Psalm 18-19

New International Version

Psalm 18^[a]^(A)

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:

¹I love you, Lord, my strength.^(B)

²The Lord is my rock,^(C) my fortress^(D) and my deliverer;^(E)
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,^(F)
my shield^[b]^(G) and the horn^[c] of my salvation,^(H) my stronghold.

³I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,^(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.^(J)
⁴The cords of death^(K) entangled me;
    the torrents^(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
⁵The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death^(M) confronted me.

⁶In my distress^(N) I called to the Lord;^(O)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;^(P)
    my cry came^(Q) before him, into his ears.
⁷The earth trembled^(R) and quaked,^(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;^(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.^(U)
⁸Smoke rose from his nostrils;^(V)
    consuming fire^(W) came from his mouth,
    burning coals^(X) blazed out of it.
⁹He parted the heavens and came down;^(Y)
    dark clouds^(Z) were under his feet.
¹⁰He mounted the cherubim^(AA) and flew;
    he soared^(AB) on the wings of the wind.^(AC)
¹¹He made darkness his covering,^(AD) his canopy^(AE) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
¹²Out of the brightness of his presence^(AF) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones^(AG) and bolts of lightning.^(AH)
¹³The Lord thundered^(AI) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.^[d]
¹⁴He shot his arrows^(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning^(AK) he routed them.^(AL)
¹⁵The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations^(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,^(AN) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.^(AO)

¹⁶He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.^(AP)
¹⁷He rescued me from my powerful enemy,^(AQ)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.^(AR)
¹⁸They confronted me in the day of my disaster,^(AS)
    but the Lord was my support.^(AT)
¹⁹He brought me out into a spacious place;^(AU)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.^(AV)

²⁰The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;^(AW)
    according to the cleanness of my hands^(AX) he has rewarded me.^(AY)
²¹For I have kept the ways of the Lord;^(AZ)
    I am not guilty of turning^(BA) from my God.
²²All his laws are before me;^(BB)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
²³I have been blameless^(BC) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
²⁴The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,^(BD)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵To the faithful^(BE) you show yourself faithful,^(BF)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
²⁶to the pure^(BG) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.^(BH)
²⁷You save the humble^(BI)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.^(BJ)
²⁸You, Lord, keep my lamp^(BK) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.^(BL)
²⁹With your help^(BM) I can advance against a troop^[e];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

³⁰As for God, his way is perfect:^(BN)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;^(BO)
    he shields^(BP) all who take refuge^(BQ) in him.
³¹For who is God besides the Lord?^(BR)
    And who is the Rock^(BS) except our God?
³²It is God who arms me with strength^(BT)
    and keeps my way secure.^(BU)
³³He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;^(BV)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.^(BW)
³⁴He trains my hands for battle;^(BX)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains^(BY) me;
    your help has made me great.
³⁶You provide a broad path^(BZ) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.^(CA)

³⁷I pursued my enemies^(CB) and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
³⁸I crushed them^(CC) so that they could not rise;^(CD)
    they fell beneath my feet.^(CE)
³⁹You armed me with strength^(CF) for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries^(CG) before me.
⁴⁰You made my enemies turn their backs^(CH) in flight,
    and I destroyed^(CI) my foes.
⁴¹They cried for help, but there was no one to save them^(CJ)—
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.^(CK)
⁴²I beat them as fine as windblown dust;^(CL)
    I trampled them^[f] like mud in the streets.
⁴³You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.^(CM)
People I did not know^(CN) now serve me,
⁴⁴    foreigners^(CO) cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
⁴⁵They all lose heart;^(CP)
    they come trembling^(CQ) from their strongholds.^(CR)

⁴⁶The Lord lives!^(CS) Praise be to my Rock!^(CT)
    Exalted be God^(CU) my Savior!^(CV)
⁴⁷He is the God who avenges^(CW) me,
    who subdues nations^(CX) under me,
⁴⁸    who saves^(CY) me from my enemies.^(CZ)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man^(DA) you rescued me.
⁴⁹Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;^(DB)
    I will sing^(DC) the praises of your name.^(DD)

