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A Plot against Jeremiah

18 Then they said, ‘Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah—for instruction shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us bring charges against him,^* and let us not heed any of his words.’

¹⁹ Give heed to me, O Lord,
   and listen to what my adversaries say!
²⁰ Is evil a recompense for good?
   Yet they have dug a pit for my life.
Remember how I stood before you
   to speak good for them,
   to turn away your wrath from them.

Psalm 31

Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader. A Psalm of David.
¹ In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
   do not let me ever be put to shame;
   in your righteousness deliver me.
² Incline your ear to me;
   rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
   a strong fortress to save me.

³ You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
   for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,
⁴ take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
   for you are my refuge.
⁵ Into your hand I commit my spirit;
   you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

⁶ You hate^* those who pay regard to worthless idols,
   but I trust in the Lord.
⁷ I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,
   because you have seen my affliction;
   you have taken heed of my adversities,
⁸ and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
   you have set my feet in a broad place.

⁹ Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
   my eye wastes away from grief,
   my soul and body also.
¹⁰ For my life is spent with sorrow,
   and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,^*
   and my bones waste away.

¹¹ I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
   a horror^* to my neighbours,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
   those who see me in the street flee from me.
¹² I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
   I have become like a broken vessel.
¹³ For I hear the whispering of many—
   terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
   as they plot to take my life.

¹⁴ But I trust in you, O Lord;
   I say, ‘You are my God.’
¹⁵ My times are in your hand;
   deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
¹⁶ Let your face shine upon your servant;
   save me in your steadfast love.
¹⁷ Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,
   for I call on you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
   let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.
¹⁸ Let the lying lips be stilled
   that speak insolently against the righteous
   with pride and contempt.

¹⁹ O how abundant is your goodness
   that you have laid up for those who fear you,
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
   in the sight of everyone!
²⁰ In the shelter of your presence you hide them
   from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
   from contentious tongues.

²¹ Blessed be the Lord,
   for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
   when I was beset as a city under siege.
²² I had said in my alarm,
   ‘I am driven far^* from your sight.’
But you heard my supplications
   when I cried out to you for help.

²³ Love the Lord, all you his saints.
   The Lord preserves the faithful,
   but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.
²⁴ Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
   all you who wait for the Lord.

A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

17 While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, ¹⁸‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; ¹⁹then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.’

The Request of the Mother of James and John

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. ²¹And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ ²²But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’^* They said to him, ‘We are able.’ ²³He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’

24 When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. ²⁵But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. ²⁶It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; ²⁸just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’