1 chronicles 16

The Ark Placed in the Tent children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

16 They brought in the ark of God, and

set it inside the tent that David had
14
He is the Lord our God;
pitched for it; and they offered burnt offer-
ings and offerings of well-being before God.
2
15
his judgments are in all the earth.
Remember his covenant forever,
Why We Praise
When David had finished offering the the word that he commanded, for a
burnt offerings and the offerings of well-be- thousand generations,
ing, he blessed the people in the name of the
3
Lord; and he distributed to every person
16
the covenant that he made with
Abraham, I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not
merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed
consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one
in Israel—man and woman alike—to each a his sworn promise to Isaac,
loaf of bread, a portion of meat, a and a cake
17
which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.
of raisins. to Israel as an everlasting covenant, It is frustrating to have discovered a new author and not to be able to
4 He appointed certain of the Levites as
18
saying, “To you I will give the land of tell anyone how good he is; to come suddenly, at the turn of the road,
ministers before the ark of the Lord, to in- Canaan upon some mountain valley of unexpected grandeur and then to have to
voke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the as your portion for an inheritance.” keep silent because the people with you care for it no more than for a tin
5
God of Israel. Asaph was the chief, and sec- can in the ditch; to hear a good joke and find no one to share it with (the
ond to him Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth,
19
When they were few in number, perfect hearer died a year ago). This is so even when our expressions are
Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed- of little account, and strangers in the inadequate, as of course they usually are. But how if one could really and
edom, and Jeiel, with harps and lyres; Asaph land, a fully praise even such things to perfection—utterly “get out” in poetry or
6
was to sound the cymbals, and the priests
20
wandering from nation to nation, music or paint the upsurge of appreciation which almost bursts you? Then
Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets from one kingdom to another people, indeed the object would be fully appreciated and our delight would have
21
regularly, before the ark of the covenant of he allowed no one to oppress them; attained perfect development. The worthier the object, the more intense
God. he rebuked kings on their account, this delight would be. If it were possible for a created soul fully (I mean, up
22
saying, “Do not touch my anointed ones; to the full measure conceivable in a finite being) to “appreciate,” that is to
David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving do my prophets no harm.” love and delight in, the worthiest object of all, and simultaneously at every
7 Then on that day David first appointed moment to give this delight perfect expression, then that soul would be in
23
the singing of praises to the Lord by Asaph Sing to the Lord, all the earth. supreme beatitude. It is along these lines that I find it easiest to understand
and his kindred. Tell of his salvation from day to day. the Christian doctrine that “Heaven” is a state in which angels now, and
24
Declare his glory among the nations, men hereafter, are perpetually employed in praising God. This does not
8
O give thanks to the Lord, call on his his marvelous works among all the mean, as it can so dismally suggest, that it is like “being in Church.” For
name, peoples. our “services” both in their conduct and in our power to participate, are
25
make known his deeds among the For great is the Lord, and greatly to be merely attempts at worship; never fully successful, off 99.9 per cent failures,
peoples. praised; sometime total failures. We are not riders but pupils in the riding school; for
9
Sing to him, sing praises to him, he is to be revered above all gods. most of us the falls and bruises, the aching muscles and the severity of the
26
tell of all his wonderful works. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, exercise, far outweigh those few moments in which we were, to our own
10
Glory in his holy name; but the Lord made the heavens. astonishment, actually galloping without terror and without disaster. To see
27
let the hearts of those who seek the Honor and majesty are before him; what the doctrine really means, we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect
Lord rejoice. strength and joy are in his place. love with God—drunk with, drowned in, dissolved by, that delight which,
11
Seek the Lord and his strength, far from remaining pent up within ourselves as incommunicable; hence
28
seek his presence continually. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the hardly tolerable, bliss, flows out from us incessantly again in effortless and
peoples, perfect expression, our joy no more separable from the praise in which it
12
Remember the wonderful works he has ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. liberates and utters itself than the brightness a mirror receives is separable
29
done, Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his from the brightness it sheds. [463]
his miracles, and the judgments he name; — from Reflections on the Psalms
uttered, bring an offering, and come before him.
13
O offspring of his servant Israel, b Worship the Lord in holy splendor; For reflection E 1 Chronicles 16:23-24

a Orit b Other ancient authorities lack nor the Son c Other ancient authorities read at what hour
d Gk to give them e Or cut him off f Gk virgins g Other ancient authorities add and the bride
h Other ancient authorities add in which the Son of Man is coming

