Psalm 19

New International Version

Psalm 19^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹The heavens^(A) declare^(B) the glory of God;^(C)
    the skies^(D) proclaim the work of his hands.^(E)
²Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.^(F)
³They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
⁴Yet their voice^[b] goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.^(G)
In the heavens God has pitched a tent^(H) for the sun.^(I)
⁵    It is like a bridegroom^(J) coming out of his chamber,^(K)
    like a champion^(L) rejoicing to run his course.
⁶It rises at one end of the heavens^(M)
    and makes its circuit to the other;^(N)
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

⁷The law of the Lord^(O) is perfect,^(P)
    refreshing the soul.^(Q)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,^(R)
    making wise the simple.^(S)
⁸The precepts of the Lord are right,^(T)
    giving joy^(U) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.^(V)
⁹The fear of the Lord^(W) is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.^(X)

¹⁰They are more precious than gold,^(Y)
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,^(Z)
    than honey from the honeycomb.^(AA)
¹¹By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
¹²But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.^(AB)
¹³Keep your servant also from willful sins;^(AC)
    may they not rule over me.^(AD)
Then I will be blameless,^(AE)
    innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing^(AF) in your sight,
Lord, my Rock^(AG) and my Redeemer.^(AH)

Footnotes

Psalm 19:1 In Hebrew texts 19:1-14 is numbered 19:2-15.
Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Jerome and Syriac; Hebrew measuring line

Philippians 3:4-14

New International Version

⁴though I myself have reasons for such confidence.^(A)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵circumcised^(B) on the eighth day, of the people of Israel,^(C) of the tribe of Benjamin,^(D) a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;^(E) ⁶as for zeal,^(F) persecuting the church;^(G) as for righteousness based on the law,^(H) faultless.

⁷But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss^(I) for the sake of Christ. ⁸What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing^(J) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ^(K) ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,^(L) but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness^(M) that comes from God on the basis of faith.^(N) ¹⁰I want to know^(O) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,^(P) becoming like him in his death,^(Q) ¹¹and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection^(R) from the dead.

¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,^(S) but I press on to take hold^(T) of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.^(U) ¹³Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind^(V) and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on^(W) toward the goal to win the prize^(X) for which God has called^(Y) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

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Footnotes

Philippians 3:9 Or through the faithfulness of

Matthew 21:33-46

New International Version

The Parable of the Tenants^(A)

³³“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted^(B) a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower.^(C) Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.^(D) ³⁴When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants^(E) to the tenants to collect his fruit.

³⁵“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.^(F) ³⁶Then he sent other servants^(G) to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. ³⁷Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

³⁸“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir.^(H) Come, let’s kill him^(I) and take his inheritance.’^(J) ³⁹So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

⁴¹“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,”^(K) they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants,^(L) who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

⁴²Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’^[a]?^(M)

⁴³“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you^(N) and given to a people who will produce its fruit. ⁴⁴Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”^[b]^(O)

⁴⁵When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. ⁴⁶They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.^(P)

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