Psalm 131; Proverbs 25:2–10; Hebrews 13:1–17; Luke 14:1–14

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Psalm 131

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of mAscents. Of David.

O Lord, my heart is not slifted up;

my eyes are not traised too high;

I do not uoccupy myself with things

too great and vtoo marvelous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned wchild with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

xO Israel, hope in the Lord

from this time forth and forevermore.


Proverbs 25:2–10

It is the glory of God to nconceal things,

but the glory of kings is to osearch things out.

As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,

so the heart of kings is punsearchable.

Take away qthe dross from the silver,

and rthe smith has material for a vessel;

take away sthe wicked from the presence of the king,

and his tthrone will be established in righteousness.

Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence

or stand in the place of the great,

for uit is better to be told, Come up here,

than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

What your eyes have seen

wdo not hastily bring into court,1

for2 what will you do in the end,

when your neighbor puts you to shame?

xArgue your case with your neighbor himself,

and do not reveal another’s secret,

10  lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,

and your ill repute have no end.


Hebrews 13:1–17

Sacrifices Pleasing to God

Let ubrotherly love continue. vDo not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby wsome have entertained angels unawares. xRemember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. yLet marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge zthe sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life afree from love of money, and bbe content with what you have, for he has said, cI will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say,

dThe Lord is my helper;

eI will not fear;

what can man do to me?

Remember fyour leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and gimitate their faith. Jesus Christ is hthe same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be iled away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, jnot by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. 10 We have an altar kfrom which those who serve the tent1 have no right to eat. 11 For lthe bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned moutside the camp. 12 So Jesus also nsuffered ooutside the gate in order to sanctify the people pthrough his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear qthe reproach he endured. 14 For rhere we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 sThrough him then let us continually offer up ta sacrifice of praise to God, that is, uthe fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and vto share what you have, for such wsacrifices are pleasing to God.

17 Obey xyour leaders and submit to them, yfor they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to zgive an account. aLet them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.


Luke 14:1–14

Healing of a Man on the Sabbath

One Sabbath, pwhen he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were qwatching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to rthe lawyers and Pharisees, saying, sIs it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not? But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, tWhich of you, having a son1 or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out? uAnd they could not reply to these things.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed vhow they chose the places of honor, saying to them, When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, Give your place to this person, and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, wso that when your host comes he may say to you, Friend, move up higher. Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For xeveryone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

The Parable of the Great Banquet

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, When you give ya dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers2 or your relatives or rich neighbors, zlest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, ainvite bthe poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid cat dthe resurrection of the just.