356 357
Mar k 2.1 Mark 2.22

Jesus Heals a Paralytic these questions among themselves; and he booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the

2 When he returned to Capernaum after

some days, it was reported that he was at
home. 2 So many gathered around that there
was no longer room for them, not even in
front of the door; and he was speaking the
word to them. 3 Then some people g came,
bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried
by four of them. 4 And when they could not
bring him to Jesus because of the crowd,
they removed the roof above him; and af-
ter having dug through it, they let down the
mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Je-
sus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of
the scribes were sitting there, questioning in
their hearts, 7 “Why does this fellow speak
in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can for-
give sins but God alone?” 8 At once Jesus per-
ceived in his spirit that they were discussing
said to them, “Why do you raise such ques-
tions in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to
say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and
walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the
Son of Man has authority on earth to for-
give sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I
say to you, stand up, take your mat and go
to your home.” 12 And he stood up, and im-
mediately took the mat and went out before
all of them; so that they were all amazed and
glorified God, saying, “We have never seen
anything like this!”
Jesus Calls Levi
13 Jesus a went out again beside the sea;
the whole crowd gathered around him, and
he taught them. 14 As he was walking along,
he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax
he got up and followed him.
15 And as he sat at dinner b in Levi’s c
house, many tax collectors and sinners were
also sitting d with Jesus and his disciples—for
there were many who followed him. 16 When
the scribes of e the Pharisees saw that he was
eating with sinners and tax collectors, they
said to his disciples, “Why does he eat f with
tax collectors and sinners?” 17 When Jesus
heard this, he said to them, “Those who are
well have no need of a physician, but those
who are sick; I have come to call not the righ-
teous but sinners.”
The Question about Fasting
18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees
were fasting; and people g came and said
a Or it b Other ancient authorities lack nor the Son
give them e Or cut him off f Gk virgins
disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your
disciples do not fast?” 19 Jesus said to them,
“The wedding guests cannot fast while the
bridegroom is with them, can they? As long
as they have the bridegroom with them, they
cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the
bridegroom is taken away from them, and
then they will fast on that day.
21 “No one sews a piece of unshrunk
cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch
pulls away from it, the new from the old, and
a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new
wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine
will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and
so are the skins; but one puts new wine into
fresh wineskins.” h
c Other ancient authorities read at what hour d Gk to
g Other ancient authorities add and the bride h Other ancient

unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person

8 A Liar, a Lunatic, 8 chiefly offended in all offences. This makes sense only if He really was the

or the Son of God God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. In the
mouth of any speaker who is not God, these words would imply what I can
only regard as a silliness and conceit unrivalled by any other character in
history.

A mong these Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about
talking as if He was God. He claims to forgive sins. He says He has
always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time.
Now let us get this clear. Among Pantheists, like the Indians, anyone might
say that he was a part of God, or one with God: there would be nothing
very odd about it. But this man, since He was a Jew, could not mean that
kind of God. God, in their language, meant the Being outside the world,
who had made it and was infinitely different from anything else. And when
you have grasped that, you will see that what this man said was, quite
simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips.
One part of the claim tends to slip past us unnoticed because we have
heard it so often that we no longer see what it amounts to. I mean the claim
to forgive sins: any sins. Now unless the speaker is God, this is really so
preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives
offences against himself. You tread on my toes and I forgive you, you steal
my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself
unrobbed and untrodden on, who announced that he forgave you for
treading on other men’s toes and stealing other men’s money? Asinine fatuity
is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what
Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to
consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He
Yet (and this is the strange, significant thing) even His enemies, when
they read the Gospels, do not usually get the impression of silliness and
conceit. Still less do unprejudiced readers. Christ says that He is “humble
and meek” and we believe Him; not noticing that, if He were merely a man,
humility and meekness are the very last characteristics we could attribute to
some of His sayings.
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that
people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral
teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we
must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus
said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a
level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the
Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the
Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up
for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His
feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing
nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open
to us. He did not intend to. [609]
—from Mere Christianity
For reflection E Mark 2:1-12

