ⁸ through glory and dishonor,^(I) bad report^(J) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;^{(K) 9} known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,^(L) and yet we live on;^(M) beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;^(N) poor, yet making many rich;^(O) having nothing,^(P) and yet possessing everything.^(Q)

¹¹ We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.^{(R) 12} We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. ¹³ As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children^(S)—open wide your hearts^(T) also.

Warning Against Idolatry

¹⁴ Do not be yoked together^(U) with unbelievers.^(V) For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?^{(W) 15} What harmony is there between Christ and Belial^[a]?^(X) Or what does a believer^(Y) have in common with an unbeliever?^{(Z) 16} What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?^(AA) For we are the temple^(AB) of the living God.^(AC) As God has said:

¹⁷ Therefore,

¹⁸ And,

7 Therefore, since we have these promises,^(AI) dear friends,^(AJ) let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness^(AK) out of reverence for God.

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.^{(A) 2} He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice^(B) against my adversary.’

⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”^(C)

⁶ And the Lord^(D) said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out^(E) to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man^(F) comes,^(G) will he find faith on the earth?”