Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of ^kthe Sons of Korah.

David Anointed King of Israel

1 Then all the tribes of Israel ^ucame to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, ^vwe are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, ^wit was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ^x‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince¹ over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, ^yand King David made a covenant with them at Hebron ^zbefore the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and ^ahe reigned forty years. 5 ^aAt Hebron he reigned over Judah ^bseven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.²

9 And David lived in the stronghold and called it ^ethe city of David. And David built the city all around from the ^fMillo inward. 10 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

1 ^bHe went away from there and came to ^chis hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And ^don the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and ^emany who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 ^fIs not this ^gthe carpenter, the son of Mary and ^hbrother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And ⁱthey took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, ^j“A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And ^khe could do no mighty work there, except that ^lhe laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And ^mhe marveled because of their unbelief.

ⁿAnd he went about among the villages teaching.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

7 ^oAnd he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to ^pwear sandals and not put on two tunics.¹ 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, ^qshake off the dust that is on your feet ^ras a testimony against them.” 12 ^sSo they went out and ^tproclaimed ^uthat people should repent. 13 ^tAnd they cast out many demons and ^vanointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

2 I know a man ^yin Christ who fourteen years ago was ^zcaught up to ^athe third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, ^bGod knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into ^cparadise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, ^bGod knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, ^dexcept of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, ^eI would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So ^fto keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,^{1 g}a thorn was given me in the flesh, ^ha messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 ⁱThree times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, ^j“My grace is sufficient for you, for ^kmy power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that ^lthe power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 ^mFor the sake of Christ, then, ⁿI am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For ^owhen I am weak, then I am strong.