I Will Bless the Lord
Of David.
1 qVindicate me, O Lord,
for I have rwalked in my integrity,
and I have strusted in the Lord without wavering.
2 tProve me, O Lord, and try me;
3 For your vsteadfast love is before my eyes,
4 I do not xsit with men of yfalsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
5 I zhate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I awash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, O Lord,
7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
and telling all your bwondrous deeds.
8 O Lord, I clove the habitation of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
9 dDo not sweep my soul away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of ebribes.
11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on flevel ground;
in gthe great assembly I will bless the Lord.
Ezekiel’s Call
1 And he said to me, c“Son of man,1 dstand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, ethe Spirit entered into me and fset me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to gnations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. hThey and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are iimpudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And jwhether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are ga rebellious house) kthey will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, lbe not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, mthough briers and thorns are with you and you sit on nscorpions.2 Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, jwhether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.
8 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. oBe not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and peat what I give you.” 9 And when I looked, behold, qa hand was stretched out to me, and behold, ra scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing son the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to vhis own city. 2 wAnd behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus xsaw their faith, he said to the paralytic, y“Take heart, my son; zyour sins are forgiven.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, a“This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, bknowing1 their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, cthey were afraid, and cthey glorified God, who had dgiven such authority to men.
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 eAs Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called fMatthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10 And as Jesus2 reclined at table in the house, behold, many gtax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, h“Why does your teacher eat with gtax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn iwhat this means: j‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For kI came not to call the righteous, lbut sinners.”
