1 I love you, Lord, my strength.
2Ā The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
Ā Ā Ā Ā my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
Ā Ā Ā Ā my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3Ā I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
Ā Ā Ā Ā and I have been saved from my enemies.
4Ā The cords of death entangled me;
Ā Ā Ā Ā the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5Ā The cords of the grave coiled around me;
Ā Ā Ā Ā the snares of death confronted me.
6Ā In my distress I called to the Lord;
Ā Ā Ā Ā I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
Ā Ā Ā Ā my cry came before him, into his ears.
7Ā The earth trembled and quaked,
Ā Ā Ā Ā and the foundations of the mountains shook;
Ā Ā Ā Ā they trembled because he was angry.
8Ā Smoke rose from his nostrils;
Ā Ā Ā Ā consuming fire came from his mouth,
Ā Ā Ā Ā burning coals blazed out of it.
9Ā He parted the heavens and came down;
Ā Ā Ā Ā dark clouds were under his feet.
10Ā He mounted the cherubim and flew;
Ā Ā Ā Ā he soared on the wings of the wind.
11Ā He made darkness his covering, his canopy around himĀ ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12Ā Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
Ā Ā Ā Ā with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13Ā The Lord thundered from heaven;
Ā Ā Ā Ā the voice of the Most High resounded.
14Ā He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
Ā Ā Ā Ā with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15Ā The valleys of the sea were exposed
Ā Ā Ā Ā and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
Ā Ā Ā Ā at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16Ā He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
Ā Ā Ā Ā he drew me out of deep waters.
17Ā He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
Ā Ā Ā Ā from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18Ā They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
Ā Ā Ā Ā but the Lord was my support.
19Ā He brought me out into a spacious place;
Ā Ā Ā Ā he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20Ā The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
Ā Ā Ā Ā according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21Ā For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
Ā Ā Ā Ā I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22Ā All his laws are before me;
Ā Ā Ā Ā I have not turned away from his decrees.
23Ā I have been blameless before him
Ā Ā Ā Ā and have kept myself from sin.
24Ā The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
Ā Ā Ā Ā according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25Ā To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
Ā Ā Ā Ā to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26Ā to the pure you show yourself pure,
Ā Ā Ā Ā but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27Ā You save the humble
Ā Ā Ā Ā but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28Ā You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
Ā Ā Ā Ā my God turns my darkness into light.
29Ā With your help I can advance against a troop;
Ā Ā Ā Ā with my God I can scale a wall.
30Ā As for God, his way is perfect:
Ā Ā Ā Ā the Lordās word is flawless;
Ā Ā Ā Ā he shields all who take refuge in him.
31Ā For who is God besides the Lord?
Ā Ā Ā Ā And who is the Rock except our God?
32Ā It is God who arms me with strength
Ā Ā Ā Ā and keeps my way secure.
33Ā He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
Ā Ā Ā Ā he causes me to stand on the heights.
34Ā He trains my hands for battle;
Ā Ā Ā Ā my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35Ā You make your saving help my shield,
Ā Ā Ā Ā and your right hand sustains me;
Ā Ā Ā Ā your help has made me great.
36Ā You provide a broad path for my feet,
Ā Ā Ā Ā so that my ankles do not give way.
37Ā I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
Ā Ā Ā Ā I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38Ā I crushed them so that they could not rise;
Ā Ā Ā Ā they fell beneath my feet.
39Ā You armed me with strength for battle;
Ā Ā Ā Ā you humbled my adversaries before me.
40Ā You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
Ā Ā Ā Ā and I destroyed my foes.
41Ā They cried for help, but there was no one to save themĀ ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā to the Lord, but he did not answer.
42Ā I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
Ā Ā Ā Ā I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43Ā You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
Ā Ā Ā Ā you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
44Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā foreigners cower before me;
Ā Ā Ā Ā as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45Ā They all lose heart;
Ā Ā Ā Ā they come trembling from their strongholds.
46Ā The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Ā Ā Ā Ā Exalted be God my Saviour!
47Ā He is the God who avenges me,
Ā Ā Ā Ā who subdues nations under me,
48Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
Ā Ā Ā Ā from a violent man you rescued me.
49Ā Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
Ā Ā Ā Ā I will sing the praises of your name.
50Ā He gives his king great victories;
Ā Ā Ā Ā he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
Ā Ā Ā Ā to David and to his descendants for ever.
25Ā Large crowds were travelling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26Ā āIf anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sistersĀ ā yes, even their own lifeĀ ā such a person cannot be my disciple. 27Ā And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28Ā āSuppose one of you wants to build a tower. Wonāt you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29Ā For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30Ā saying, āThis person began to build and wasnāt able to finish.ā
31Ā āOr suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Wonāt he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32Ā If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33Ā In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
34Ā āSalt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35Ā It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure heap; it is thrown out.
āWhoever has ears to hear, let them hear.ā