Psalm 147

¹⁷ When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. ¹⁸ But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers.^[a] He also struck down Shobak the commander of their army, and he died there. ¹⁹ When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject^(A) to them.

So the Arameans^(B) were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

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)

⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard,^(A) and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? ⁵³ Every day I was with you in the temple courts,^(B) and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour^(C)—when darkness reigns.”^(D)

Peter Disowns Jesus^(E)

⁵⁴ Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest.^(F) Peter followed at a distance.^{(G) 55} And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. ⁵⁶ A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

⁵⁷ But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

⁵⁸ A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

⁵⁹ About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”^(H)

⁶⁰ Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord^(I) turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”^{(J) 62} And he went outside and wept bitterly.