Psalms 120; Psalms 121; Psalms 122; 1 Corinthians 9

1 I call out to the LORD when I'm in trouble, and he answers me.

2 Lord, save me from people whose lips tell lies. Save me from people whose tongues don't tell the truth.

3 What will the LORD do to you, you lying tongue? And what more will he do?

4 He will punish you with the sharp arrows of a soldier. He will punish you with burning wood from a desert tree.

5 How terrible it is for me to live in the tents of the people of Meshech! How terrible to live in the tents of the people of Kedar!

6 I have lived too long among those who hate peace.

7 I want peace. But when I speak, they want war.

1 I look up to the hills. Where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord. He is the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He won't let your foot slip. He who watches over you won't get tired.

4 In fact, he who watches over Israel won't get tired or go to sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you. The LORD is like a shade tree at your right hand.

6 The sun won't harm you during the day. The moon won't harm you during the night.

7 The LORD will keep you from every kind of harm. He will watch over your life.

8 The LORD will watch over your life no matter where you go, both now and forever.

1 I was very glad when they said to me, "Let us go up to the house of the Lord."

2 Jerusalem, our feet are standing inside your gates.

3 Jerusalem is built like a city where everything is close together.

4 The tribes of the LORD go there to praise his name. They do it in keeping with the law he gave to Israel.

5 The thrones of the family line of David are there. That's where the people are judged.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Say, "May those who love you be secure.

7 May there be peace inside your walls. May your people be kept safe."

8 I'm concerned for my family and friends. So I say to Jerusalem, "May you enjoy peace."

9 I'm concerned about the house of the LORD our God. So I pray that things will go well with Jerusalem.

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren't you the result of my work for the Lord?

2 Even though others may not think of me as an apostle, I am certainly one to you! You are the proof that I am the Lord's apostle.

3 That is what I say to stand up for myself when people judge me.

4 Don't we have the right to eat and drink?

5 Don't we have the right to take a believing wife with us when we travel? The other apostles do. The Lord's brothers do. Peter does.

6 Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have to work for a living?

7 Who serves as a soldier but doesn't get paid? Who plants a vineyard but doesn't eat any of its grapes? Who takes care of a flock but doesn't drink any of the milk?

8 Do I say that from only a human point of view? The Law says the same thing.

9 Here is what is written in the Law of Moses. "Do not stop an ox from eating while it helps separate the grain from the straw."(Deuteronomy 25:4) Is it oxen that God is concerned about?

10 Doesn't he say that for us? Yes, it was written for us. When a farmer plows and separates the grain, he does it because he hopes to share in the crop.

11 We have planted spiritual seed among you. Is it too much to ask that we receive from you some of the things we need?

12 Others have the right to receive help from you. Don't we have even more right to do so? But we didn't use that right. No, we have put up with everything. We didn't want to keep the good news of Christ from spreading.

13 Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple? Don't you know that those who serve at the altar eat from what is offered on the altar?

14 In the same way, those who preach the good news should receive their living from their work. That is what the Lord has commanded.

15 But I haven't used any of those rights. And I'm not writing because I hope you will do things like that for me. I would rather die than have anyone take away my pride in my work.

16 But when I preach the good news, I can't brag. I have to preach it. How terrible it will be for me if I do not preach the good news!

17 If I preach because I want to, I get a reward. If I preach because I have to, I'm only doing my duty.

18 Then what reward do I get? Here is what it is. I am able to preach the good news free of charge. And I can do it without making use of my rights when I preach it.

19 I am free. I don't belong to anyone. But I make myself a slave to everyone. I do it to win as many as I can to Christ.

20 To the Jews I became like a Jew. That was to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one who was under the law, even though I myself am not under the law. That was to win those under the law.

21 To those who don't have the law I became like one who doesn't have the law. I am not free from God's law. I am under Christ's law. Now I can win those who don't have the law.

22 To those who are weak I became weak. That was to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that in all possible ways I might save some.

23 I do all of that because of the good news. And I want to share in its blessings.

24 In a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don't you? So run in a way that will get you the prize.

25 All who take part in the games train hard. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

26 So I do not run like someone who doesn't run toward the finish line. I do not fight like a boxer who hits nothing but air.

27 No, I train my body and bring it under control. Then after I have preached to others, I myself will not break the rules and fail to win the prize.