¹For I do not want you to be  ²ignorant, brothers, that  ³all our fathers were under the  ⁴cloud, and all passed through the sea;

And all were  ¹baptized  ²unto Moses  ³in the cloud and in the sea;

And all ate the same  ¹spiritual food,

And all drank the same  ¹spiritual drink; for they drank of a  ²spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ.

But with most of them God was not well pleased, for they were  ¹strewn along in the wilderness.

Now these things occurred as  ¹examples to  ²us, that we should not be ones who lust after evil things, even as they also lusted.

Neither become  ¹idolaters, as some of them did; as it is written, “The people sat down to  ¹eat and drink, and stood up to play.”

Neither let us commit  ¹fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and there  ²fell in one day twenty-three thousand.

Neither let us  ¹test Christ, as some of them tested Him and were destroyed by the serpents.

Neither  ¹murmur, just as some of them murmured and perished by the  ²destroyer.

Now these things  ¹happened to them as an example, and they were written for our admonition, unto whom the  ²ends of the ages  ³have come.

 ¹So then let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he  ²fall.

 ¹No  ²temptation has taken you except  ³that which is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow that you be  ⁴tempted beyond what you are able, but will, with the  ²temptation, also make the way out, that you may be able to endure it.

 ¹Therefore, my beloved, flee from  ²idolatry.

I speak as to prudent men; you judge what I say.

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the  ¹fellowship of the body of Christ?

Seeing that there is  ¹one bread, we who are many are one Body; for we all  ²partake of the one bread.

Look at Israel according to the flesh. Are not those who eat the sacrifices those who  ¹have fellowship with the  ²altar?

What then am I saying? That what is sacrificed to an idol is anything? Or that an idol is anything?

No, but that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to  ¹demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become  ²those who have fellowship with demons.

You cannot  ¹drink the Lord's cup and the demons' cup; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the demons' table.

Or do we  ¹provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

 ¹All things are  ²lawful, but not all things are  ³profitable; all things are  ²lawful, but not all things  ⁴build up.

Let no one seek his own profit, but that of the other.

Everything sold in a  ¹meat market eat, asking no questions for conscience' sake;

For the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.

If any of the unbelievers invites you and you wish to go, eat everything that is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake.

But if anyone says to you, This has been offered in sacrifice, do not eat, for his sake who pointed it out and for conscience' sake.

Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other's. For why is my freedom judged by some other conscience?

If I  ¹partake with thankfulness, why am I spoken evil of concerning that for which I give thanks?

 ¹Therefore  ²whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

 ¹Do not become a stumbling block, both to  ²Jews and to Greeks and to the church of God;

Even as  ¹I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own advantage but that of the many, that they may be saved.

 ¹Be imitators of  ²me, as I also am of Christ.

A Song of Ascents

 ¹In my  ²distress I called out to Jehovah,
And He answered me.

O Jehovah, deliver my soul from lying lips,
From a tongue of deceit.

What should be given to you,
And what further shall be done to you,
O tongue of deceit?

The sharp arrows of a mighty man,
With the burning coals of the broom tree!

Woe is me, for I sojourn in  ¹Meshech,
I dwell among the tents of  ¹Kedar.

Long has my soul had its dwelling
With him who hates peace.

I am for peace; but when I speak,
They are for war.

A Song of Ascents

 ¹I will lift up my eyes to the  ²hills.
From where will my help come?

My help comes from Jehovah,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, Israel's Keeper
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

Jehovah is your Keeper;
Jehovah is your shade at your right hand.

The sun will not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

Jehovah will keep you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.

Jehovah will keep your going out and your coming in
From now and to eternity.

A Song of Ascents. Of David

I rejoiced when they said to me,
Let us go to the  ¹house of Jehovah.

Our feet  ¹are standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem has been built as a city
That has been compacted together;

To which the tribes  ¹go up,
The tribes of  ²Jehovah —
A testimony for Israel —
To give thanks to the name of Jehovah.

For there thrones are set for judgment,
Thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Those who love you will prosper.

Peace be within your bulwarks,
And prosperity within your citadels.

For my brothers' and companions' sake I will now say,
Peace be within you.

For the sake of the house of Jehovah our God
I will seek your good.

A Song of Ascents

To You do I lift up my eyes,
You who sit enthroned in heaven.

