Old/New Testament
126 A Song of the Ascents. In Jehovah's turning back [to] the captivity of Zion, We have been as dreamers.
2 Then filled [with] laughter is our mouth, And our tongue [with] singing, Then do they say among nations, `Jehovah did great things with these.'
3 Jehovah did great things with us, We have been joyful.
4 Turn again, O Jehovah, [to] our captivity, As streams in the south.
5 Those sowing in tears, with singing do reap,
6 Whoso goeth on and weepeth, Bearing the basket of seed, Surely cometh in with singing, bearing his sheaves!
127 A Song of the Ascents, by Solomon. If Jehovah doth not build the house, In vain have its builders laboured at it, If Jehovah doth not watch a city, In vain hath a watchman waked.
2 Vain for you who are rising early, Who delay sitting, eating the bread of griefs, So He giveth to His beloved one sleep.
3 Lo, an inheritance of Jehovah [are] sons, A reward [is] the fruit of the womb.
4 As arrows in the hand of a mighty one, So [are] the sons of the young men.
5 O the happiness of the man Who hath filled his quiver with them, They are not ashamed, For they speak with enemies in the gate!
128 A Song of the Ascents. O the happiness of every one fearing Jehovah, Who is walking in His ways.
2 The labour of thy hands thou surely eatest, Happy [art] thou, and good [is] to thee.
3 Thy wife [is] as a fruitful vine in the sides of thy house, Thy sons as olive plants around thy table.
4 Lo, surely thus is the man blessed who is fearing Jehovah.
5 Jehovah doth bless thee out of Zion, Look, then, on the good of Jerusalem, All the days of thy life,
6 And see the sons of thy sons! Peace on Israel!
19 what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? --
20 [no,] but that the things that the nations sacrifice -- they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons.
21 Ye are not able the cup of the Lord to drink, and the cup of demons; ye are not able of the table of the Lord to partake, and of the table of demons;
22 do we arouse the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?
23 All things to me are lawful, but all things are not profitable; all things to me are lawful, but all things do not build up;
24 let no one seek his own -- but each another's.
25 Whatever in the meat-market is sold eat ye, not inquiring, because of the conscience,
26 for the Lord's [is] the earth, and its fulness;
27 and if any one of the unbelieving do call you, and ye wish to go, all that is set before you eat, nothing inquiring, because of the conscience;
28 and if any one may say to you, `This is a thing sacrificed to an idol,' -- do not eat, because of that one who shewed [it], and of the conscience, for the Lord's [is] the earth and its fulness:
29 and conscience, I say, not of thyself, but of the other, for why [is it] that my liberty is judged by another's conscience?
30 and if I thankfully do partake, why am I evil spoken of, for that for which I give thanks?
31 Whether, then, ye eat, or drink, or do anything, do all to the glory of God;
32 become offenceless, both to Jews and Greeks, and to the assembly of God;
33 as I also in all things do please all, not seeking my own profit, but that of many -- that they may be saved.