Psalms 135; Psalms 136; 1 Corinthians 12

1 Hallelujah! Praise the name of the LORD. Praise him, you servants of the LORD

2 who are standing in the house of the LORD, in the courtyards of the house of our God.

3 Praise the LORD because he is good. Make music to praise his name because his name is beautiful.

4 The LORD chose Jacob to be his own and chose Israel to be his own special treasure.

5 I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all the false gods.

6 The LORD does whatever he wants in heaven or on earth, on the seas or in all the depths of the oceans.

7 He is the one who makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth, who makes lightning for the thunderstorms, and who brings wind out of his storerooms.

8 He is the one who killed every firstborn male in Egypt. He killed humans and animals alike.

9 He sent miraculous signs and amazing things into the heart of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his officials.

10 He is the one who defeated many nations and killed mighty kings:

11 King Sihon of the Amorites, King Og of Bashan, and all the kingdoms in Canaan.

12 He gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.

13 O LORD, your name endures forever. O LORD, you will be remembered throughout every generation.

14 The LORD will provide justice for his people and have compassion on his servants.

15 The idols of the nations are made of silver and gold. They were made by human hands.

16 They have mouths, but they cannot speak. They have eyes, but they cannot see.

17 They have ears, but they cannot hear. They cannot breathe.

18 Those who make idols end up like them. So does everyone who trusts them.

19 Descendants of Israel, praise the LORD. Descendants of Aaron, praise the LORD.

20 Descendants of Levi, praise the LORD. You people who fear the LORD, praise the LORD.

21 Thank the LORD in Zion. Thank the one who lives in Jerusalem. Hallelujah!

1 Give thanks to the LORD because he is good, because his mercy endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods because his mercy endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords because his mercy endures forever.

4 Give thanks to the only one who does miraculous things-- because his mercy endures forever.

5 to the one who made the heavens by his understanding-- because his mercy endures forever.

6 to the one who spread out the earth on the water-- because his mercy endures forever.

7 to the one who made the great lights-- because his mercy endures forever.

8 the sun to rule the day-- because his mercy endures forever.

9 the moon and stars to rule the night-- because his mercy endures forever.

10 Give thanks to the one who killed the firstborn males in Egypt-- because his mercy endures forever.

11 He brought Israel out from among them-- because his mercy endures forever.

12 with a mighty hand and a powerful arm-- because his mercy endures forever.

13 Give thanks to the one who divided the Red Sea-- because his mercy endures forever.

14 He led Israel through the middle of it-- because his mercy endures forever.

15 He swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea-- because his mercy endures forever.

16 Give thanks to the one who led his people through the desert-- because his mercy endures forever.

17 Give thanks to the one who defeated powerful kings-- because his mercy endures forever.

18 He killed mighty kings-- because his mercy endures forever.

19 King Sihon of the Amorites-- because his mercy endures forever.

20 and King Og of Bashan-- because his mercy endures forever.

21 He gave their land as an inheritance-- because his mercy endures forever.

22 as an inheritance for his servant Israel-- because his mercy endures forever.

23 He remembered us when we were humiliated-- because his mercy endures forever.

24 He snatched us from the grasp of our enemies-- because his mercy endures forever.

25 He gives food to every living creature-- because his mercy endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven because his mercy endures forever.

1 Brothers and sisters, I don't want there to be any misunderstanding concerning spiritual gifts.

2 You know that when you were unbelievers, every time you were led to worship false gods you were worshiping gods who couldn't even speak.

3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by God's Spirit says, "Jesus is cursed." No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

4 There are different spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.

5 There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served.

6 There are different types of work to do, but the same God produces every gift in every person.

7 The evidence of the Spirit's presence is given to each person for the common good of everyone.

8 The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom. The same Spirit gives another person the ability to speak with knowledge.

9 To another person the same Spirit gives [courageous] faith. To another person the same Spirit gives the ability to heal.

10 Another can work miracles. Another can speak what God has revealed. Another can tell the difference between spirits. Another can speak in different kinds of languages. Another can interpret languages.

11 There is only one Spirit who does all these things by giving what God wants to give to each person.

12 For example, the body is one unit and yet has many parts. As all the parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

13 By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether we are Jewish or Greek, slave or free, God gave all of us one Spirit to drink.

14 As you know, the human body is not made up of only one part, but of many parts.

15 Suppose a foot says, "I'm not a hand, so I'm not part of the body!" Would that mean it's no longer part of the body?

16 Or suppose an ear says, "I'm not an eye, so I'm not a part of the body!" Would that mean it's no longer part of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell?

18 So God put each and every part of the body together as he wanted it.

19 How could it be a body if it only had one part?

20 So there are many parts but one body.

21 An eye can't say to a hand, "I don't need you!" Or again, the head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you!"

22 The opposite is true. The parts of the body that we think are weaker are the ones we really need.

23 The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we give special honor. So our unpresentable parts are made more presentable.

24 However, our presentable parts don't need this kind of treatment. God has put the body together and given special honor to the part that doesn't have it.

25 God's purpose was that the body should not be divided but rather that all of its parts should feel the same concern for each other.

26 If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts share its suffering. If one part is praised, all the others share in its happiness.

27 You are Christ's body and each of you is an individual part of it.

28 In the church God has appointed first apostles, next prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, then those who have the gift of healing, then those who help others, those who are managers, and those who can speak in a number of languages.

29 Not all believers are apostles, are they? Are all of them prophets? Do all of them teach? Do all of them perform miracles

30 or have gifts of healing? Can all of them speak in other languages or interpret languages?

31 You [only] want the better gifts, but I will show you the best thing to do.