Behold, as the eyes of the servants
Look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a servant girl
Look to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to Jehovah our God,
Until He is  ¹gracious to us.

Be gracious to us, O Jehovah, be gracious to us;
For we are greatly filled with contempt.

Our soul is greatly filled
With the scorn of those who are at ease,
With the contempt of the proud.

A Song of Ascents. Of David

 ¹If it had not been Jehovah who was on our side,
Let Israel say,

If it had not been Jehovah who was on our side
When men rose up against us;

Then they would have swallowed us up alive
When their anger burned against us;

Then the waters would have washed us away;
The stream would have passed over our soul;

Then the  ¹proud waters
Would have passed over our soul.

Blessed be Jehovah, who has not given us
As prey to their teeth.

Our soul has escaped like a bird,
Out of the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken,
And we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of Jehovah,
Who made heaven and earth.

A Song of Ascents

Those who trust in Jehovah are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved but abides forever.

Jerusalem — mountains surround her;
And Jehovah  ¹surrounds His people
From now and to eternity.

For the scepter of wickedness will not rest
Upon the allotment of the righteous,
That the righteous would not put forth
Their hands to iniquity.

Do good, O Jehovah, to the  ¹good
And to those upright in their hearts.

But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways,
Jehovah will lead them off with the workers of iniquity.
Peace be upon Israel.

A Song of Ascents

When Jehovah turned again the  ¹captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.

At that time our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with a ringing shout.
At that time they said among the nations,
Jehovah has done  ¹great things for them.

Jehovah has done great things for us;
We are joyful.

Turn  ¹again, O Jehovah, our captivity
Like the streams in the south.

Those who sow in tears
Will reap with a ringing shout.

He who goes forth and weeps,
Bearing  ¹seed for scattering,
Will no doubt come in with a ringing shout,
Bearing his sheaves with him.

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon

 ¹Unless Jehovah builds the  ²house,
Those who build it labor in vain.
Unless Jehovah keeps the  ²city,
The guard watches in vain.

It is  ¹vain for you to rise up early,
To stay up late,
To eat the bread of toil;
All the same, He gives to His beloved while they sleep.

Behold,  ¹children are the heritage of Jehovah,
The fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man,
So are the children of one's youth.

Blessed is the man
Who fills his quiver with them.
 ¹He will not be put to shame
When  ¹he speaks with enemies in the gate.

A Song of Ascents

 ¹Blessed is everyone who fears Jehovah,
Who walks in His ways.

You will indeed eat the labor of your hands;
You will be blessed, and it will go well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
In the innermost parts of your house.
Your children will be like olive shoots
Round about your table.

Thus will the man be blessed
Who fears Jehovah.

Jehovah  ¹bless you  ²from Zion;
And may you see the  ¹prosperity of Jerusalem
All the days of your life.

May you also see the children of your children.
Peace be upon Israel.

A Song of Ascents

Many times have they afflicted me since my youth,
Let Israel say,

Many times have they afflicted me since my youth,
Yet they did not prevail against me.

The plowers plowed on my back;
They made their furrows long.

Jehovah is righteous;
He has cut the cords of the wicked.

May all who  ¹hate Zion
Be put to shame and turned back.

May they be like grass on the housetops,
Which withers before it grows up,

With which the reaper does not fill his hand,
Or he who binds sheaves, his bosom.

Nor may those who pass by say,
The blessing of Jehovah be upon you!
We bless you in the name of Jehovah.

A Song of Ascents

Out of the depths I have called upon You, O Jehovah.

O Lord, hear my voice;
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.

If You, O  ¹Jehovah, marked iniquities,
Who, O Lord, would stand?

But with You there is  ¹forgiveness,
That You would be  ²feared.

I wait for Jehovah; my soul waits,
And in His word I hope.

My soul waits for the Lord
More than watchmen for the morning,
Yes, watchmen for the morning.

Hope in Jehovah, O Israel;
For with Jehovah there is lovingkindness,
And with Him abundantly there is redemption;

And it is He who will redeem Israel
From all its iniquities.

A Song of Ascents. Of David

O Jehovah, my  ¹heart is not proud,
Nor are my eyes haughty;
Nor do I go about in things too great
Or too wondrous for me.

Surely I have calmed
And quieted my soul,
Like a  ¹weaned child with its mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Hope in Jehovah, O Israel,
From now and to eternity.