Psalm 98

[1]   O sing to the LORD a new song,   
         for he has done marvelous things.   
    His right hand and his holy arm   
         have gained him victory.   
[2]   The LORD has made known his victory;   
         he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.   
[3]   He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness   
         to the house of Israel.   
    All the ends of the earth have seen   
         the victory of our God.

[4]   Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;   
         break forth into joyous song and sing praises.   
[5]   Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,   
         with the lyre and the sound of melody.   
[6]   With trumpets and the sound of the horn   
         make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.

[7]   Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;   
         the world and those who live in it.   
[8]   Let the floods clap their hands;   
         let the hills sing together for joy   
[9]   at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming   
         to judge the earth.   
    He will judge the world with righteousness,   
         and the peoples with equity.

Psalm 93

[1]   The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty;   
         the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength.   
    He has established the world; it shall never be moved;   
[2]        your throne is established from of old;   
         you are from everlasting.

[3]   The floods have lifted up, O LORD,   
         the floods have lifted up their voice;   
         the floods lift up their roaring.   
[4]   More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,   
         more majestic than the waves of the sea,   
         majestic on high is the LORD!

[5]   Your decrees are very sure;   
         holiness befits your house,   
         O LORD, forevermore.

Psalm 119:1-24

[1]   Happy are those whose way is blameless,  
          who walk in the law of the LORD.  
[2]   Happy are those who keep his decrees,  
          who seek him with their whole heart,  
[3]   who also do no wrong,  
          but walk in his ways.  
[4]   You have commanded your precepts  
          to be kept diligently.  
[5]   O that my ways may be steadfast  
          in keeping your statutes!  
[6]   Then I shall not be put to shame,  
          having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.  
[7]   I will praise you with an upright heart,  
          when I learn your righteous ordinances.  
[8]   I will observe your statutes;  
          do not utterly forsake me.

[9]   How can young people keep their way pure?  
          By guarding it according to your word.  
[10]  With my whole heart I seek you;  
          do not let me stray from your commandments.  
[11]  I treasure your word in my heart,  
          so that I may not sin against you.  
[12]  Blessed are you, O LORD;  
          teach me your statutes.  
[13]  With my lips I declare  
          all the ordinances of your mouth.  
[14]  I delight in the way of your decrees  
          as much as in all riches.  
[15]  I will meditate on your precepts,  
          and fix my eyes on your ways.  
[16]  I will delight in your statutes;  
          I will not forget your word.

[17]  Deal bountifully with your servant,  
          so that I may live and observe your word.  
[18]  Open my eyes, so that I may behold  
          wondrous things out of your law.  
[19]  I live as an alien in the land;  
          do not hide your commandments from me.  
[20]  My soul is consumed with longing  
          for your ordinances at all times.  
[21]  You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,  
          who wander from your commandments;  
[22]  take away from me their scorn and contempt,  
          for I have kept your decrees.  
[23]  Even though princes sit plotting against me,  
          your servant will meditate on your statutes.  
[24]  Your decrees are my delight,  
          they are my counselors.

Matthew 1:18-25

[18]Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. [19]Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. [20]But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21]She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." [22]All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

[23]"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,"

which means, "God is with us." [24]When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,[25]but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Matthew 1:1-17

[1]An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

[2]Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, [3]and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, [4]and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, [5]and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, [6]and Jesse the father of King David.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, [7]and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, [8]and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, [9]and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, [10]and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, [11]and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

[12]And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, [13]and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, [14]and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, [15]and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,[16]and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

[17]So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Luke 1:26-38

[26]In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, [27]to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. [28]And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." [29]But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. [30]The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. [31]And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. [32]He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. [33]He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." [34]Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" [35]The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. [36]And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. [37]For nothing will be impossible with God." [38]Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. 

Luke 1:1-25

[1]Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, [2]just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, [3]I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, [4]so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

[5]In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. [6]Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.
[7]But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

[8]Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, [9]he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. [10]Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.

[11]Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. [12]When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. [13]But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. [14]You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, [15]for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. [16]He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. [17]With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

[18]Zechariah said to the angel, "How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years." [19]The angel replied, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. [20]But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur."

