Psalm 36

Human Wickedness and God’s Love

For the choir director. Of David, the Lord’s servant.

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁶ Just then someone came up and asked him,^(A) “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” ^(B)

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?”^[a] he said to him. “There is only one who is good.^[b] If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”^(C)

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he asked him.

Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness;^{(D) 19} honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.^[c](E)

²⁰ “I have kept all these,”^[d] the young man told him. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ “If you want to be perfect,”^[e] Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor,^(F) and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

⁴ But the Lord threw^(A) a great wind onto the sea,^(B) and such a great storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart. ⁵ The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god.^(C) They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load.^(D) Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep.^(E)

⁶ The captain approached him and said, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god.^[a](F) Maybe this god will consider us,^(G) and we won’t perish.”

⁷ “Come on!” the sailors said to each other. “Let’s cast lots.^(H) Then we’ll know who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.” So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah.^{(I) 8} Then they said to him, “Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.^(J) What is your business,^(K) and where are you from? What is your country, and what people are you from?”

⁹ He answered them, “I’m a Hebrew.^(L) I worship^[b] the Lord,^(M) the God of the heavens,^(N) who made the sea^(O) and the dry land.”

¹⁰ Then the men were seized by a great fear and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew he was fleeing from the Lord’s presence^(P) because he had told them. ¹¹ So they said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea will calm down for us?” For the sea was getting worse and worse.

¹² He answered them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea so that it will calm down for you, for I know that I’m to blame^(Q) for this great storm that is against you.” ¹³ Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they couldn’t because the sea was raging against them more and more.

¹⁴ So they called out to the Lord,^(R) “Please, Lord, don’t let us perish because of this man’s life, and don’t charge us with innocent blood! For you, Lord, have done just as you pleased.”^{(S) 15} Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.^{(T) 16} The men were seized by great fear of the Lord,^(U) and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.^(V)