356 357
Matthew 25.1
The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be
like this. Ten bridesmaids f took their
lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. g
2 Five of them were foolish, and five were
wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps,
they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise
took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the
bridegroom was delayed, all of them be-
came drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight
there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bride-
groom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all
those bridesmaids f got up and trimmed their
lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us
some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9 But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be
enough for you and for us; you had better go
to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’
10 And while they went to buy it, the bride-
groom came, and those who were ready went
with him into the wedding banquet;
and the door was shut. 11 Later the other
bridesmaids f came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord,
open to us.’ 12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you,
I do not know you.’ 13 Keep awake therefore,
for you know neither the day nor the hour. h
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it is as if a man, going on a journey,
summoned his slaves and entrusted his prop-
erty to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, a to
another two, to another one, to each accord-
ing to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The
one who had received the five talents went off
at once and traded with them, and made five
more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who
had the two talents made two more talents.
18 But the one who had received the one tal-
ent went off and dug a hole in the ground and
hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time
the master of those slaves came and settled
accounts with them. 20 Then the one who
had received the five talents came forward,
bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master,
you handed over to me five talents; see, I have
made five more talents.’ 21 His master said to
him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave;
d Gk to give them e Or cut him off f Gk virgins
h Other ancient authorities add in which the Son of Man is coming
356
you have been trustworthy in a few things, I
will put you in charge of many things; enter
into the joy of your master.’ 22 And the one
with the two talents also came forward, say-
ing, ‘Master, you handed over to me two tal-
ents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23 His
master said to him, ‘Well done, good and
trustworthy slave; you have been trustwor-
thy in a few things, I will put you in charge of
many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
24 Then the one who had received the one tal-
ent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew
that you were a harsh man, reaping where you
did not sow, and gathering where you did not
scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and
hid your talent in the ground. Here you have
what is yours.’ 26 But his master replied, ‘You
wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that
I reap where I did not sow, and gather where
I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have
invested my money with the bankers, and on
my return I would have received what was my
own with interest. 28 So take the talent from
him, and give it to the one with the ten tal-
ents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be
given, and they will have an abundance; but
from those who have nothing, even what they
have will be taken away. 30 As for this worth-
less slave, throw him into the outer darkness,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.’
The Judgement of the Nations
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his
glory, and all the angels with him, then he
will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the
nations will be gathered before him, and he
will separate people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand
and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will
say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you
that are blessed by my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the founda-
tion of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me
something to drink, I was a stranger and you
g Other ancient authorities add and the bride
Matthew 25.46
welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into
clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I
was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the
righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was
the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me
no food, I was thirsty and you gave me noth-
it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, ing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did
or thirsty and gave you something to drink? not welcome me, naked and you did not give
38 And when was it that we saw you a strang- me clothing, sick and in prison and you did
er and welcomed you, or naked and gave you not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer,
clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry
sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in
king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then
as you did it to one of the least of these who he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as
are members of my family, b you did it to me.’ you did not do it to one of the least of these,
41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go
a Or it d Gk to give them e Or cut him off f Gk virgins g Other ancient authorities add and the bride
Hiding Our Talents
T o love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will
certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure
of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an
animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries, avoid all
entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But
in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not
be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The
alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The
only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all dangers
and perturbations of love is Hell.
I believe that the most lawless and inordinate loves are less contrary
to God’s will that a self-invited and self-protective lovelessness. It is like
hiding the talent in the napkin and for much the same reason. “I knew thee
that thou wert a hard man.” Christ did not teach and suffer that we might
become, even in the natural loves, more careful of our own happiness. If a
man is not uncalculating towards the early beloveds whom he has seen, he
is none the more likely to be so towards God whom he has not. We shall
draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all
loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Him; throwing away all
defensive armor. If our hearts need to be broken, and if He chooses this as
the way in which they should break, so be it. [271]
—from The Four Loves
For reflection E Matthew 25:14-30
357
john 13.12
12 After he had washed their feet, had
put on his robe, and had returned to the
table, he said to them, “Do you know what
I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher
and Lord—and you are right, for that is what
I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also ought to wash one
another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an exam-
ple, that you also should do as I have done
to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants e are
not greater than their master, nor are mes-
sengers greater than the one who sent them.
17 If you know these things, you are blessed
if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of
you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is
to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my
bread f has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I tell
you this now, before it occurs, so that when
it does occur, you may believe that I am he. g
20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one
whom I send receives me; and whoever re-
ceives me receives him who sent me.”
Jesus Foretells His Betrayal
21 After saying this Jesus was troubled
in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell
you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The dis-
ciples looked at one another, uncertain of
whom he was speaking. 23 One of his dis-
ciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was re-
clining next to him; 24 Simon Peter therefore
motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he
was speaking. 25 So while reclining next to
Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus
answered, “It is the one to whom I give this
piece of bread when I have dipped it in the
dish.” a So when he had dipped the piece of
bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscar-
iot. b 27 After he received the piece of bread, c
Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him,
“Do quickly what you are going to do.” 28 Now
no one at the table knew why he said this to
him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had
the common purse, Jesus was telling him,
“Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that
he should give something to the poor. 30 So,
a Orit b Other ancient authorities lack nor the Son
d Gk to give them e Or cut him off f Gk virgins
h Other ancient authorities add in which the Son of Man is coming
356
after receiving the piece of bread, he immedi-
ately went out. And it was night.
The New Commandment
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said,
“Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and
God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has
been glorified in him, d God will also glorify
him in himself and will glorify him at once.
33 Little children, I am with you only a little
longer. You will look for me; and as I said to
the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am
going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new
commandment, that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love
one another. 35 By this everyone will know
that you are my disciples, if you have love for
one another.”
Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where
are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am
going, you cannot follow me now; but you
will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him,
“Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will
lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered,
“Will you lay down your life for me? Very
truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you
will have denied me three times.
Jesus the Way to the Father
14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Believe e in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house there are many dwell-
ing places. If it were not so, would I have told
you that I go to prepare a place for you? f
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again and will take you to myself,
so that where I am, there you may be also.
4 And you know the way to the place where
I am going.” g 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord,
we do not know where you are going. How
can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me.
7 If you know me, you will know h my Father
c Other ancient authorities read at what hour
g Other ancient authorities add and the bride
joh n 14.27
also. From now on you do know him and neither sees him nor knows him. You know
have seen him.” him, because he abides with you, and he will
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the be in d you.
Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said 18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am
to him, “Have I been with you all this time, coming to you. 19 In a little while the world
Philip, and you still do not know me? Who- will no longer see me, but you will see me;
ever has seen me has seen the Father. How because I live, you also will live. 20 On that
can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you day you will know that I am in my Father,
not believe that I am in the Father and the and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have
Father is in me? The words that I say to you my commandments and keep them are those
I do not speak on my own; but the Father who love me; and those who love me will be
who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe loved by my Father, and I will love them and
me that I am in the Father and the Father is reveal myself to them.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot)
in me; but if you do not, then believe me be- said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will
cause of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?”
tell you, the one who believes in me will also 23 Jesus answered him, “Those who love me
do the works that I do and, in fact, will do will keep my word, and my Father will love
greater works than these, because I am going them, and we will come to them and make
to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in our home with them. 24 Whoever does not
my name, so that the Father may be glorified love me does not keep my words; and the
in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me a for word that you hear is not mine, but is from
anything, I will do it. the Father who sent me.
25 “I have said these things to you while
The Promise of the Holy Spirit I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, c the