[21]Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. [22]When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. [23]When his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

[24]After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, [25]"This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people."

Psalm 147:1-11

[1]   Praise the Lord!
          How good it is to sing praises to our God;
          for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
[2]   The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
          he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
[3]   He heals the brokenhearted,
          and binds up their wounds.
[4]   He determines the number of the stars;
          he gives to all of them their names.
[5]   Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
          his understanding is beyond measure.
[6]   The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
          he casts the wicked to the ground.

[7]   Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
          make melody to our God on the lyre.
[8]   He covers the heavens with clouds,
          prepares rain for the earth,
          makes grass grow on the hills.
[9]   He gives to the animals their food,
          and to the young ravens when they cry.
[10]  His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
          nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
[11]  but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
          in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Psalm 94

[1]O LORD, you God of vengeance,
you God of vengeance, shine forth!
[2]Rise up, O judge of the earth;
give to the proud what they deserve!
[3]O LORD, how long shall the wicked,
how long shall the wicked exult?
[4]They pour out their arrogant words;
all the evildoers boast.
[5]They crush your people, O LORD,
and afflict your heritage.
[6]They kill the widow and the stranger,
they murder the orphan,
[7]and they say, "The LORD does not see;
the God of Jacob does not perceive."
[8]Understand, O dullest of the people;
fools, when will you be wise?
[9]He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
[10]He who disciplines the nations,
he who teaches knowledge to humankind,
does he not chastise?
[11]The LORD knows our thoughts,
that they are but an empty breath.
[12]Happy are those whom you discipline, O LORD,
and whom you teach out of your law,
[13]giving them respite from days of trouble,
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
[14]For the LORD will not forsake his people;
he will not abandon his heritage;
[15]for justice will return to the righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
[16]Who rises up for me against the wicked?
Who stands up for me against evildoers?
[17]If the LORD had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
[18]When I thought, "My foot is slipping,"
your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.
[19]When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.
[20]Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
those who contrive mischief by statute?
[21]They band together against the life of the righteous,
and condemn the innocent to death.
[22]But the LORD has become my stronghold,
and my God the rock of my refuge.
[23]He will repay them for their iniquity
and wipe them out for their wickedness;
the LORD our God will wipe them out.

Psalm 122

[1]   I was glad when they said to me,  
          "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"  
[2]   Our feet are standing  
          within your gates, O Jerusalem.

[3]   Jerusalem -- built as a city  
          that is bound firmly together.  
[4]   To it the tribes go up,  
          the tribes of the LORD,  
     as was decreed for Israel,  
          to give thanks to the name of the LORD.  
[5]   For there the thrones for judgment were set up,  
          the thrones of the house of David.

[6]   Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:  
          "May they prosper who love you.  
[7]   Peace be within your walls,  
          and security within your towers."  
[8]   For the sake of my relatives and friends  
          I will say, "Peace be within you."  
[9]   For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,  
          I will seek your good.

Haggai 1:1-15

[1]In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: [2]Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord's house. [3]Then the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying: [4]Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? [5]Now therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared. [6]You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and you that earn wages earn wages to put them into a bag with holes. 

[7]Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared. [8]Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD. [9]You have looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the LORD of hosts. Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses. [10]Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. [11]And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the soil produces, on human beings and animals, and on all their labors. 

[12]Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of the prophet Haggai, as the LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared the LORD. [13]Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, saying, I am with you, says the LORD. [14]And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, [15]on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month.

