Psalm 25^[a]

Of David.

Psalm 9^[a][b]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

⁶ After forty days^(A) Noah opened a window he had made in the ark ⁷ and sent out a raven,^(B) and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.^{(C) 8} Then he sent out a dove^(D) to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. ⁹ But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. ¹⁰ He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. ¹¹ When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.^{(E) 12} He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

¹³ By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year,^(F) the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. ¹⁴ By the twenty-seventh day of the second month^(G) the earth was completely dry.

¹⁵ Then God said to Noah, ¹⁶ “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.^{(H) 17} Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”^(I)

¹⁸ So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.^{(J) 19} All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.

²⁰ Then Noah built an altar to the Lord^(K) and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean^(L) birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings^(M) on it. ²¹ The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma^(N) and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground^(O) because of humans, even though^[a] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.^(P) And never again will I destroy^(Q) all living creatures,^(R) as I have done.

Jesus the Great High Priest

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest^(A) who has ascended into heaven,^[a](B) Jesus the Son of God,^(C) let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.^{(D) 15} For we do not have a high priest^(E) who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are^(F)—yet he did not sin.^{(G) 16} Let us then approach^(H) God’s throne of grace with confidence,^(I) so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

5 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God,^(J) to offer gifts and sacrifices^(K) for sins.^{(L) 2} He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray,^(M) since he himself is subject to weakness.^{(N) 3} This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.^{(O) 4} And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.^(P)

⁵ In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory^(Q) of becoming a high priest.^(R) But God said^(S) to him,

⁶ And he says in another place,

²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,^(A) many people saw the signs^(B) he was performing and believed^(C) in his name.^{[a] 24} But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind,^(D) for he knew what was in each person.^(E)

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus^(F) who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.^{(G) 2} He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi,^(H) we know^(I) that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs^(J) you are doing if God were not with him.”^(K)

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[b]”^(L)

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.^{(M) 6} Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[c] gives birth to spirit.^{(N) 7} You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[d] must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[e](O)

⁹ “How can this be?”^(P) Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,”^(Q) said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know,^(R) and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.^{(S) 12} I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven^(T) except the one who came from heaven^(U)—the Son of Man.^{[f](V) 14} Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(W) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^{[g](X) 15} that everyone who believes^(Y) may have eternal life in him.”^[h](Z)