15 “If you love me, you will keep b my Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my
commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, name, will teach you everything, and remind
and he will give you another Advocate, c to be you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I
with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do
whom the world cannot receive, because it not give to you as the world gives. Do not let
Our True Home
T he Christian doctrine of suffering explains, I believe, a very curious
fact about the world we live in. The settled happiness and security
which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world:
but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast. We are never
safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why.
The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and
oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love,
a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or
a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the
journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them
for home. [137]
— from The Problem of Pain
For reflection E John 14:1-3
357
psalM 133.1
P s a l m 133
The Blessedness of Unity
A Song of Ascents.
1 How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his
robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
life forevermore.
P s a l m 134
Praise in the Night
A Song of Ascents.
1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of
the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the
Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place,
and bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord, maker of heaven and
earth,
bless you from Zion.
P s a l m 135
Praise for God's Goodness and Might
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 you that stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for
himself,
Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great;
our Lord is above all gods.
356
6 Whatever the Lord pleases he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the
end of the earth;
he makes lightnings for the rain
and brings out the wind from his
storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn
of Egypt,
both human beings and animals;
9 he sent signs and wonders
into your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
your renown, O Lord, throughout
all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people,
and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and
gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not
speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 they have ears, but they do not hear,
and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them
and all who trust them
shall become like them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
You that fear the Lord, bless the
Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
he who resides in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 136
God's Work in Creation and History
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
Because God created the Natural—
invented it out of His love and artistry—
it demands our reverence.
— from “Some Thoughts” / God in the Dock
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched
arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea a in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst
of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in
the Red Sea, a
for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the
a Or it b Other ancient authorities lack nor the Son
e Or cut him off f Gk virgins g Other ancient authorities add and the bride
p sa l M 1 3 7. 6
wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low
estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 137
Lament over Destruction of Jerusalem
1 By the rivers of Babylon—
there we sat down and there we wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows b there
we hung up our harps.
3 For there our captors
asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth,
saying,
"Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
4 How could we sing the Lord's song in a
foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!
6 Let me tongue cling to the roof of my
mouth,
if I do not remember you,
c Other ancient authorities read at what hour d Gk to give them
h Other ancient authorities add in which the Son of
357
Genesis 45.1
Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers
45 Then Joseph could no longer control
himself before all those who stood by
him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away
from me.” So no one stayed with him when
Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians
heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard
it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph.
Is my father still alive?” But his brothers
could not answer him, so dismayed were
they at his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come
closer to me.” And they came closer. He said,
“I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold
into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or
angry with yourselves, because you sold me
here; for God sent me before you to preserve
life. 6 For the famine has been in the land
these two years; and there are five more years
in which there will be neither plowing nor
harvest. 7 God sent me before you to preserve
for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive
for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you
who sent me here, but God; he has made me
a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house
and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry
and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus
says your son Joseph, God has made me lord
of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.
E and Carmi. 10 The children of Simeon: Jem-
Those who will not be God’s sons become
His tools.
— from A Preface to Paradise Lost
E them, “Do not quarrela along the way.”
10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and
you shall be near me, you and your children
and your children’s children, as well as your
flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 I
will provide for you there—since there are
five more years of famine to come—so that
a Or it b Other ancient authorities lack nor the Son
e Or cut him off f Gk virgins g Other ancient authorities add and the bride
356
you and your household, and all that you
have, will not come to poverty.’ 12 And now
your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benja-
min see that it is my own mouth that speaks
to you. 13 You must tell my father how greatly
I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have
seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.”
14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s
neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon
his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and
wept upon them; and after that his brothers
talked with him.
16 When the report was heard in Pha-
raoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,”
Pharaoh and his servants were pleased.
17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your
brothers, ‘Do this: load your animals and go
back to the land of Canaan. 18 Take your fa-
ther and your households and come to me,
so that I may give you the best of the land
of Egypt, and you may enjoy the fat of the
land.’ 19 You are further charged to say, ‘Do
this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for
your little ones and for your wives, and bring
your father, and come. 20 Give no thought to
your possessions, for the best of all the land
of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21 The sons of Israel did so. Joseph gave
them wagons according to the instruction of
Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the
journey. 22 To each one of them he gave a set
of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three
hundred pieces of silver and five sets of gar-
ments. 23 To his father he sent the following:
ten donkeys loaded with the good things of
Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with
grain, bread, and provision for his father on
the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers on
their way, and as they were leaving he said to
25 So they went up out of Egypt and came
to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.
26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive!
He is even ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
He was stunned; he could not believe them.
27 But when they told him all the words of Jo-
seph that he had said to them, and when he
c Other ancient authorities read at what hour d Gk to give them
h Other ancient authorities add in which the Son of
saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry
him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.
28 Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still
alive. I must go and see him before I die.”
Jacob Brings His Whole Family to Egypt
46 When Israel set out on his journey
with all that he had and came to Beer-
sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his
father Isaac. 2 God spoke to Israel in visions
of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he
said, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, b
the God of your father; do not be afraid to go
down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great
nation there. 4 I myself will go down with you
to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again;
and Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes.”
5 Then Jacob set out from Beer-sheba;
and the sons of Israel carried their father Ja-
cob, their little ones, and their wives, in the
wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6 They also took their livestock and the goods
that they had acquired in the land of Canaan,
and they came into Egypt, Jacob and all his
offspring with him, 7 his sons, and his sons’
sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’
daughters; all his offspring he brought with
him into Egypt.
8 Now these are the names of the Isra-
elites, Jacob and his offspring, who came to
Egypt. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, 9 and the
children of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron,
uel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul,c
the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The chil-
dren of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 The children of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah,
Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in
the land of Canaan); and the children of Perez
were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The children of
Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Jashub,d and Shimron.
14 The children of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and
Jahleel 15 (these are the sons of Leah, whom
she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together
with his daughter Dinah; in all his sons and
his daughters numbered thirty-three). 16 The
children of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ez-
bon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The children
of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and
Genesis 46.34
their sister Serah. The children of Beriah:
Heber and Malchiel 18 (these are the children
of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter
Leah; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen
persons). 19 The children of Jacob’s wife Ra-
chel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 To Joseph in
the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and
Ephraim, whom Asenath daughter of Po-
tiphera, priest of On, bore to him. 21 The chil-
dren of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera,
Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and
Ard 22 (these are the children of Rachel, who
were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all).
23 The children of Dan: Hashum. e 24 The chil-
dren of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and
Shillem 25 (these are the children of Bilhah,
whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel,
and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons
in all). 26 All the persons belonging to Jacob
who came into Egypt, who were his own off-
spring, not including the wives of his sons,
were sixty-six persons in all. 27 The children
of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt,
were two; all the persons of the house of Ja-
cob who came into Egypt were seventy.
Jacob Settles in Goshen
28 Israela sent Judah ahead to Joseph to
lead the way before him into Goshen. When
they came to the land of Goshen, 29 Joseph
made ready his chariot and went up to meet
his father Israel in Goshen. He presented
himself to him, fell on his neck, and wept on
his neck a good while. 30 Israel said to Joseph,
“I can die now, having seen for myself that
you are still alive.” 31 Joseph said to his broth-
ers and to his father’s household, “I will go up
and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, ‘My
brothers and my father’s household, who
were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
32 The men are shepherds, for they have been
keepers of livestock; and they have brought
their flocks, and their herds, and all that they
have.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you, and says,
‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say,
‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock
from our youth even until now, both we and
our ancestors’—in order that you may settle
in the land of Goshen, because all shepherds
357
psalM 49.15 psa lM 51.17

