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Psalm 72

Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King

Of Solomon.
¹ Give the king your justice, O God,
   and your righteousness to a king’s son.
² May he judge your people with righteousness,
   and your poor with justice.
³ May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
   and the hills, in righteousness.
⁴ May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
   give deliverance to the needy,
   and crush the oppressor.

⁵ May he live^* while the sun endures,
   and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
⁶ May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
   like showers that water the earth.
⁷ In his days may righteousness flourish
   and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

⁸ May he have dominion from sea to sea,
   and from the River to the ends of the earth.
⁹ May his foes^* bow down before him,
   and his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
   render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
   bring gifts.
¹¹ May all kings fall down before him,
   all nations give him service.

¹² For he delivers the needy when they call,
   the poor and those who have no helper.
¹³ He has pity on the weak and the needy,
   and saves the lives of the needy.
¹⁴ From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
   and precious is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵ Long may he live!
   May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
   and blessings invoked for him all day long.
¹⁶ May there be abundance of grain in the land;
   may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
   may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
   like the grass of the field.
¹⁷ May his name endure for ever,
   his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;^*
   may they pronounce him happy.

¹⁸ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
   who alone does wondrous things.
¹⁹ Blessed be his glorious name for ever;
   may his glory fill the whole earth.Amen and Amen.

²⁰ The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.
⁷³ Your hands have made and fashioned me;
   give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
⁷⁴ Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
   because I have hoped in your word.
⁷⁵ I know, O Lord, that your judgements are right,
   and that in faithfulness you have humbled me.
⁷⁶ Let your steadfast love become my comfort
   according to your promise to your servant.
⁷⁷ Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
   for your law is my delight.
⁷⁸ Let the arrogant be put to shame,
   because they have subverted me with guile;
   as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
⁷⁹ Let those who fear you turn to me,
   so that they may know your decrees.
⁸⁰ May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
   so that I may not be put to shame.

⁸¹ My soul languishes for your salvation;
   I hope in your word.
⁸² My eyes fail with watching for your promise;
   I ask, ‘When will you comfort me?’
⁸³ For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
   yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
⁸⁴ How long must your servant endure?
   When will you judge those who persecute me?
⁸⁵ The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me;
   they flout your law.
⁸⁶ All your commandments are enduring;
   I am persecuted without cause; help me!
⁸⁷ They have almost made an end of me on earth;
   but I have not forsaken your precepts.
⁸⁸ In your steadfast love spare my life,
   so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.

⁸⁹ The Lord exists for ever;
   your word is firmly fixed in heaven.
⁹⁰ Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
   you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
⁹¹ By your appointment they stand today,
   for all things are your servants.
⁹² If your law had not been my delight,
   I would have perished in my misery.
⁹³ I will never forget your precepts,
   for by them you have given me life.
⁹⁴ I am yours; save me,
   for I have sought your precepts.
⁹⁵ The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
   but I consider your decrees.
⁹⁶ I have seen a limit to all perfection,
   but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Joint Campaign with Judah against Aram

22For three years Aram and Israel continued without war. ²But in the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah came down to the king of Israel. ³The king of Israel said to his servants, ‘Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, yet we are doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?’ ⁴He said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?’ Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, ‘I am as you are; my people are your people, my horses are your horses.’

5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, ‘Inquire first for the word of the Lord.’ ⁶Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred of them, and said to them, ‘Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?’ They said, ‘Go up; for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.’ ⁷But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there no other prophet of the Lord here of whom we may inquire?’ ⁸The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is still one other by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies anything favourable about me, but only disaster.’ Jehoshaphat said, ‘Let the king not say such a thing.’ ⁹Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, ‘Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah.’ ¹⁰Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹¹Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron, and he said, ‘Thus says the Lord: With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ ¹²All the prophets were prophesying the same and saying, ‘Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.’

Micaiah Predicts Failure

13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, ‘Look, the words of the prophets with one accord are favourable to the king; let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favourably.’ ¹⁴But Micaiah said, ‘As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, that I will speak.’

15 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, ‘Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?’ He answered him, ‘Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.’ ¹⁶But the king said to him, ‘How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?’ ¹⁷Then Micaiah^* said, ‘I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd; and the Lord said, “These have no master; let each one go home in peace.” ’ ¹⁸The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything favourable about me, but only disaster?’

19 Then Micaiah^* said, ‘Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing beside him to the right and to the left of him. ²⁰And the Lord said, “Who will entice Ahab, so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?” Then one said one thing, and another said another, ²¹until a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, “I will entice him.” ²²“How?” the Lord asked him. He replied, “I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” Then the Lord ^* said, “You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do it.” ²³So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has decreed disaster for you.’

24 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up to Micaiah, slapped him on the cheek, and said, ‘Which way did the spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?’ ²⁵Micaiah replied, ‘You will find out on that day when you go in to hide in an inner chamber.’ ²⁶The king of Israel then ordered, ‘Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, ²⁷and say, “Thus says the king: Put this fellow in prison, and feed him on reduced rations of bread and water until I come in peace.” ’ ²⁸Micaiah said, ‘If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.’ And he said, ‘Hear, you peoples, all of you!’

Proclaiming Christ Crucified

2When I came to you, brothers and sisters,^* I did not come proclaiming the mystery^* of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. ²For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ³And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. ⁴My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom,^* but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

The True Wisdom of God

6 Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. ⁷But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. ⁸None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹But, as it is written,
‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
   nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him’—
¹⁰these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. ¹²Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. ¹³And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.^*

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. ¹⁹And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus Ministers to Crowds of People

23 Jesus^* went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news^* of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. ²⁴So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. ²⁵And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.