Old/New Testament
Praising God for His Graciousness
135 Hallelujah!
Praise the name of the Lord!
Give praise, you servants of the Lord,
2 you who are standing in the Lord’s Temple,
in the courtyards of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord,
because the Lord is good;
Sing to his name,
for he is gracious.
4 It is Jacob whom the Lord chose for himself—
Israel as his personal possession.
5 Indeed, I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord[a] surpasses all gods.
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all its[b] deep regions.
7 He makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth,
fashioning lightning for the rain,
bringing the wind from his storehouses.
8 It was the Lord[c] who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
including both men and animals.
9 He sent signs and wonders among you, Egypt,
before[d] Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations,
killing many kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, king of Bashan,
and every kingdom of Canaan—
12 and he gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to his people Israel.
13 Your name, Lord, exists forever,
and your reputation, Lord, throughout the ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people,
and he will show compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
worked by[e] the hands of human beings.
16 Mouths are attributed to them,
but they cannot speak;
sight is attributed to them,
but they cannot see;
17 ears are attributed to them,
but they do not hear,
and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who craft them—
and all[f] who trust in them—
will become like them.
19 House of Israel, bless the Lord!
House of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 House of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
he who lives in Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!
God’s Gracious Love
136 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
4 To the one who alone does great and wondrous things,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
5 to the one who by wisdom made the heavens,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
6 to the one who spread out the earth over the waters,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
7 to the one who made the great lights,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
8 the sun to illumine[g] the day,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
9 and the moon and stars to illumine[h] the night,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
10 to the one who struck the firstborn of Egypt,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
12 with a strong hand and an active[i] arm,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
13 To the one who split the Reed[j] Sea in two
for his gracious love is everlasting—
14 and made Israel pass through the middle of it,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
15 and cast Pharaoh and his armies into the Reed[k] Sea,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
16 To the one who led his people into the wilderness,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
17 to the one who struck down great kings,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
18 and killed famous kings,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
19 including Sihon king of the Amorites,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
20 and Og king of Bashan,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
22 to Israel his servant as a possession,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
23 He it is who remembered us in our lowly circumstances,
for his gracious love is everlasting—
24 and rescued us from our enemies,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
25 He gives food to all creatures,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the God of Heaven,
for his gracious love is everlasting.
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I don’t want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were unbelievers,[a] you were enticed and led astray to worship[b] idols that couldn’t even speak. 3 For this reason I want you to be aware that no one who is speaking by God’s Spirit can say, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, 5 and there are varieties of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of results, but it is the same God who produces all the results in everyone.
7 To each person has been given the ability to manifest the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one has been given a message of wisdom by the Spirit; to another the ability to speak with knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit; 10 to another miraculous results; to another prophecy; to another the ability to distinguish between spirits; to another various kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages. 11 But one and the same Spirit produces all these results and gives what he wants to each person.
The Unity and Diversity of Spiritual Gifts
12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, form a single body, so it is with the Messiah.[c] 13 For by[d] one Spirit all of us—Jews and Greeks, slaves and free—were baptized into one body and were all privileged to drink from one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of only one part, but of many. 15 If the foot says, “Since I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” that does not make it any less a part of the body, does it? 16 And if the ear says, “Since I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body,” that does not make it any less a part of the body, does it? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body[e] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, every one of them, in the body according to his plan.[f] 19 Now if all of it were one part, there wouldn’t be a body, would there? 20 So there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or the head to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are in fact indispensable, 23 and the parts of the body that we think are less honorable are treated with special honor, and we make our less attractive parts more attractive. 24 However, our attractive parts don’t need this. But God has put the body together and has given special honor to the parts that lack it, 25 so that there might be no disharmony in the body, but that its parts should have the same concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is praised, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the Messiah’s[g] body and individual parts of it. 28 God has appointed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, those who have gifts of healing, those who help others, administrators, and those who speak[h] various kinds of languages. 29 Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform miracles, do they? 30 Not all have the gift of healing, do they? Not all speak in foreign[i] languages, do they? Not all interpret, do they? 31 Keep on desiring[j] the better gifts. And now I will show you the best way of all.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.