Psalm 131

A song of ascents. Of David.

Contributions for Worship^(A)

² Hezekiah^(B) assigned the priests and Levites to divisions^(C)—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister,^(D) to give thanks and to sing praises^(E) at the gates of the Lord’s dwelling.^{(F) 3} The king contributed^(G) from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals as written in the Law of the Lord.^{(H) 4} He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion^(I) due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord. ⁵ As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits^(J) of their grain, new wine,^(K) olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. ⁶ The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe^(L) of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps.^{(M) 7} They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.^{(N) 8} When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and blessed^(O) his people Israel.

⁹ Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; ¹⁰ and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok,^(P) answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”^(Q)

²⁰ This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful^(A) before the Lord his God. ²¹ In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.^(B)

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

¹¹ I have made a fool of myself,^(A) but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”^[a](B) even though I am nothing.^{(C) 12} I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.^{(D) 13} How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?^(E) Forgive me this wrong!^(F)

¹⁴ Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,^(G) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,^(H) but parents for their children.^{(I) 15} So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.^(J) If I love you more,^(K) will you love me less? ¹⁶ Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.^(L) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷ Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged^(M) Titus^(N) to go to you and I sent our brother^(O) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God^(P) as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends,^(Q) is for your strengthening.^{(R) 20} For I am afraid that when I come^(S) I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.^(T) I fear that there may be discord,^(U) jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,^(V) slander,^(W) gossip,^(X) arrogance^(Y) and disorder.^{(Z) 21} I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved^(AA) over many who have sinned earlier^(AB) and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery^(AC) in which they have indulged.

The Authority of Jesus Questioned^(A)

20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts^(B) and proclaiming the good news,^(C) the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. ² “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”^(D)

³ He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: ⁴ John’s baptism^(E)—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

⁵ They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people^(F) will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”^(G)

⁷ So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”

⁸ Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”