APRIL
18
PSALMS: 18, 48, 78, 108, 138
PROVERBS: 18
OLD TESTAMENT: 1 CHRONICLES 5:18 - 6:31
NEW TESTAMENT: ACTS 6:21 - 32
PSALMS: 18
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:
1
I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my
God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He
is my shield and the horn A of my salvation, my stronghold.
3
I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and
I am saved from my enemies.
4
The cords of death entangled me;
the
torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5
The cords of the grave B coiled around me;
the
snares of death confronted me.
6
In my distress I called to the LORD;
I
cried to my God for help.
From
his temple he heard my voice;
my
cry came before him, into his ears.
7
The earth trembled and quaked,
and
the foundations of the mountains shook;
they
trembled because he was angry.
8
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming
fire came from his mouth,
burning
coals blazed out of it.
9
He parted the heavens and came down;
dark
clouds were under his feet.
10
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he
soared on the wings of the wind. [1]
11
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him--
the
dark rain clouds of the sky.
12
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with
hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13
The LORD thundered from heaven;
the
voice of the Most High resounded. C
14
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies,
great
bolts of lightning and routed them.
15
The valleys of the sea were exposed
and
the foundations of the earth laid bare
at
your rebuke, O LORD,
at
the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16
He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he
drew me out of deep waters.
17
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from
my foes, who were too strong for me.
18
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but
the LORD was my support.
19
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he
rescued me because he delighted in me.
20
The LORD has dealt with me according to my
righteousness;
according
to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21
For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I
have not done evil by turning from my God.
22
All his laws are before me;
I
have not turned away from his decrees.
23
I have been blameless before him
and
have kept myself from sin.
24
The LORD has rewarded me according to my
righteousness,
according
to the cleanness of my hands in his sight .[2]
25
To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to
the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26
to the pure you show yourself pure,
but
to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
27
You save the humble
but
bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28
You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my
God turns my darkness into light.
29
With your help I can advance against a troop D;
with
my God I can scale a wall.
30
As for God, his way is perfect;
the
word of the LORD is flawless.
He
is a shield
for
all who take refuge in him.
31
For who is God besides the LORD?
And
who is the Rock except our God?
32
It is God who arms me with strength
and
makes my way perfect.
33
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he
enables me to stand on the heights.
34
He trains my hands for battle;
my
arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35
You give me your shield of victory,
and
your right hand sustains me;
you
stoop down to make me great.
36
You broaden the path beneath me,
so
that my ankles do not turn.
37
I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I
did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38
I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they
fell beneath my feet. [3]
39
You armed me with strength for battle;
you
made my adversaries bow at my feet.
40
You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and
I destroyed my foes.
41
They cried for help, but there was no one to save
them--
to
the LORD, but he did not answer.
42
I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind;
I
poured them out like mud in the streets.
43
You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you
have made me the head of nations;
people
I did not know are subject to me.
44
As soon as they hear me, they obey me;
foreigners
cringe before me.
45
They all lose heart;
they
come trembling from their strongholds.
46
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted
be God my Savior!
47
He is the God who avenges me,
who
subdues nations under me,
48
who saves me from my enemies.
You
exalted me above my foes;
from
violent men you rescued me.
49
Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD;
I
will sing praises to your name.
50
He gives his king great victories;
he
shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to
David and his descendants forever. [4]
PSALMS: 48
A
song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1
Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in
the city of our God, his holy mountain.
2
It is beautiful in its loftiness,
the
joy of the whole earth.
Like
the utmost heights of Zaphon A is Mount Zion,
theB
city of the Great King.
3
God is in her citadels;
he
has shown himself to be her fortress.
4
When the kings joined forces,
when
they advanced together,
5
they saw her and were astounded;
they
fled in terror.
6
Trembling seized them there,
pain
like that of a woman in labor.
7
You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered
by an east wind.
8
As we have heard,
so
have we seen
in
the city of the LORD Almighty,
in
the city of our God:
God
makes her secure forever.
Selah
9
Within your temple, O God,
we
meditate on your unfailing love.
