2 It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.
3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
so the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the vdross from the silver,
and the smith has material for a vessel;
5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king,
and whis throne will be established in righteousness.
6 xDo not put yourself forward in the king’s presence
or stand in the place of the great,
7 for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.
yWhat your eyes have seen
8 do not hastily bring into court,1
for2 what will you do in the end,
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 zArgue your case with your neighbor himself,
and do not reveal another’s secret,
10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
and your ill repute have no end.
I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and qtoo marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 rO Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
Sacrifices Pleasing to God
1 Let sbrotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show thospitality to strangers, for thereby some have uentertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are vin prison, was though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the xsexually immoral and yadulterous. 5 Keep your life free from zlove of money, and be acontent with what you have, for he has said, b“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,
c“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and dimitate their faith. 8 eJesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. 10 fWe have an altar from which those who serve the tent1 have no right to eat. 11 For gthe bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered houtside the gate in order to isanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the jreproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the kcity that is lto come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a msacrifice of praise to God, that is, the nfruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to oshare what you have, for such psacrifices are pleasing to God.
17 qObey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Healing of a Man on the Sabbath
1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the vPharisees, they were wwatching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, x“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, yhaving a son1 or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately zpull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast
7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a aplace of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, b‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For ceveryone who exalts himself will be humbled, and dhe who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Parable of the Great Banquet
12 eHe said also to the man who had invited him, f“When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers2 or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be grepaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the hjust.”
