Psalm 71:1-6

New International Version

Psalm 71^(A)

¹In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;^(B)
    let me never be put to shame.^(C)
²In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
    turn your ear^(D) to me and save me.
³Be my rock of refuge,
    to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.^(E)
⁴Deliver^(F) me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,^(G)
    from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.^(H)

⁵For you have been my hope,^(I) Sovereign Lord,
    my confidence^(J) since my youth.
⁶From birth^(K) I have relied on you;
    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.^(L)
    I will ever praise^(M) you.

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Jeremiah 6:20-30

New International Version

²⁰What do I care about incense from Sheba^(A)
or sweet calamus^(B) from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;^(C)
your sacrifices^(D) do not please me.”^(E)

²¹Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“I will put obstacles before this people.
Parents and children alike will stumble^(F) over them;
neighbors and friends will perish.”

²²This is what the Lord says:

“Look, an army is coming
    from the land of the north;^(G)
a great nation is being stirred up
    from the ends of the earth.^(H)
²³They are armed with bow and spear;
    they are cruel and show no mercy.^(I)
They sound like the roaring sea^(J)
    as they ride on their horses;^(K)
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Zion.^(L)”

²⁴We have heard reports about them,
    and our hands hang limp.^(M)
Anguish^(N) has gripped us,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.^(O)
²⁵Do not go out to the fields
    or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword,
    and there is terror on every side.^(P)
²⁶Put on sackcloth,^(Q) my people,
    and roll in ashes;^(R)
mourn with bitter wailing^(S)
    as for an only son,^(T)
for suddenly the destroyer^(U)
    will come upon us.

²⁷“I have made you a tester^(V) of metals
    and my people the ore,
that you may observe
    and test their ways.
²⁸They are all hardened rebels,^(W)
    going about to slander.^(X)
They are bronze and iron;^(Y)
    they all act corruptly.
²⁹The bellows blow fiercely
    to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining^(Z) goes on in vain;
    the wicked are not purged out.
³⁰They are called rejected silver,^(AA)
    because the Lord has rejected them.”^(AB)

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Acts 17:1-9

New International Version

In Thessalonica

17 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica,^(A) where there was a Jewish synagogue. ²As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue,^(B) and on three Sabbath^(C) days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,^(D) ³explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer^(E) and rise from the dead.^(F) “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,”^(G) he said. ⁴Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas,^(H) as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

⁵But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.^(I) They rushed to Jason’s^(J) house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.^[a] ⁶But when they did not find them, they dragged^(K) Jason and some other believers^(L) before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world^(M) have now come here,^(N) ⁷and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”^(O) ⁸When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. ⁹Then they made Jason^(P) and the others post bond and let them go.