Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

³ Jacob sent messengers^(A) ahead of him to his brother Esau^(B) in the land of Seir,^(C) the country of Edom.^{(D) 4} He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord^(E) Esau: ‘Your servant^(F) Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban^(G) and have remained there till now. ⁵ I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.^(H) Now I am sending this message to my lord,^(I) that I may find favor in your eyes.^(J)’”

⁶ When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”^(K)

⁷ In great fear^(L) and distress^(M) Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,^[a](N) and the flocks and herds and camels as well. ⁸ He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,^[b] the group^[c] that is left may escape.”

⁹ Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham,^(O) God of my father Isaac,^(P) Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’^{(Q) 10} I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness^(R) you have shown your servant. I had only my staff^(S) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.^{(T) 11} Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid^(U) he will come and attack me,^(V) and also the mothers with their children.^{(W) 12} But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand^(X) of the sea, which cannot be counted.^(Y)’”

¹³ He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift^(Z) for his brother Esau: ¹⁴ two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,^{(AA) 15} thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.^{(AB) 16} He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”^(AC)

¹⁷ He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ ¹⁸ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant^(AD) Jacob. They are a gift^(AE) sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

¹⁹ He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ²⁰ And be sure to say, ‘Your servant^(AF) Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts^(AG) I am sending on ahead;^(AH) later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”^{(AI) 21} So Jacob’s gifts^(AJ) went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”^(A)

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,^(B) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.^(C) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{(D) 39} The promise is for you and your children^(E) and for all who are far off^(F)—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^{(G) 41} Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number^(H) that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching^(I) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread^(J) and to prayer.^{(K) 43} Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.^{(L) 44} All the believers were together and had everything in common.^{(M) 45} They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.^{(N) 46} Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.^(O) They broke bread^(P) in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.^(Q) And the Lord added to their number^(R) daily those who were being saved.