Psalm 128

Blessings for Those Who Fear God

A song of ascents.

Tell the Truth

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors,You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.^{[a](A) 34} But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.^{(B) 36} Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.^(C)

Go the Second Mile

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.^{[b](D) 39} But I tell you, don’t resist^[c] an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.^{(E) 40} As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.^(F)

Love Your Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor^[d](G) and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies^[e] and pray for those who^[f] persecute you,^{(H) 45} so that you may be^[g] children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(I) 46} For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?^[h](J) Don’t even the Gentiles^[i] do the same? ⁴⁸ Be perfect,^(K) therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The Cure for Anxiety

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you:^(A) Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?^{(B) 26} Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?^{(C) 27} Can any of you add one moment to his life span^[a] by worrying? ²⁸ And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. ³⁰ If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?^{(D) 31} So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God^[b](E) and his righteousness,^(F) and all these things will be provided for you.^{(G) 34} Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble^(H) of its own.