⁽¹²⁵⁾ I am Your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies. ⁽¹²⁶⁾ It is time for You to act, O LORD, For they have regarded Your law as void. ⁽¹²⁷⁾ Therefore I love Your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold! ⁽¹²⁸⁾ Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.

⁽¹²⁹⁾ Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul keeps them. ⁽¹³⁰⁾ The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. ⁽¹³¹⁾ I opened my mouth and panted, For I longed for Your commandments. ⁽¹³²⁾ Look upon me and be merciful to me, As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.

⁽¹³³⁾ Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. ⁽¹³⁴⁾ Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. ⁽¹³⁵⁾ Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes. ⁽¹³⁶⁾ Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law.

⁽¹³⁷⁾ Righteous are You, O LORD, And upright are Your judgments. ⁽¹³⁸⁾ Your testimonies, which You have commanded, Are righteous and very faithful. ⁽¹³⁹⁾ My zeal has consumed me, Because my enemies have forgotten Your words. ⁽¹⁴⁰⁾ Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it.

⁽¹⁴¹⁾ I am small and despised, Yet I do not forget Your precepts. ⁽¹⁴²⁾ Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. ⁽¹⁴³⁾ Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights. ⁽¹⁴⁴⁾ The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live.

⁽²⁵⁾ Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. ⁽²⁶⁾ And when he cut the hair of his head -- at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him -- when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king's standard. ⁽²⁷⁾ To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance. ⁽²⁸⁾ And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king's face.

⁽²⁹⁾ Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. And when he sent again the second time, he would not come. ⁽³⁰⁾ So he said to his servants, "See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." And Absalom's servants set the field on fire. ⁽³¹⁾ Then Joab arose and came to Absalom's house, and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?" ⁽³²⁾ And Absalom answered Joab, "Look, I sent to you, saying, 'Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still." ' Now therefore, let me see the king's face; but if there is iniquity in me, let him execute me."

⁽³³⁾ So Joab went to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom.

⁽¹⁹⁾ When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ⁽²⁰⁾ And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; ⁽²¹⁾ "but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. ⁽²²⁾ "What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.

⁽²³⁾ "Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. ⁽²⁴⁾ "Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. ⁽²⁵⁾ "But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality." ⁽²⁶⁾ Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

⁽²¹⁾ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." ⁽²²⁾ But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. ⁽²³⁾ Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" ⁽²⁴⁾ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!

⁽²⁵⁾ "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." ⁽²⁶⁾ And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" ⁽²⁷⁾ But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." ⁽²⁸⁾ Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."

⁽²⁹⁾ So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, ⁽³⁰⁾ "who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life. ⁽³¹⁾ "But many who are first will be last, and the last first."