19  And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 

20  By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 

21  And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 

22  let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

23  Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 

24  Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

1    In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry. May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.

2    May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

3    May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

4    May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.

5    May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the Lord answer all your prayers.

6    Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.

7    Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.

8    Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.

9    Give victory to our king, O Lord! Answer our cry for help.

1    One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 

2    He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 

3    Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

4    When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

5    “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 

6     And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 

7    A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

8    When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 

9    For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 

10  His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 

11  And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

25  “My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.

26  It disappears like a swift papyrus boat, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

27  If I decided to forget my complaints, to put away my sad face and be cheerful,

28  I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God.

29  Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what’s the use of trying?

30  Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye,

31  you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and my own filthy clothing would hate me.

32  “God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.

33  If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together.

34  The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.

35  Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.

1    “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations.

2    He will not shout or raise his voice in public.

3    He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.

4    He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”

5    God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says,

6    “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations.

7    You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.

8    “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.

9    Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.”

18  The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

19  As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

20  So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 

21  Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 

22  It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 

23  So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

24  But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 

25  This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

26  Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 

27  Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 

28  God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 

29  As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

30  God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 

31  Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

1    Please, God, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me.

2    May those who try to kill me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace.

3    Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”

4    But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “God is great!”

5    But as for me, I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God. You are my helper and my savior; O Lord, do not delay.

1    Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 

2    It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 

3    Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 

4    So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 

5    and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

6    When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7    Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

8    “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

9    Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

10  Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 

11  For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12  After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 

13  You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14  And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 

15  I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 

16  I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 

17  Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.