15 But God will ransom my soul from the
power of Sheol,
for he will receive me.
Selah
16 Do not be afraid when some become rich,
when the wealth of their houses
increases.
17 For when they die they will carry nothing
away;
their wealth will not go down after
them.
18 Though in their lifetime they count
themselves happy
—for you are praised when you do
well for yourself—
19 they h will go to the company of their
ancestors,
who will never again see the light.
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
they are like the animals that perish.
P s a l m 50
The Acceptable Sacrifice
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 The mighty one, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God comes and does not keep
silence,
before him is a devouring fire,
8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually
before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house,
or goats from your folds.
10 For every wild animal of the forest is
mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the air, a
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all that is in it is
mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, b
and pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify
me.”
16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my
statutes,
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
18 You make friends with a thief when you
see one,
and you keep company with
adulterers.
19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your kin;
Psalm 51
Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon
To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet
Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass
judgment.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived
me.
6 You desire truth in the inward being; d
therefore teach me wisdom in my
secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be
clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
a Or it b Other ancient authorities lack nor the Son
e Or cut him off f Gk virgins g Other ancient authorities add and the bride
let the bones that you have crushed
rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right a spirit within
me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from
me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing b spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your
ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your
deliverance.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your
praise.
6 For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering, you
would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God c is a
broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God,
c Other ancient authorities read at what hour d Gk to give them
h Other ancient authorities add in which