10
Like your name, O God,
your
praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your
right hand is filled with righteousness. [5]
11
Mount Zion rejoices,
the
villages of Judah are glad
because
of your judgments.
12
Walk about Zion, go around her,
count
her towers,
13
consider well her ramparts,
view
her citadels,
that
you may tell of them to the next generation.
14
For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he
will be our guide even to the end. [6]
PSALMS: 78
A
maskil A of Asaph.
1
O my people, hear my teaching;
listen
to the words of my mouth.
2
I will open my mouth in parables,
I
will utter hidden things, things from of old--
3
what we have heard and known,
what
our fathers have told us.
4
We will not hide them from their children;
we
will tell the next generation
the
praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his
power, and the wonders he has done.
5
He decreed statutes for Jacob
and
established the law in Israel,
which
he commanded our forefathers
to
teach their children,
6
so the next generation would know them,
even
the children yet to be born,
and
they in turn would tell their children.
7
Then they would put their trust in God
and
would not forget his deeds
but
would keep his commands.
8
They would not be like their forefathers--
a
stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose
hearts were not loyal to God,
whose
spirits were not faithful to him.
9
The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
turned
back on the day of battle;
10
they did not keep God's covenant
and
refused to live by his law.
11
They forgot what he had done,
the
wonders he had shown them.
12
He did miracles in the sight of their fathers
in
the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
13
He divided the sea and led them through;
he
made the water stand firm like a wall.
14
He guided them with the cloud by day
and
with light from the fire all night.
15
He split the rocks in the desert
and
gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16
he brought streams out of a rocky crag
and
made water flow down like rivers.
17
But they continued to sin against him,
rebelling
in the desert against the Most High.
18
They willfully put God to the test
by
demanding the food they craved.
19
They spoke against God, saying,
"Can
God spread a table in the desert?
20
When he struck the rock, water gushed out,
and
streams flowed abundantly.
But
can he also give us food?
Can
he supply meat for his people?"
21
When the LORD heard them, he was very angry;
his
fire broke out against Jacob,
and
his wrath rose against Israel,
22
for they did not believe in God
or
trust in his deliverance.
23
Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and
opened the doors of the heavens;
24
he rained down manna for the people to eat, [7]
he
gave them the grain of heaven.
25
Men ate the bread of angels;
he
sent them all the food they could eat.
26
He let loose the east wind from the heavens
and
led forth the south wind by his power.
27
He rained meat down on them like dust,
flying
birds like sand on the seashore.
28
He made them come down inside their camp,
all
around their tents.
29
They ate till they had more than enough,
for
he had given them what they craved.
30
But before they turned from the food they craved,
even
while it was still in their mouths,
31
God's anger rose against them;
he
put to death the sturdiest among them,
cutting
down the young men of Israel.
32
In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;
in
spite of his wonders, they did not believe.
33
So he ended their days in futility
and
their years in terror.
34
Whenever God slew them, they would seek him;
they
eagerly turned to him again.
35
They remembered that God was their Rock,
that
God Most High was their Redeemer.
36
But then they would flatter him with their mouths,
lying
to him with their tongues;
37
their hearts were not loyal to him,
they
were not faithful to his covenant.
38
Yet he was merciful;
he
forgave their iniquities
and
did not destroy them.
Time
after time he restrained his anger
and
did not stir up his full wrath. [8]
39
He remembered that they were but flesh,
a
passing breeze that does not return.
40
How often they rebelled against him in the desert
and
grieved him in the wasteland!
41
Again and again they put God to the test;
they
vexed the Holy One of Israel.
42
They did not remember his power--
the
day he redeemed them from the oppressor,
43
the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt,
his
wonders in the region of Zoan.
44
He turned their rivers to blood;
they
could not drink from their streams.
45
He sent swarms of flies that devoured them,
and
frogs that devastated them.
46
He gave their crops to the grasshopper,
their
produce to the locust.
47
He destroyed their vines with hail
and
their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48
He gave over their cattle to the hail,
their
livestock to bolts of lightning.
49
He unleashed against them his hot anger,
his
wrath, indignation and hostility--
a
band of destroying angels.
50
He prepared a path for his anger;
he
did not spare them from death
but
gave them over to the plague.
