The Law of the Lord Is Perfect
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 iThe heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above1 proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 jTheir kvoice2 goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for lthe sun,
5 mwhich comes out like na bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 oThe law of the Lord is perfect,3
previving the soul;
qthe testimony of the Lord is rsure,
8 uthe precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is vpure,
wenlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules4 of the Lord are xtrue,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than ygold,
even much zfine gold;
asweeter also than honey
and drippings of bthe honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
cin keeping them there is great reward.
12 dWho can discern his errors?
eDeclare me innocent from fhidden faults.
13 gKeep back your servant also from hpresumptuous sins;
let them not have idominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
God Is Our Fortress
To the choirmaster. Of athe Sons of Korah. According to bAlamoth.1 A Song.
1 God is our crefuge and strength,
a very dpresent2 help in etrouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear fthough the earth give way,
though the mountains be moved into gthe heart of the sea,
3 though hits waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is ia river whose streams make glad jthe city of God,
the holy khabitation of the Most High.
5 lGod is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 mThe nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he nutters his voice, the earth omelts.
7 pThe Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 qCome, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 rHe makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he sbreaks the bow and shatters the spear;
the burns the chariots with fire.
10 u“Be still, and know that I am God.
vI will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 pThe Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Fear God
1 nGuard your steps when you go to othe house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to poffer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 1 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore qlet your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with rmany words.
4 When syou vow a vow to God, tdo not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. uPay what you vow. 5 vIt is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you2 into sin, and do not say before wthe messenger3 that it was xa mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity;4 but5 yGod is the one you must fear.
The Parable of the Tenants
33 q“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted ra vineyard sand put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and tleased it to tenants, and uwent into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants1 to the tenants tto get his fruit. 35 vAnd the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and wstoned another. 36 xAgain he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, y‘This is the heir. Come, zlet us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and athrew him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 bWhen therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, c“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and dlet out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Jesus said to them, e“Have you never read in the Scriptures:
f“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;2
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God gwill be taken away from you and given to a people hproducing its fruits. 44 And ithe one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and jwhen it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”3
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And lalthough they were seeking to arrest him, mthey feared the crowds, because they held him to be na prophet.