4
and a mighty tempest all around him.
He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his
people:
5 “Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by
sacrifice!”
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge.
Selah
7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.
356
21
you slander your own mother’s child.
These things you have done and I have
been silent;
you thought that I was one just like
yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge
before you.
22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God,
or I will tear you apart, and there will
be no one to deliver.
23 Those who bring thanksgiving as their
sacrifice honor me;
to those who go the right way c
I will show the salvation of God.”
8 Noticing the Dirt 8
I
know all about the despair of overcoming chronic temptations. It is
not serious provided self-offended petulance, annoyance at breaking
records, impatience etc doesn’t get the upper hand. No amount of falls will
really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of
course be v. muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But
the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, & the clean clothes are in
the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one’s temper and give it
up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present to us: it is the v.
sign of His presence. [115]
—from CSL letter to Mrs. Neylan, January 20, 1942
For reflection E Psalm 51:10-12
357
psalM 18.22 psalM 19.10

22 For all his ordinances were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away
from me.
23 I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from guilt.
24 Therefore the Lord has recompensed
me according to my
righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my
hands in his sight.
25 With the loyal you show yourself loyal;
with the blameless you show yourself
blameless;
26 with the pure you show yourself pure;
and with the crooked you show
yourself perverse.
27 For you deliver a humble people,
but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28 It is you who light my lamp;
the Lord, my God, lights up my
darkness.
29 By you I can crush a troop,
consumed. Psalm 19 with joy.
38 I struck them down, so that they were
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
God's Glory in Creation and the Law and its circuit to the end of them;
not able to rise;
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
they fell under my feet. and nothing is hid from its heat.
39 For you girded me with strength for the 1 The heavens are telling the glory of God;
battle; and the firmament b proclaims his 7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
you made my assailants sink under handiwork. reviving the soul;
me. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, the decrees of the Lord are sure,
40 You made my enemies turn their backs and night to night declares knowledge. making wise the simple;
to me, 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
and those who hated me I destroyed. their voice is not heard; rejoicing the heart;
41 They cried for help, but there was no one 4 yet their voice c goes out through all the the commandment of the Lord is clear,
to save them; earth, enlightening the eyes;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not and their words to the end of the 9 the fear of the Lord is pure,
answer them. world. enduring forever;
42 I beat them fine, like dust before the the ordinances of the Lord are true
wind; In the heavens d he has set a tent for the and righteous altogether.
I cast them out like the mire of the sun, 10 More to be desired are they than gold,
streets. 5 which comes out like a bridegroom from even much fine gold;
his wedding canopy, sweeter also than honey,
43 You delivered me from strife with the and like a strong man runs its course and drippings of the honeycomb.
peoples; a a Or it b Other ancient authorities lack nor the Son c Other ancient authorities read at what hour d Gk to give them
you made me head of the nations; e Or cut him off f Gk virgins g Other ancient authorities add and the bride h Other ancient authorities add in which the Son of