51
He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,
the
firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.
52
But he brought his people out like a flock;
he
led them like sheep through the desert.
53
He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
but
the sea engulfed their enemies.
54
Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land, [9]
to
the hill country his right hand had taken.
55
He drove out nations before them
and
allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;
he
settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.
56
But they put God to the test
and
rebelled against the Most High;
they
did not keep his statutes.
57
Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless,
as
unreliable as a faulty bow.
58
They angered him with their high places;
they
aroused his jealousy with their idols.
59
When God heard them, he was very angry;
he
rejected Israel completely.
60
He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,
the
tent he had set up among men.
61
He sent the ark of his might into captivity,
his
splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62
He gave his people over to the sword;
he
was very angry with his inheritance.
63
Fire consumed their young men,
and
their maidens had no wedding songs;
64
their priests were put to the sword,
and
their widows could not weep.
65
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
as
a man wakes from the stupor of wine.
66
He beat back his enemies;
he
put them to everlasting shame.
67
Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
he
did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
68
but he chose the tribe of Judah, [10]
Mount
Zion, which he loved.
69
He built his sanctuary like the heights,
like
the earth that he established forever.
70
He chose David his servant
and
took him from the sheep pens;
71
from tending the sheep he brought him
to
be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
of
Israel his inheritance.
72
And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
with
skillful hands he led them. [11]
PSALMS: 108
A
song. A psalm of David.
1
My heart is steadfast, O God;
I
will sing and make music with all my soul.
2
Awake, harp and lyre!
I
will awaken the dawn.
3
I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;
I
will sing of you among the peoples.
4
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your
faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and
let your glory be over all the earth.
6
Save us and help us with your right hand,
that
those you love may be delivered.
7
God has spoken from his sanctuary:
"In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is
mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah my scepter.
9 Moab is my
washbasin,
upon Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph."
10
Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who
will lead me to Edom?
11
Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us
and
no longer go out with our armies?
12
Give us aid against the enemy,
for
the help of man is worthless.
13
With God we will gain the victory, [12]
and
he will trample down our enemies. [13]
PSALMS: 138
Of
David.
1
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
before
the "gods" I will sing your praise.
2
I will bow down toward your holy temple
and
will praise your name
for
your love and your faithfulness,
for
you have exalted above all things
your
name and your word.
3
When I called, you answered me;
you
made me bold and stouthearted.
4
May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD,
when
they hear the words of your mouth.
5
May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
6
Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly,
but
the proud he knows from afar.
7
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you
preserve my life;
you
stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with
your right hand you save me.
8
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your
love, O LORD, endures forever--
do
not abandon the works of your hands. [14]
PROVERBS: 18
18
1 An unfriendly man
pursues selfish ends;
he
defies all sound judgment.
2
A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
but
delights in airing his own opinions.
3
When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and
with shame comes disgrace.
4
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters,
but
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5
It is not good to be partial to the wicked
or
to deprive the innocent of justice.
6
A fool's lips bring him strife,
and
his mouth invites a beating.
7
A fool's mouth is his undoing,
and
his lips are a snare to his soul.
8
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they
go down to a man's inmost parts.
9
One who is slack in his work
is
brother to one who destroys.
10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the
righteous run to it and are safe.
11The
wealth of the rich is their fortified city;
they
imagine it an unscalable wall.[15]
12
Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,
but
humility comes before honor.
13
He who answers before listening--
that
is his folly and his shame.
14
A man's spirit sustains him in sickness,
but
a crushed spirit who can bear?
15
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge;
the
ears of the wise seek it out.
16
A gift opens the way for the giver
and
ushers him into the presence of the great.
17
The first to present his case seems right,
till
another comes forward and questions him.
18
Casting the lot settles disputes
and
keeps strong opponents apart.
19
An offended brother is more unyielding than a
fortified city,
and
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20
From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled;
with
the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.
21
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and
those who love it will eat its fruit.
22
He who finds a wife finds what is good
and
receives favor from the LORD. [16]
23
A poor man pleads for mercy,
but
a rich man answers harshly.
