Psalm 28

Of David.

Micah’s Idols

17 Now a man named Micah^(A) from the hill country of Ephraim ² said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels^[a] of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have that silver with me; I took it.”

Then his mother said, “The Lord bless you,^(B) my son!”

³ When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the Lord for my son to make an image overlaid with silver.^(C) I will give it back to you.”

⁴ So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels^[b] of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol.^(D) And it was put in Micah’s house.

⁵ Now this man Micah had a shrine,^(E) and he made an ephod^(F) and some household gods^(G) and installed^(H) one of his sons as his priest.^{(I) 6} In those days Israel had no king;^(J) everyone did as they saw fit.^(K)

⁷ A young Levite^(L) from Bethlehem in Judah,^(M) who had been living within the clan of Judah, ⁸ left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way^[c] he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

⁹ Micah asked him, “Where are you from?”

“I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,^(N)” he said, “and I’m looking for a place to stay.”

¹⁰ Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father^(O) and priest,^(P) and I’ll give you ten shekels^[d] of silver a year, your clothes and your food.” ¹¹ So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him. ¹² Then Micah installed^(Q) the Levite, and the young man became his priest^(R) and lived in his house. ¹³ And Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.”^(S)

⁴⁴ “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law^(A) with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.^{(B) 45} After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them.^(C) It remained in the land until the time of David,^{(D) 46} who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.^{[a](E) 47} But it was Solomon who built a house for him.^(F)

⁴⁸ “However, the Most High^(G) does not live in houses made by human hands.^(H) As the prophet says:

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people!^(K) Your hearts^(L) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?^(M) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him^(N)— ⁵³ you who have received the law that was given through angels^(O) but have not obeyed it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴ When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious^(P) and gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,^(Q) looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.^{(R) 56} “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open^(S) and the Son of Man^(T) standing at the right hand of God.”

⁵⁷ At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, ⁵⁸ dragged him out of the city^(U) and began to stone him.^(V) Meanwhile, the witnesses^(W) laid their coats^(X) at the feet of a young man named Saul.^(Y)

⁵⁹ While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”^{(Z) 60} Then he fell on his knees^(AA) and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”^(AB) When he had said this, he fell asleep.^(AC)

8 And Saul^(AD) approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered^(AE) throughout Judea and Samaria.^(AF)

¹⁹ Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself;^(A) he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son^(B) and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these,^(C) so that you will be amazed. ²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,^(D) even so the Son gives life^(E) to whom he is pleased to give it. ²² Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,^{(F) 23} that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.^(G)

²⁴ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me^(H) has eternal life^(I) and will not be judged^(J) but has crossed over from death to life.^{(K) 25} Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come^(L) when the dead will hear^(M) the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life^(N) in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge^(O) because he is the Son of Man.

²⁸ “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming^(P) when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.^(Q)