David’s Prayer of Gratitude

18 ⁱThen King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ^j“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are ^kgreat, O Lord God. For ^lthere is none like you, and there is ^mno God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And ⁿwho is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them¹ great and awesome things by driving out before your people,² whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you ^oestablished for yourself your people Israel ^pto be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. 25 And now, O Lord God, ^qconfirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed ^rforever.”

Do All to the Glory of God

23 ^v“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 ^wLet no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 ^xEat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For ^y“the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the ^zunbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, ^aeat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 ^bBut if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that ^cfor which I give thanks?

31 So, whether you ^deat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 ^eGive no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to ^fplease ^geveryone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

1 ^hBe imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Head Coverings

2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the ⁱtraditions even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that the ^jhead of every man is Christ, ^kthe head of a wife¹ is her husband,² and ^lthe head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or ^mprophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife³ who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the ⁿimage and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For ^oman was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but ^pwoman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.⁴ 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And ^qall things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, ^rnor do the churches of God.