24
A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but
there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. [17]
OLD TESTAMENT: 1 CHRONICLES 5:18 - 6:31
18 The
Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for
military service--able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could
use a bow, and who were trained for battle. 19 They waged war
against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. 20 They were helped
in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to
them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their
prayers, because they trusted in him. 21 They seized the livestock
of the Hagrites--fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and
two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, 22
and many others fell slain, because the battle was God's. And they
occupied the land until the exile.
23 The
people of the half-tribe of Manasseh were numerous; they settled in the land
from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon).
24 These
were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah,
Hodaviah and Jahdiel. They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their
families. 25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers
and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had
destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit
of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the
Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them
to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.
6 1
The sons of Levi:
Gershon, Kohath and
Merari.
2 The
sons of Kohath:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and
Uzziel.
3 The
children of Amram:
Aaron, Moses and Miriam.
The sons of Aaron:
Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar
and Ithamar.
4 Eleazar
was the father of Phinehas,
Phinehas the father of
Abishua, [18]
5 Abishua
the father of Bukki,
Bukki the father of
Uzzi,
6 Uzzi
the father of Zerahiah,
Zerahiah the father of
Meraioth,
7 Meraioth
the father of Amariah,
Amariah the father of
Ahitub,
8 Ahitub
the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of
Ahimaaz,
9 Ahimaaz
the father of Azariah,
Azariah the father of
Johanan,
10 Johanan
the father of Azariah (it was he who served as priest in the temple Solomon
built in Jerusalem),
11 Azariah
the father of Amariah,
Amariah the father of
Ahitub,
12 Ahitub
the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of
Shallum,
13 Shallum
the father of Hilkiah,
Hilkiah the father of
Azariah,
14 Azariah
the father of Seraiah,
and Seraiah the father
of Jehozadak.
15 Jehozadak
was deported when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of
Nebuchadnezzar.
16 The
sons of Levi:
Gershon, A
Kohath and Merari.
17 These
are the names of the sons of Gershon:
Libni and Shimei.
18 The
sons of Kohath:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and
Uzziel. [19]
19 The
sons of Merari:
Mahli and Mushi.
These are the clans of
the Levites listed according to their fathers:
20 Of
Gershon:
Libni his son, Jehath
his son,
Zimmah his son, 21Joah
his son,
Iddo his son, Zerah his
son
and Jeatherai his son.
22 The
descendants of Kohath:
Amminadab his son, Korah
his son,
Assir his son, 23 Elkanah
his son,
Ebiasaph his son, Assir
his son,
24 Tahath
his son, Uriel his son,
Uzziah his son and Shaul
his son.
25 The
descendants of Elkanah:
Amasai, Ahimoth,
26 Elkanah
his son, B Zophai his son,
Nahath his son, 27 Eliab
his son,
Jeroham his son, Elkanah
his son
and Samuel his son. C
28 The
sons of Samuel:
JoelD the
firstborn
and Abijah the second
son.
29 The
descendants of Merari:
Mahli, Libni his son,
Shimei his son, Uzzah
his son,
30 Shimea
his son, Haggiah his son [20]
and Asaiah his son.
31 These
are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the
ark came to rest there. 32 They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the Tent
of Meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They
performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them. [21]
33 Here are the men who served, together with
their sons:
From the Kohathites:
Heman, the musician,
the son of Joel, the son
of Samuel,
34 the
son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham,
the son of Eliel, the
son of Toah,
35 the
son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah,
the son of Mahath, the
son of Amasai,
36 the
son of Elkanah, the son of Joel,
the son of Azariah, the
son of Zephaniah,
37 the
son of Tahath, the son of Assir,
the son of Ebiasaph, the
son of Korah,
38 the
son of Izhar, the son of Kohath,
the son of Levi, the son
of Israel;
39 and
Heman's associate Asaph, who served at his right hand:
Asaph son of Berekiah,
the son of Shimea,
40 the
son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, E
the son of Malkijah, 41
the son of Ethni,
the son of Zerah, the
son of Adaiah,
42 the
son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah,
the son of Shimei, 43
the son of Jahath,
the son of Gershon, the
son of Levi;
44 and
from their associates, the Merarites, at his left hand:
Ethan son of Kishi, the
son of Abdi,
the son of Malluch, 45
the son of Hashabiah,
46 the
son of Amzi, the son of Bani,
the son of Shemer, 47
the son of Mahli,
the son of Mushi, the
son of Merari,
the son of Levi.
