Psalms 129; Psalms 130; Psalms 131; 1 Corinthians 11:1-16

1 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me. Let all Israel repeat this:

2 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me, but they have never defeated me.

3 My back is covered with cuts, as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.

4 But the LORD is good; he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.

5 May all who hate Jerusalem be turned back in shameful defeat.

6 May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop, turning yellow when only half grown,

7 ignored by the harvester, despised by the binder.

8 And may those who pass by refuse to give them this blessing: “The LORD bless you; we bless you in the LORD ’s name.”

1 From the depths of despair, O LORD, I call for your help.

2 Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer.

3 LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?

4 But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.

5 I am counting on the LORD ; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.

6 I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.

7 O Israel, hope in the LORD ; for with the LORD there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows.

8 He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.

1 LORD, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.

2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD — now and always.

1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

2 I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you.

3 But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

4 A man dishonors his head if he covers his head while praying or prophesying.

5 But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head.

6 Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.

7 A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory.

8 For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man.

9 And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man.

10 For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.

11 But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women.

12 For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.

13 Judge for yourselves. Is it right for a woman to pray to God in public without covering her head?

14 Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair?

15 And isn’t long hair a woman’s pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering.

16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches.