Psalm 23

The Good Shepherd

A psalm of David.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees approached,^(A) and tested him, asking him to show them a sign from heaven.^{(B) 2} He replied, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be good weather because the sky is red.’ ³ And in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.’ You^[a] know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times.^{[b] 4} An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of^[c] Jonah.”^(C) Then he left them and went away.

⁵ The disciples reached the other shore,^[d] and they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶ Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven^[e] of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”^(D)

⁷ They were discussing among themselves, “We didn’t bring any bread.”

⁸ Aware of this, Jesus said, “You of little faith,^(E) why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? ⁹ Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you collected? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many large baskets you collected?^{(F) 11} Why is it you don’t understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn’t about bread?”^{(G) 12} Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the leaven in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.^(H)

Greeting

1 Paul,^(A) an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father^(B) who raised him from the dead^(C)— ² and all the brothers who are with me:

To the churches of Galatia.^(D)

³ Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord^[a] Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins^(E) to rescue us from this present evil age,^(F) according to the will of our God and Father.^{(G) 5} To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

No Other Gospel

⁶ I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called^(H) you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷ not that there is another gospel,^(I) but there are some^(J) who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel^(K) from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you,^(L) a curse be on him!^{[b] 9} As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received,^(M) a curse be on him!

¹⁰ For am I now trying to persuade people,^[c] or God?^(N) Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.