48 Their
fellow Levites were assigned to all the other duties of the tabernacle, the
house of God. 49 But Aaron and his descendants were the ones who
presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense
in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement
for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
50 These
were the descendants of Aaron:
Eleazar his son,
Phinehas his son,
Abishua his son, 51
Bukki his son,
Uzzi his son, Zerahiah
his son,
52 Meraioth
his son, Amariah his son,
Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok
his son
and Ahimaaz his son.
54 These
were the locations of their settlements allotted as their territory (they were
assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because
the first lot was for them):
55 They
were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding pasturelands. 56 But
the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.
57 So
the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), and Libnah, F
Jattir, Eshtemoa, 58 Hilen, Debir, 59 Ashan, Juttah G
and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands. 60 And from the
tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon,H Geba, Alemeth and
Anathoth, together with their pasturelands.
These towns, which were
distributed among the Kohathite clans, were thirteen in all.
61 The
rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the
tribe of Manasseh.
62 The
descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the
tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part [24]
of the tribe of Manasseh
that is in Bashan.
63 The
descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes
of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.
64 So
the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and their pasturelands. 65 From
the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns.
66 Some
of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of
Ephraim.
67 In
the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge), and
Gezer, I 68 Jokmeam, Beth Horon, 69 Aijalon
and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands.
70 And
from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam, together
with their pasturelands, to the rest of the Kohathite clans.
71 The
Gershonites received the following:
From the clan of the
half-tribe of Manasseh
they received Golan in
Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands;
72 from
the tribe of Issachar
they received Kedesh,
Daberath, 73 Ramoth and Anem, together with their pasturelands;
74 from
the tribe of Asher
they received Mashal,
Abdon, 75 Hukok and Rehob, together with their pasturelands;
76 and
from the tribe of Naphtali
they received Kedesh in
Galilee, Hammon and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands.
77 The
Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following:
From the tribe of
Zebulun
they received Jokneam,
Kartah, J Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands;
78 from
the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho
they received Bezer in
the desert, Jahzah, 79 Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their
pasturelands;
80 and
from the tribe of Gad
they received Ramoth in
Gilead, Mahanaim, 81 Heshbon and Jazer, together with their
pasturelands. [25]
NEW TESTAMENT: ACTS 6:1 - 32
26 1
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission
to speak for yourself."
So Paul motioned with
his hand and began his defense: 2 "King Agrippa, I consider
myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the
accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well
acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you
to listen to me patiently.
4 "The
Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning
of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have
known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according
to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And
now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on
trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to
see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because
of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you
consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 "I
too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name
of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem.
On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and
when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a
time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to
force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign
cities to persecute them.
12 "On
one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission
of the chief priests. 13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I
saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my
companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying
to me in Aramaic, A `Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'
15 "Then I
asked, `Who are you, Lord?'
"`I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord
replied. 16 `Now get up and stand on your
feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of
what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you
from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes
and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so
that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are
sanctified by faith in me.'
19 "So
then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First
to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the
Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove
their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why the Jews seized me
in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
22 But
I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to
small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses
said would happen—23 that the Christ B would suffer and,
as the first to rise [26]
from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the
Gentiles."
24 At
this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind,
Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane."
25 "I
am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying
is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things,
and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his
notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you
believe the prophets? I know you do."
28 Then
Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can
persuade me to be a Christian?"
29 Paul
replied, "Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but all who are
listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains."
30 The
king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them.
31 They
left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, "This man is
not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment."
32 Agrippa
said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed
to Caesar."[27]
[1]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[2]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[3]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[4]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[5]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[6]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[7]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[8]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[9]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[10] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[11] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[12] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[13] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[14] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[15] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[16] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[17] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[18] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[19] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[20] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc.
All Rights Reserved
[21]Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[22] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[23] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[24] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[25] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[26] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[27] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment