Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

Psalm 149

The Three Visitors

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham^(A) near the great trees of Mamre^(B) while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent^(C) in the heat of the day. ² Abraham looked up^(D) and saw three men^(E) standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.^(F)

³ He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(G) my lord,^[a] do not pass your servant^(H) by. ⁴ Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet^(I) and rest under this tree. ⁵ Let me get you something to eat,^(J) so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs^[b] of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”^(K)

⁷ Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf^(L) and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. ⁸ He then brought some curds^(M) and milk^(N) and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.^(O) While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

⁹ “Where is your wife Sarah?”^(P) they asked him.

“There, in the tent,^(Q)” he said.

¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,^(R) and Sarah your wife will have a son.”^(S)

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were already very old,^(T) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.^{(U) 12} So Sarah laughed^(V) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord^(W) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’^{(X) 14} Is anything too hard for the Lord?^(Y) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,^(Z) and Sarah will have a son.”^(AA)

¹⁵ Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

¹⁶ When the men^(AB) got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.

²⁶ If we deliberately keep on sinning^(A) after we have received the knowledge of the truth,^(B) no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷ but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire^(C) that will consume the enemies of God. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.^{(D) 29} How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God^(E) underfoot,^(F) who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant^(G) that sanctified them,^(H) and who has insulted the Spirit^(I) of grace?^{(J) 30} For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[a](K) and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”^{[b](L) 31} It is a dreadful thing^(M) to fall into the hands^(N) of the living God.^(O)

³² Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,^(P) when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.^{(Q) 33} Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution;^(R) at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.^{(S) 34} You suffered along with those in prison^(T) and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.^{(U) 35} So do not throw away your confidence;^(V) it will be richly rewarded.

³⁶ You need to persevere^(W) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.^{(X) 37} For,

³⁸ And,

³⁹ But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

Jesus Walks on the Water^(A)

¹⁶ When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ¹⁷ where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. ¹⁸ A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. ¹⁹ When they had rowed about three or four miles,^[a] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water;^(B) and they were frightened. ²⁰ But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”^{(C) 21} Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

²² The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake^(D) realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone.^{(E) 23} Then some boats from Tiberias^(F) landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.^{(G) 24} Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

Jesus the Bread of Life

²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi,^(H) when did you get here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me,^(I) not because you saw the signs^(J) I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures^(K) to eternal life,^(L) which the Son of Man^(M) will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal^(N) of approval.”