12It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. 3And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— 4was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. 5On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, 7even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep* me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.* 8Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, 9but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power* is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
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20 ‘I have found David my servant; ♦︎
with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21 ‘My hand shall hold him fast ♦︎
and my arm shall strengthen him.
22 ‘No enemy shall deceive him, ♦︎
nor any wicked person afflict him.
23 ‘I will strike down his foes before his face ♦︎
and beat down those that hate him.
24 ‘My truth also and my steadfast love shall be with him, ♦︎
and in my name shall his head be exalted.
25 ‘I will set his dominion upon the sea ♦︎
and his right hand upon the rivers.
26 ‘He shall call to me, “You are my Father, ♦︎
my God, and the rock of my salvation;”
27 ‘And I will make him my firstborn, ♦︎
the most high above the kings of the earth.
28 ‘The love I have pledged to him will I keep for ever, ♦︎
and my covenant will stand fast with him.
29 ‘His seed also will I make to endure for ever ♦︎
and his throne as the days of heaven.
30 ‘But if his children forsake my law ♦︎
and cease to walk in my judgements,
31 ‘If they break my statutes ♦︎
and do not keep my commandments,
32 ‘I will punish their offences with a rod ♦︎
and their sin with scourges.
33 ‘But I will not take from him my steadfast love ♦︎
nor suffer my truth to fail.
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24 ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.*
25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,* or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?* 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God* and his* righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
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New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
The Common Worship psalter is © The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000.
Common Worship texts are available at https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources
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v 2.9.2
30 June 2021