I Will Bless the Lord

Of David.

The Lord Is My Strength and My Shield

Of David.

Israel at Mount Sinai

19 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they ^(A)came into the wilderness of Sinai. ² They set out from ^(B)Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before ^(C)the mountain, ³ while ^(D)Moses went up to God. ^(E)The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ^4 (F)‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how ^(G)I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. ⁵ Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be ^(H)my treasured possession among all peoples, for ^(I)all the earth is mine; ⁶ and you shall be to me a ^(J)kingdom of priests and ^(K)a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

⁷ So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. ^8 (L)All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. ⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you ^(M)in a thick cloud, that ^(N)the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also ^(O)believe you forever.”

When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, ¹⁰ the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and ^(P)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them ^(Q)wash their garments ¹¹ and be ready for the third day. For on the third day ^(R)the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. ^(S)Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. ¹³ No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot;^[a] whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When ^(T)the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” ¹⁴ So Moses ^(U)went down from the mountain to the people and ^(V)consecrated the people; ^(W)and they washed their garments. ¹⁵ And he said to the people, “Be ready for the ^(X)third day; ^(Y)do not go near a woman.”

¹⁶ On the morning of the ^(Z)third day there were ^(AA)thunders and lightnings and ^(AB)a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud ^(AC)trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp ^(AD)trembled. ¹⁷ Then ^(AE)Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Now ^(AF)Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and ^(AG)the whole mountain trembled greatly. ¹⁹ And as the ^(AH)sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and ^(AI)God answered him in thunder. ²⁰ The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

²¹ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord ^(AJ)to look and many of them perish. ²² Also let the priests who come near to the Lord ^(AK)consecrate themselves, lest the Lord ^(AL)break out against them.” ²³ And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ^(AM)‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” ²⁴ And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people ^(AN)break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Rich Young Man

^16 (A)And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to ^(B)have ^(C)eternal life?” ¹⁷ And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. ^(D)If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸ He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, ^(E)“You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother, and, ^(F)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁰ The young man said to him, ^(G)“All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” ²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you would be ^(H)perfect, go, ^(I)sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have ^(J)treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ^22 (K)When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

²³ And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, ^(L)only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. ^24 (M)Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter ^(N)the kingdom of God.” ²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶ But Jesus ^(O)looked at them and said, ^(P)“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ²⁷ Then Peter said in reply, “See, ^(Q)we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” ²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world,^{[a] (R)}when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me ^(S)will also sit on twelve thrones, ^(T)judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ^29 (U)And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold^[b] and will ^(V)inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But ^(W)many who are ^(X)first will be last, and the last first.

Laborers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius^[a] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ ⁵ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. ⁶ And ^(A)about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ ⁸ And ^(B)when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his ^(C)foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ ⁹ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. ¹⁰ Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, ¹² saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and ^(D)the scorching heat.’ ¹³ But he replied to one of them, ^(E)‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take ^(F)what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. ^15 (G)Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or ^(H)do you begrudge my generosity?’^{[b] 16} So ^(I)the last will be first, and the first last.”