⁵⁰He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,^(DE)
to David^(DF) and to his descendants forever.^(DG)

Psalm 19^[g]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹The heavens^(DH) declare^(DI) the glory of God;^(DJ)
    the skies^(DK) proclaim the work of his hands.^(DL)
²Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.^(DM)
³They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
⁴Yet their voice^[h] goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.^(DN)
In the heavens God has pitched a tent^(DO) for the sun.^(DP)
⁵    It is like a bridegroom^(DQ) coming out of his chamber,^(DR)
    like a champion^(DS) rejoicing to run his course.
⁶It rises at one end of the heavens^(DT)
    and makes its circuit to the other;^(DU)
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

⁷The law of the Lord^(DV) is perfect,^(DW)
    refreshing the soul.^(DX)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,^(DY)
    making wise the simple.^(DZ)
⁸The precepts of the Lord are right,^(EA)
    giving joy^(EB) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.^(EC)
⁹The fear of the Lord^(ED) is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.^(EE)

¹⁰They are more precious than gold,^(EF)
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,^(EG)
    than honey from the honeycomb.^(EH)
¹¹By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
¹²But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.^(EI)
¹³Keep your servant also from willful sins;^(EJ)
    may they not rule over me.^(EK)
Then I will be blameless,^(EL)
    innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing^(EM) in your sight,
Lord, my Rock^(EN) and my Redeemer.^(EO)

Footnotes

Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out
Psalm 19:1 In Hebrew texts 19:1-14 is numbered 19:2-15.
Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Jerome and Syriac; Hebrew measuring line

Acts 13:1-25

New International Version

13 ¹Now in the church at Antioch^(A) there were prophets^(B) and teachers:^(C) Barnabas,^(D) Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,^(E) Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod^(F) the tetrarch) and Saul. ²While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,^(G) “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work^(H) to which I have called them.”^(I) ³So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them^(J) and sent them off.^(K)

On Cyprus

⁴The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit,^(L) went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.^(M) ⁵When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God^(N) in the Jewish synagogues.^(O) John^(P) was with them as their helper.

⁶They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer^(Q) and false prophet^(R) named Bar-Jesus, ⁷who was an attendant of the proconsul,^(S) Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. ⁸But Elymas the sorcerer^(T) (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul^(U) from the faith.^(V) ⁹Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,^(W) looked straight at Elymas and said, ¹⁰“You are a child of the devil^(X) and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?^(Y) ¹¹Now the hand of the Lord is against you.^(Z) You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”^(AA)

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. ¹²When the proconsul^(AB) saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

¹³From Paphos,^(AC) Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia,^(AD) where John^(AE) left them to return to Jerusalem. ¹⁴From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch.^(AF) On the Sabbath^(AG) they entered the synagogue^(AH) and sat down. ¹⁵After the reading from the Law^(AI) and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”

¹⁶Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand^(AJ) and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! ¹⁷The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country;^(AK) ¹⁸for about forty years he endured their conduct^[a]^(AL) in the wilderness;^(AM) ¹⁹and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan,^(AN) giving their land to his people^(AO) as their inheritance.^(AP) ²⁰All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges^(AQ) until the time of Samuel the prophet.^(AR) ²¹Then the people asked for a king,^(AS) and he gave them Saul^(AT) son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,^(AU) who ruled forty years. ²²After removing Saul,^(AV) he made David their king.^(AW) God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;^(AX) he will do everything I want him to do.’^(AY)

²³“From this man’s descendants^(AZ) God has brought to Israel the Savior^(BA) Jesus,^(BB) as he promised.^(BC) ²⁴Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.^(BD) ²⁵As John was completing his work,^(BE) he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for.^(BF) But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’^(BG)