¹Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel: ²“The Spirit of the Lᴏʀᴅ spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. ³The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God. ⁴And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain. ⁵“Although my house is not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase? ⁶But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands. ⁷But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.” ⁸These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. ⁹And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. ¹⁰He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The Lᴏʀᴅ brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder. ¹¹And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. Then the people fled from the Philistines. ¹²But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. And the Lᴏʀᴅ brought about a great victory. ¹³Then three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam. And the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem ¹⁵And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” ¹⁶So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lᴏʀᴅ. ¹⁷And he said, “Far be it from me, O Lᴏʀᴅ, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men. ¹⁸Now Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. ¹⁹Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three ²⁰Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. ²¹And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear ²²These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. ²³He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard. ²⁴Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, ²⁵Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, ²⁶Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, ²⁷Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, ²⁸Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, ²⁹Heleb the son of Baanah (the Netophathite), Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, ³⁰Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash, ³¹Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, ³²Eliahba the Shaalbonite (of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan, ³³Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, ³⁴Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, ³⁵Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, ³⁶Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite ³⁷Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), ³⁸Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite ³⁹and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

¹O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? ²This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? ³Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? ⁴Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— ⁶just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ⁷Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. ¹⁰For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ¹¹But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” ¹²Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” ¹³Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ¹⁴that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. ¹⁵Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. ¹⁶Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. ¹⁷And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. ¹⁹What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. ²⁰Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. ²¹Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²²But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. ²⁶For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

¹The word of the Lᴏʀᴅ came to me again, saying, ²“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’ ³For the day is near, Even the day of the Lᴏʀᴅ is near; It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. ⁴The sword shall come upon Egypt, And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia, When the slain fall in Egypt, And they take away her wealth, And her foundations are broken down. ⁵“Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.” ⁶‘Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ: “Those who uphold Egypt shall fall, And the pride of her power shall come down. From Migdol to Syene Those within her shall fall by the sword,” Says the Lᴏʀᴅ God. ⁷“They shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries, And her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste. ⁸Then they will know that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ, When I have set a fire in Egypt And all her helpers are destroyed. ⁹On that day messengers shall go forth from Me in ships To make the careless Ethiopians afraid, And great anguish shall come upon them, As on the day of Egypt; For indeed it is coming!” ¹⁰‘Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “I will also make a multitude of Egypt to cease By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. ¹¹He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations, Shall be brought to destroy the land; They shall draw their swords against Egypt, And fill the land with the slain. ¹²I will make the rivers dry, And sell the land into the hand of the wicked; I will make the land waste, and all that is in it, By the hand of aliens. I, the Lᴏʀᴅ, have spoken.” ¹³‘Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “I will also destroy the idols, And cause the images to cease from Noph; There shall no longer be princes from the land of Egypt; I will put fear in the land of Egypt. ¹⁴I will make Pathros desolate, Set fire to Zoan, And execute judgments in No. ¹⁵I will pour My fury on Sin, the strength of Egypt; I will cut off the multitude of No, ¹⁶And set a fire in Egypt; Sin shall have great pain, No shall be split open, And Noph shall be in distress daily. ¹⁷The young men of Aven and Pi Beseth shall fall by the sword, And these cities shall go into captivity. ¹⁸At Tehaphnehes the day shall also be darkened, When I break the yokes of Egypt there. And her arrogant strength shall cease in her; As for her, a cloud shall cover her, And her daughters shall go into captivity. ¹⁹Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt, Then they shall know that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ.” ‘ ” ²⁰And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, that the word of the Lᴏʀᴅ came to me, saying, ²¹“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and see, it has not been bandaged for healing, nor a splint put on to bind it, to make it strong enough to hold a sword. ²²Therefore thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: ‘Surely I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, both the strong one and the one that was broken; and I will make the sword fall out of his hand. ²³I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the countries. ²⁴I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he will groan before him with the groanings of a mortally wounded man. ²⁵Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; they shall know that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. ²⁶I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they shall know that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ.’ ”

¹A Contemplation of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. ²I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, ³Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. ⁴We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lᴏʀᴅ, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. ⁵For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; ⁶That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, ⁷That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; ⁸And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God. ⁹The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. ¹⁰They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, ¹¹And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them. ¹²Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. ¹³He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap. ¹⁴In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, And all the night with a light of fire. ¹⁵He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. ¹⁶He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. ¹⁷But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. ¹⁸And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy. ¹⁹Yes, they spoke against God: They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? ²⁰Behold, He struck the rock, So that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?” ²¹Therefore the Lᴏʀᴅ heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel, ²²Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation. ²³Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven, ²⁴Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven. ²⁵Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full. ²⁶He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind. ²⁷He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; ²⁸And He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings. ²⁹So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire. ³⁰They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths, ³¹The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel. ³²In spite of this they still sinned, And did not believe in His wondrous works. ³³Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear. ³⁴When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God. ³⁵Then they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. ³⁶Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue; ³⁷For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. ³⁸But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath; ³⁹For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again. ⁴⁰How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! ⁴¹Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. ⁴²They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, ⁴³When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan; ⁴⁴Turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink. ⁴⁵He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, And frogs, which destroyed them. ⁴⁶He also gave their crops to the caterpillar, And their labor to the locust. ⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycamore trees with frost. ⁴⁸He also gave up their cattle to the hail, And their flocks to fiery lightning. ⁴⁹He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, Wrath, indignation, and trouble, By sending angels of destruction among them. ⁵⁰He made a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave their life over to the plague, ⁵¹And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt, The first of their strength in the tents of Ham. ⁵²But He made His own people go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock; ⁵³And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies. ⁵⁴And He brought them to His holy border, This mountain which His right hand had acquired. ⁵⁵He also drove out the nations before them, Allotted them an inheritance by survey, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. ⁵⁶Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies, ⁵⁷But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. ⁵⁸For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images. ⁵⁹When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel, ⁶⁰So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men, ⁶¹And delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy’s hand. ⁶²He also gave His people over to the sword, And was furious with His inheritance. ⁶³The fire consumed their young men, And their maidens were not given in marriage. ⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows made no lamentation. ⁶⁵Then the Lᴏʀᴅ awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine. ⁶⁶And He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach. ⁶⁷Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, ⁶⁸But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. ⁶⁹And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever. ⁷⁰He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds; ⁷¹From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. ⁷²So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.