Psalm 51^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.^(A)

Psalm 148

Exploring Canaan

13 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Send some men to explore^(A) the land of Canaan,^(B) which I am giving to the Israelites.^(C) From each ancestral tribe^(D) send one of its leaders.”

³ So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.^(E)

²¹ So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin^(A) as far as Rehob,^(B) toward Lebo Hamath.^{(C) 22} They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron,^(D) where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai,^(E) the descendants of Anak,^(F) lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)^{(G) 23} When they reached the Valley of Eshkol,^[a](H) they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates^(I) and figs.^{(J) 24} That place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. ²⁵ At the end of forty days^(K) they returned from exploring the land.^(L)

Report on the Exploration

²⁶ They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh^(M) in the Desert of Paran.^(N) There they reported to them^(O) and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land.^{(P) 27} They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!^(Q) Here is its fruit.^{(R) 28} But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.^(S) We even saw descendants of Anak^(T) there.^{(U) 29} The Amalekites^(V) live in the Negev; the Hittites,^(W) Jebusites^(X) and Amorites^(Y) live in the hill country;^(Z) and the Canaanites^(AA) live near the sea and along the Jordan.^(AB)”

³⁰ Then Caleb^(AC) silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

²⁵ Circumcision has value if you observe the law,^(A) but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.^{(B) 26} So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements,^(C) will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?^{(D) 27} The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you^(E) who, even though you have the^[a] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

²⁸ A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,^(F) nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.^{(G) 29} No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,^(H) by the Spirit,^(I) not by the written code.^(J) Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.^(K)

God’s Faithfulness

3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? ² Much in every way!^(L) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.^(M)

³ What if some were unfaithful?^(N) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?^{(O) 4} Not at all! Let God be true,^(P) and every human being a liar.^(Q) As it is written:

⁵ But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,^(S) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)^{(T) 6} Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?^{(U) 7} Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,^(V) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”^{(W) 8} Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?^(X) Their condemnation is just!

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?^(A) Up to seven times?”^(B)

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^[a](C)

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like^(D) a king who wanted to settle accounts^(E) with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold^[b] was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay,^(F) the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold^(G) to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.^(H) ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”^(I)