Psalm 18:1-20

[1]I love you, O LORD, my strength.
[2]The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
[3]I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
so I shall be saved from my enemies.
[4]The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of perdition assailed me;
[5]the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
[6]In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
[7]Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
[8]Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
[9]He bowed the heavens, and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
[10]He rode on a cherub, and flew;
he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind.
[11]He made darkness his covering around him,
his canopy thick clouds dark with water.
[12]Out of the brightness before him
there broke through his clouds
hailstones and coals of fire.
[13]The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice.
[14]And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them.
[15]Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
[16]He reached down from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of mighty waters.
[17]He delivered me from my strong enemy,
and from those who hated me;
for they were too mighty for me.
[18]They confronted me in the day of my calamity;
but the LORD was my support.
[19]He brought me out into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
[20]The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

Matthew 23:1-12

[1]Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, [2]"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; [3]therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. [4]They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of
others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. [5]They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. [6]They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, [7]and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. [8]But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. [9]And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father the one in heaven. [10]Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. [11]The greatest among you will be your servant. [12]All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." 

Psalm 33

[1]   Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous.  
          Praise befits the upright.  
[2]   Praise the LORD with the lyre;  
          make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.  
[3]   Sing to him a new song;  
          play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

[4]   For the word of the LORD is upright,  
          and all his work is done in faithfulness.  
[5]   He loves righteousness and justice;  
          the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

[6]   By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,  
          and all their host by the breath of his mouth.  
[7]   He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;  
          he put the deeps in storehouses.

[8]   Let all the earth fear the LORD;  
          let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.  
[9]   For he spoke, and it came to be;  
          he commanded, and it stood firm.

[10]  The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;  
          he frustrates the plans of the peoples.  
[11]  The counsel of the LORD stands forever,  
          the thoughts of his heart to all generations.  
[12]   Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD,  
          the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.

[13]  The LORD looks down from heaven;  
          he sees all humankind.  
[14]  From where he sits enthroned he watches  
          all the inhabitants of the earth --  
[15]  he who fashions the hearts of them all,  
          and observes all their deeds.  
[16]  A king is not saved by his great army;  
          a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.  
[17]  The war horse is a vain hope for victory,  
          and by its great might it cannot save.

[18]  Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,  
          on those who hope in his steadfast love,  
[19]  to deliver their soul from death,  
          and to keep them alive in famine.

[20]  Our soul waits for the LORD;  
          he is our help and shield.  
[21]  Our heart is glad in him,  
          because we trust in his holy name.  
[22]  Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,  
          even as we hope in you.

Psalm 67

[1]   May God be gracious to us and bless us
         and make his face to shine upon us,
                   Selah

[2]   that your way may be known upon earth,
         your saving power among all nations.
[3]   Let the peoples praise you, O God;
         let all the peoples praise you.
[4]   Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
         for you judge the peoples with equity
         and guide the nations upon earth.
                   Selah

[5]   Let the peoples praise you, O God;
         let all the peoples praise you.
[6]   The earth has yielded its increase;
         God, our God, has blessed us.
[7]   May God continue to bless us;
         let all the ends of the earth revere him.

Psalm 102

[1]   Hear my prayer, O LORD;   
         let my cry come to you.   
[2]   Do not hide your face from me   
         in the day of my distress.   
    Incline your ear to me;   
         answer me speedily in the day when I call.

[3]   For my days pass away like smoke,   
         and my bones burn like a furnace.   
[4]   My heart is stricken and withered like grass;   
         I am too wasted to eat my bread.   
[5]   Because of my loud groaning   
         my bones cling to my skin.   
[6]   I am like an owl of the wilderness,   
         like a little owl of the waste places.   
[7]   I lie awake;   
         I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.   
[8]   All day long my enemies taunt me;   
         those who deride me use my name for a curse.   
[9]   For I eat ashes like bread,   
         and mingle tears with my drink,   
[10]  because of your indignation and anger;   
         for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside.   
[11]  My days are like an evening shadow;   
         I wither away like grass.

[12]  But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever;   
         your name endures to all generations.   
[13]  You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,   
         for it is time to favor it;   
         the appointed time has come.   
[14]  For your servants hold its stones dear,   
         and have pity on its dust.   
[15]  The nations will fear the name of the LORD,   
         and all the kings of the earth your glory.   
[16]  For the LORD will build up Zion;   
         he will appear in his glory.   
[17]  He will regard the prayer of the destitute,   
         and will not despise their prayer.   
[18]  Let this be recorded for a generation to come,   
         so that a people yet unborn may praise the LORD:   
[19]  that he looked down from his holy height,   
         from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,   
[20]  to hear the groans of the prisoners,   
         to set free those who were doomed to die;   
[21]  so that the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion,   
         and his praise in Jerusalem,   
[22]  when peoples gather together,   
         and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.

