God Is Our Fortress
To the choirmaster. Of athe Sons of Korah. According to bAlamoth.1 A Song.
1 God is our crefuge and strength,
a very dpresent2 help in etrouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear fthough the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into gthe heart of the sea,
3 though hits waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is ia river whose streams make glad jthe city of God,
the holy khabitation of the Most High.
5 lGod is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 mThe nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he nutters his voice, the earth omelts.
7 pThe Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 qCome, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 rHe makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he sbreaks the bow and shatters the spear;
the burns the chariots with fire.
10 u“Be still, and know that I am God.
vI will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 pThe Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs
1 fAnd the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and gto test him hthey asked him to show them ia sign from heaven. 2 He answered them,1 j“When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ kYou know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret lthe signs of the times. 4 mAn evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So nhe left them and departed.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and obeware of pthe leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But qJesus, aware of this, said, r“O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 sDo you not yet perceive? Do you not remember tthe five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or uthe seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? oBeware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 vThen they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of wthe teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
13 xNow when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say yJohn the Baptist, others say zElijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, a“You are bthe Christ, cthe Son of dthe living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, e“Blessed are you, fSimon Bar-Jonah! For gflesh and blood has not revealed this to you, hbut my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, iyou are Peter, and jon this rock2 I will build my church, and kthe gates of lhell3 shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you mthe keys of the kingdom of heaven, and nwhatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed4 in heaven.” 20 oThen he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
21 pFrom that time Jesus began to show his disciples that qhe must go to Jerusalem and rsuffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on sthe third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord!5 This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, t“Get behind me, Satan! You are ua hindrance6 to me. For you vare not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him wdeny himself and xtake up his cross and follow me. 25 For xwhoever would save his life7 will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For ywhat will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or zwhat shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 aFor the Son of Man is going to come with bhis angels in the glory of his Father, and cthen he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not dtaste death euntil they see the Son of Man fcoming in his kingdom.”
