A Tree and Its Fruit

15 (A)“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are (B)ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them (C)by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, (D)every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 (E)Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them (F)by their fruits.

I Never Knew You

21 (G)“Not everyone who (H)says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will (I)enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who (J)does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 (K)On that day (L)many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not (M)prophesy in your name, and cast out demons (N)in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 (O)And then will I declare to them, ‘I (P)never knew you; (Q)depart from me, (R)you workers of lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock

24 (S)“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like (T)a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like (U)a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The Authority of Jesus

28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, (V)the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 (W)for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

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True and False Prophets

15 “Watch out for false prophets.(A) They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.(B) 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.(C) Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?(D) 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.(E) 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(F) 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’(G) will enter the kingdom of heaven,(H) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.(I) 22 Many will say to me on that day,(J) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’(K) 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’(L)

The Wise and Foolish Builders(M)

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice(N) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things,(O) the crowds were amazed at his teaching,(P) 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

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The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, (A)the servant of the Lord, (B)who addressed the words of this (C)song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

18 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my (D)rock and my (E)fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my (F)rock, in (G)whom I take refuge,
    my (H)shield, and (I)the horn of my salvation, my (J)stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is (K)worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

(L)The cords of death encompassed me;
    (M)the torrents of destruction assailed me;[a]
(N)the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

(O)In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his (P)temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.

Then the earth (Q)reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
Smoke went up from his nostrils,[b]
    and devouring (R)fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
He (S)bowed the heavens and (T)came down;
    (U)thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on (V)the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his (W)canopy around him,
    thick clouds (X)dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him
    (Y)hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

13 The Lord also (Z)thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his (AA)voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his (AB)arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and (AC)routed them.
15 Then (AD)the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your (AE)rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of (AF)the breath of your nostrils.

16 He (AG)sent from on high, he took me;
    he (AH)drew me out of (AI)many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were (AJ)too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into (AK)a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he (AL)delighted in me.

20 The Lord dealt with me (AM)according to my righteousness;
    according to (AN)the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21 For I have (AO)kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For (AP)all his rules[c] were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23 I was (AQ)blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
24 So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:4 Or terrified me
  2. Psalm 18:8 Or in his wrath
  3. Psalm 18:22 Or just decrees

Psalm 18[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)

The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
    my shield[b](G) and the horn[c] of my salvation,(H) my stronghold.

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.(J)
The cords of death(K) entangled me;
    the torrents(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death(M) confronted me.

In my distress(N) I called to the Lord;(O)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(P)
    my cry came(Q) before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled(R) and quaked,(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.(U)
Smoke rose from his nostrils;(V)
    consuming fire(W) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(X) blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;(Y)
    dark clouds(Z) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(AA) and flew;
    he soared(AB) on the wings of the wind.(AC)
11 He made darkness his covering,(AD) his canopy(AE) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(AF) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones(AG) and bolts of lightning.(AH)
13 The Lord thundered(AI) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning(AK) he routed them.(AL)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(AN) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(AO)

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.(AP)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(AQ)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.(AR)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(AS)
    but the Lord was my support.(AT)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(AU)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.(AV)

20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AW)
    according to the cleanness of my hands(AX) he has rewarded me.(AY)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(AZ)
    I am not guilty of turning(BA) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(BB)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(BC) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(BD)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
  2. Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
  3. Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  4. Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning