Psalms 23–25; Acts 21:18–40

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Psalms 23–25

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my dshepherd; I shall not ewant.

He makes me lie down in green fpastures.

He leads me beside still waters.1

He grestores my soul.

He hleads me in ipaths of righteousness2

for his jname’s sake.

Even though I kwalk through the valley of lthe shadow of death,3

I will mfear no evil,

for nyou are with me;

your orod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You pprepare a table before me

in qthe presence of my enemies;

you ranoint my head with oil;

my scup overflows.

Surely4 goodness and mercy5 shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall tdwell6 in the house of the Lord

uforever.7

The King of Glory

A Psalm of David.

vThe earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,8

the world and those who dwell therein,

for he has wfounded it upon xthe seas

and established it upon the rivers.

yWho shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

And who shall stand in his zholy place?

aHe who has bclean hands and ca pure heart,

who does not dlift up his soul to ewhat is false

and does not swear deceitfully.

He will receive fblessing from the Lord

and grighteousness from hthe God of his salvation.

Such is ithe generation of those who seek him,

who jseek the face of the God of Jacob.9 Selah

kLift up your heads, O gates!

And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

that lthe King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty,

the Lord, mmighty in battle!

Lift up your heads, O gates!

And lift them up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

10  Who is this King of glory?

nThe Lord of hosts,

he is the King of glory! Selah

Teach Me Your Paths

10 Of David.

To you, O Lord, I olift up my soul.

O my God, in you I ptrust;

qlet me not be put to shame;

rlet not my enemies exult over me.

Indeed, snone who wait for you shall be put to shame;

they shall be ashamed who are twantonly utreacherous.

vMake me to know your ways, O Lord;

teach me your paths.

Lead me in your wtruth and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all the day long.

Remember your xmercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,

yfor they have been from of old.

Remember not zthe sins of my youth or my transgressions;

according to your asteadfast love remember me,

for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

bGood and upright is the Lord;

therefore he cinstructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in what is right,

and teaches the humble his way.

10  All the paths of the Lord are dsteadfast love and faithfulness,

for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

11  For your ename’s sake, O Lord,

pardon my guilt, for it is fgreat.

12  Who is the man who fears the Lord?

Him cwill he instruct in the way that he should choose.

13  His soul shall gabide in well-being,

and his hoffspring ishall inherit the land.

14  jThe friendship11 of the Lord is for those who fear him,

and he makes known to them his covenant.

15  My keyes are ever toward the Lord,

for he will lpluck my feet out of the net.

16  mTurn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

17  The troubles of my heart are enlarged;

bring me out of my distresses.

18  nConsider my affliction and my trouble,

and forgive all my sins.

19  Consider how many are my foes,

and with what violent hatred they hate me.

20  Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!

oLet me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

21  May integrity and uprightness preserve me,

for I wait for you.

22  pRedeem Israel, O God,

out of all his troubles.


Acts 21:18–40

18 On the following day Paul went in with us to mJames, and all nthe elders were present. 19 After greeting them, ohe related one by one pthe things that God had done among the Gentiles through his qministry. 20 And when they heard it, they rglorified God. And they said to him, You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all szealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all tthe Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, utelling them vnot to circumcise their children or wwalk according to xour customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men ywho are under a vow; 24 take these men and zpurify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, yso that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, awe have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled,1 and from sexual immorality. 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day zhe purified himself along with them and bwent into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and cthe offering presented for each one of them.

Paul Arrested in the Temple

27 When cthe seven days were almost completed, dthe Jews from Asia, eseeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man who fis teaching everyone everywhere against the people and gthe law and gthis place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and hhas defiled gthis holy place. 29 For they had previously seen iTrophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and jdragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 jAnd as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of kthe cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 lHe at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him mto be bound nwith two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 oSome in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into pthe barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, qAway with him!

Paul Speaks to the People

37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, May I say something to you? And he said, Do you know Greek? 38 Are you not rthe Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out sinto the wilderness? 39 Paul replied, tI am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people. 40 And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, umotioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in vthe Hebrew language,2 saying: