Old/New Testament
Psalm 123
Looking for God’s Favor
A song of ascents.
1 I lift my eyes to you,
the one enthroned in heaven.(A)
2 Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand,
like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us favor.(B)
3 Show us favor, Lord, show us favor,
for we’ve had more than enough contempt.(C)
4 We’ve had more than enough
scorn from the arrogant
and contempt from the proud.(D)
Psalm 124
The Lord Is on Our Side
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side(E)
when people attacked us,(F)
3 then they would have swallowed us alive
in their burning anger against us.(G)
4 Then the water would have engulfed us;
the torrent would have swept over us;
5 the raging water would have swept over us.(H)
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth.(I)
7 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s net;
the net is torn, and we have escaped.(J)
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.(K)
Psalm 125
Israel’s Stability
A song of ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.
It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.(L)
2 The mountains surround Jerusalem
and the Lord surrounds his people,
both now and forever.(M)
3 The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous will not apply their hands to injustice.(N)
4 Do what is good, Lord, to the good,
to those whose hearts are upright.(O)
5 But as for those who turn aside to crooked ways,
the Lord will banish them with the evildoers.(P)
Peace be with Israel.(Q)
Warnings from Israel’s Past
10 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors(A) were all under the cloud,(B) all passed through the sea,(C) 2 and all were baptized(D) into Moses(E) in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food,(F) 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock(G) that followed them, and that rock was Christ.(H) 5 Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness.(I)
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire(J) evil things as they did.[a](K) 7 Don’t become idolaters(L) as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.[b][c](M) 8 Let us not commit sexual immorality(N) as some of them did,[d] and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died.(O) 9 Let us not test Christ as some of them did[e] and were destroyed by snakes.(P) 10 And don’t grumble(Q) as some of them did,[f](R) and were killed by the destroyer.[g](S) 11 These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction,(T) on whom the ends of the ages[h](U) have come.(V) 12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.(W) 13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful;(X) he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out(Y) so that you may be able to bear it.
Warning against Idolatry
14 So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup(Z) of blessing(AA) that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread(AB) that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one(AC) body, since all of us share the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel.[i] Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?(AD)
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