Psalm 14^(A)

For the director of music. Of David.

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

Psalm 16

A miktam^[a] of David.

The Covenant Renewed at Mount Ebal

³⁰ Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal^(A) an altar^(B) to the Lord, the God of Israel, ³¹ as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool^(C) had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings.^{(D) 32} There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses.^{(E) 33} All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical^(F) priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born^(G) were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal,^(H) as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.

³⁴ Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law.^{(I) 35} There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.^(J)

Jesus and Beelzebul^(A)(B)

¹⁴ Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.^{(C) 15} But some of them said, “By Beelzebul,^(D) the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.”^{(E) 16} Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.^(F)

¹⁷ Jesus knew their thoughts^(G) and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. ¹⁸ If Satan^(H) is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I drive out demons by the finger of God,^(I) then the kingdom of God^(J) has come upon you.

²¹ “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. ²² But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

²³ “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.^(K)

²⁴ “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”^(L)

²⁷ As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”^(M)

²⁸ He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God^(N) and obey it.”^(O)