God’s Promise to David^(A)

7 After the king was settled in his palace^(B) and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies^(C) around him,^{(D) 2} he said to Nathan^(E) the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house^(F) of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”^(G)

³ Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind,^(H) go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

¹⁷ Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

David’s Prayer^(AU)

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

Two Adulterous Sisters

23 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.^{(A) 3} They became prostitutes in Egypt,^(B) engaging in prostitution^(C) from their youth.^(D) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.^{(E) 4} The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.^(F)

⁵ “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians^(G)—warriors^{(H) 6} clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. ⁷ She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.^{(I) 8} She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt,^(J) when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.^(K)

⁹ “Therefore I delivered her into the hands^(L) of her lovers,^(M) the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.^{(N) 10} They stripped^(O) her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women,^(P) and punishment was inflicted^(Q) on her.^(R)

¹¹ “Her sister Oholibah saw this,^(S) yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.^{(T) 12} She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.^{(U) 13} I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.^(V)

¹⁴ “But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,^(W) figures of Chaldeans^[a] portrayed in red,^{(X) 15} with belts^(Y) around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.^{[b] 16} As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers^(Z) to them in Chaldea.^{(AA) 17} Then the Babylonians^(AB) came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.^{(AC) 18} When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body,^(AD) I turned away^(AE) from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.^{(AF) 19} Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. ²⁰ There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. ²¹ So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.^[c](AG)

²² “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers^(AH) against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side^(AI)— ²³ the Babylonians^(AJ) and all the Chaldeans,^(AK) the men of Pekod^(AL) and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses.^{(AM) 24} They will come against you with weapons,^[d] chariots and wagons^(AN) and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment,^(AO) and they will punish you according to their standards. ²⁵ I will direct my jealous anger^(AP) against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters,^(AQ) and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.^{(AR) 26} They will also strip^(AS) you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.^{(AT) 27} So I will put a stop^(AU) to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.

²⁸ “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands^(AV) of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. ²⁹ They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked,^(AW) and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed.^(AX) Your lewdness^(AY) and promiscuity^{(AZ) 30} have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.^{(BA) 31} You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup^(BB) into your hand.^(BC)

³² “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(BH)

³⁵ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten^(BI) me and turned your back on me,^(BJ) you must bear^(BK) the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”

³⁶ The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront^(BL) them with their detestable practices,^{(BM) 37} for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.^{(BN) 38} They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary^(BO) and desecrated my Sabbaths.^{(BP) 39} On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated^(BQ) it. That is what they did in my house.^(BR)

⁴⁰ “They even sent messengers for men who came from far away,^(BS) and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup^(BT) and put on your jewelry.^{(BU) 41} You sat on an elegant couch,^(BV) with a table^(BW) spread before it on which you had placed the incense^(BX) and olive oil that belonged to me.^(BY)

⁴² “The noise of a carefree^(BZ) crowd was around her; drunkards^(CA) were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets^(CB) on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.^{(CC) 43} Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute,^(CD) for that is all she is.’ ⁴⁴ And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. ⁴⁵ But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood,^(CE) because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.^(CF)

⁴⁶ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob^(CG) against them and give them over to terror and plunder.^{(CH) 47} The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters^(CI) and burn^(CJ) down their houses.^(CK)

⁴⁸ “So I will put an end^(CL) to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.^{(CM) 49} You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry.^(CN) Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.^(CO)”

1 Paul, an apostle^(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^(B)

To God’s holy people^(C) in Ephesus,^[a](D) the faithful^(E) in Christ Jesus:

² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^(F)

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(G) who has blessed us in the heavenly realms^(H) with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us^(I) in him before the creation of the world^(J) to be holy and blameless^(K) in his sight. In love^{(L) 5} he^[b] predestined^(M) us for adoption to sonship^[c](N) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure^(O) and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace,^(P) which he has freely given us in the One he loves.^{(Q) 7} In him we have redemption^(R) through his blood,^(S) the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches^(T) of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he^[d] made known to us the mystery^(U) of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed^(V) in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment^(W)—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.^(X)

¹¹ In him we were also chosen,^[e] having been predestined^(Y) according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose^(Z) of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.^{(AA) 13} And you also were included in Christ^(AB) when you heard the message of truth,^(AC) the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal,^(AD) the promised Holy Spirit,^{(AE) 14} who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance^(AF) until the redemption^(AG) of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.^(AH)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

¹⁵ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus^(AI) and your love for all God’s people,^{(AJ) 16} I have not stopped giving thanks for you,^(AK) remembering you in my prayers.^{(AL) 17} I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,^(AM) may give you the Spirit^[f] of wisdom^(AN) and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened^(AO) in order that you may know the hope to which he has called^(AP) you, the riches^(AQ) of his glorious inheritance^(AR) in his holy people,^{(AS) 19} and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power^(AT) is the same as the mighty strength^{(AU) 20} he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead^(AV) and seated him at his right hand^(AW) in the heavenly realms,^{(AX) 21} far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,^(AY) and every name^(AZ) that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.^{(BA) 22} And God placed all things under his feet^(BB) and appointed him to be head^(BC) over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body,^(BD) the fullness of him^(BE) who fills everything in every way.^(BF)

Psalm 83^[a]

A song. A psalm of Asaph.