and by my God I can leap over a wall. people whom I had not known served
30 This God—his way is perfect; me.
the promise of the Lord proves true; 44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed
he is a shield for all who take refuge me;
in him. foreigners came cringing to me. God and the Heavens
45 Foreigners lost heart,
31

32
For who is God except the Lord?
And who is a rock besides our God?—
the God who girded me with strength,
and made my way safe.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer,
and set me secure on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of
bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your
salvation,
and your right hand has supported
me;
your help b has made me great.
36 You gave me a wide place for my steps
under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook
them;
and did not turn back until they were
and came trembling out of their
strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my
salvation,
47 the God who gave me vengeance
and subdued peoples under me;
48 who delivered me from my enemies;
indeed, you exalted me above my
adversaries;
you delivered me from the violent.
49 For this I will extol you, O Lord, among
the nations,
and sing praises to your name.
50 Great triumphs he gives to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his
anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.
I t is not an accident that simple-minded people, however spiritual,
should blend the ideas of God and Heaven and the blue sky. It is a fact,
not a fiction, that light and life-giving heat do come down from the sky to
Earth. The analogy of the sky’s role to begetting and of the Earth’s role to
bearing is sound as far as it goes. The huge dome of the sky is of all things
sensuously perceived the most like infinity. And when God made space
and worlds that move in space, and clothed our world with air, and gave us
such eyes and such imaginations as those we have, He knew what the sky
would mean to us. And since nothing in His work is accidental, if He knew,
He intended. We cannot be certain that this was not indeed one of the chief
purposes for which Nature was created; still less that it was not one of the
chief reasons why the withdrawal was allowed to affect human senses as a
movement upwards. (A disappearance into the Earth would beget a wholly
different religion.) The ancients in letting the spiritual symbolism of the sky
flow straight into their minds without stopping to discover by analysis that
it was a symbol, were not entirely mistaken. In one way they were perhaps
less mistaken than we. [225]
—from Miracles
For reflection E Psalm 19:1-6

356 357