Psalm 54; James 3:16–4:6; Mark 9:30–37

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Psalm 54

The Lord Upholds My Life

To the choirmaster: with tstringed instruments. A Maskil1 of David, uwhen the Ziphites went and told Saul, Is not David hiding among us?

O God, save me by your vname,

and vindicate me by your might.

O God, whear my prayer;

give ear to the words of my mouth.

xFor ystrangers2 have risen against me;

ruthless men zseek my life;

they do not set God before themselves. Selah

Behold, aGod is my helper;

the Lord is the upholder of my life.

He will return the evil to my enemies;

in your bfaithfulness cput an end to them.

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;

I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, dfor it is good.

For he has delivered me from every trouble,

and my eye has elooked in triumph on my enemies.


James 3:16–4:6

16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But rthe wisdom from above is first pure, then speaceable, gentle, open to reason, tfull of mercy and good fruits, uimpartial and vsincere. 18 And wa harvest of righteousness xis sown in peace by those who make peace.

Warning Against Worldliness

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions1 are yat war within you?2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask zwrongly, to spend it on your passions. aYou adulterous people!3 Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? bTherefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, He yearns jealously over the spirit cthat he has made to dwell in us? But dhe gives more grace. Therefore it says, eGod opposes the proud but dgives grace to the humble.


Mark 9:30–37

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

30 wThey went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, xafter three days he will rise. 32 yBut they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Who Is the Greatest?

33 And zthey came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house ahe asked them, What were you discussing on the way? 34 But they kept silent, for on the way bthey had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, cIf anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all. 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and dtaking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 eWhoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and ewhoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.