[23]  He has broken my strength in midcourse;   
         he has shortened my days.   
[24]  "O my God," I say, "do not take me away   
         at the mid-point of my life,   
    you whose years endure   
         throughout all generations."

[25]  Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,   
         and the heavens are the work of your hands.   
[26]  They will perish, but you endure;   
         they will all wear out like a garment.   
    You change them like clothing, and they pass away;   
[27]       but you are the same, and your years have no end.   
[28]  The children of your servants shall live secure;   
         their offspring shall be established in your presence.

Psalm 18:1-20

[1]I love you, O LORD, my strength.
[2]The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
[3]I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
so I shall be saved from my enemies.
[4]The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of perdition assailed me;
[5]the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
[6]In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
[7]Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
[8]Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
[9]He bowed the heavens, and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
[10]He rode on a cherub, and flew;
he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind.
[11]He made darkness his covering around him,
his canopy thick clouds dark with water.
[12]Out of the brightness before him
there broke through his clouds
hailstones and coals of fire.
[13]The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice.
[14]And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them.
[15]Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
[16]He reached down from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of mighty waters.
[17]He delivered me from my strong enemy,
and from those who hated me;
for they were too mighty for me.
[18]They confronted me in the day of my calamity;
but the LORD was my support.
[19]He brought me out into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
[20]The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

Matthew 21:23-32

[23]When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" [24]Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. [25]Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
[26]But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet." [27]So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

[28]"What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' [29]He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. [30]The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. [31]Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. [32]For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him."

2 Peter 1:12-21

[12]Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you. [13]I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, [14]since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. [15]And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

[16]For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17]For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." [18]We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

[19]So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. [20]First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, [21]because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Psalm 40

[1]   I waited patiently for the LORD;  
          he inclined to me and heard my cry.  
[2]   He drew me up from the desolate pit,  
          out of the miry bog,  
     and set my feet upon a rock,  
          making my steps secure.  
[3]   He put a new song in my mouth,  
          a song of praise to our God.  
     Many will see and fear,  
          and put their trust in the LORD.

[4]   Happy are those who make  
          the LORD their trust,  
     who do not turn to the proud,  
          to those who go astray after false gods.  
[5]   You have multiplied, O LORD my God,  
          your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;  
          none can compare with you.  
     Were I to proclaim and tell of them,  
          they would be more than can be counted.

[6]   Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,  
          but you have given me an open ear.  
     Burnt offering and sin offering  
          you have not required.  
[7]   Then I said, "Here I am;  
          in the scroll of the book it is written of me.  
[8]   I delight to do your will, O my God;  
          your law is within my heart."

[9]   I have told the glad news of deliverance  
          in the great congregation;  
     see, I have not restrained my lips,  
          as you know, O LORD.  
[10]  I have not hidden your saving help within my heart,  
          I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;  
     I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness  
          from the great congregation.

[11]  Do not, O LORD, withhold  
          your mercy from me;  
     let your steadfast love and your faithfulness  
          keep me safe forever.  
[12]  For evils have encompassed me  
          without number;  
     my iniquities have overtaken me,  
          until I cannot see;  
     they are more than the hairs of my head,  
          and my heart fails me.

[13]  Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;  
          O LORD, make haste to help me.  
[14]  Let all those be put to shame and confusion  
          who seek to snatch away my life;  
     let those be turned back and brought to dishonor  
          who desire my hurt.  
[15]  Let those be appalled because of their shame  
          who say to me, "Aha, Aha!"

[16]  But may all who seek you  
          rejoice and be glad in you;  
     may those who love your salvation  
          say continually, "Great is the LORD!"  
[17]  As for me, I am poor and needy,  
          but the Lord takes thought for me.  
     You are my help and my deliverer;  
          do not delay, O my God.