A Song of Degrees. Behold now, bless the Lord, all the servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

"And whenever you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and on the streetcorners, so that they may be seen by men. Assuredly I say to you, that they receive their reward in full.

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive, that your Father in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

When you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away My eyes from you; and though you make many supplications, I will not hearken to you; for your hands are full of blood.

They seek Me day by day, and desire to know My ways, as a people that had done righteousness, and had not forsaken the judgment of their God; they now ask of Me righteous judgment, and desire to draw near to God,

And where are your gods which you have made for yourself? Will they arise and save [you] in the time of your affliction? For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem they sacrificed to Baal.

Yet you said, I am innocent: only let His wrath be turned away from me. Behold, I [will] plead with you, in that you say, I have not sinned.

They approach you as a people that come together, and sit before you, and hear your words, but they will not do them; for [there is] falsehood in their mouth, and their heart [goes] after their pollutions.

Their heads have judged for gifts, and their priests have answered for hire, and her prophets have divined for silver: and yet they have rested on the Lord, saying, Is not the Lord among us? No evil shall come upon us.

For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? And if you did indeed receive [what you have], why do you boast as though you did not receive it?

You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned [as kings] without us; and I wish [that] indeed you did reign, in order that we also might reign with you!

For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than them all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

And I give thanks to the [One] who empowers me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He considered me faithful, putting me into the ministry,

and the grace of our Lord superabounded with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

However, because of this I was shown mercy, so that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, as a pattern for those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.

Because you say, 'I am wealthy, and have become rich, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked,

who devour widows' houses, and for a show make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."

who say, Depart from me, draw not near to me, for I am pure. This is the smoke of My wrath, a fire burns with it continually.

But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

and do not think to say among yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham out of these stones.

He said to Him, "Which [ones]?" Jesus said, " 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,'

The young man said to Him, "All these have I kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"

For 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 the things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."

with respect to zeal, persecuting the church; with respect to righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "You shall not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but [yet] you murder, [then] you have become a transgressor of the law.