David’s Prayer

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?^{(A) 19} And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God; you have spoken also of your servant’s house into the distant future. May this be instruction for the people,^[a] O Lord God! ²⁰ And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God!^{(B) 21} Because of your promise and according to your own heart, you have wrought all this greatness so that your servant may know it. ²² Therefore you are great, O Lord God, for there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.^{(C) 23} Who is like your people, like Israel? Is there another^[b] nation on earth whose God went to redeem it as a people and to make a name for himself, doing^[c] great and awesome things, driving out^[d] nations and their gods before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt?^{(D) 24} And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.^{(E) 25} And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised. ²⁶ Thus your name will be magnified forever in the saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you.^{(F) 27} For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.^{(G) 28} And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant;^{(H) 29} now, therefore, may it please you to bless the house of your servant so that it may continue forever before you, for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”^(I)

¹² But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. ¹³ They said, “This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law.” ¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of crime or serious villainy, I would be justified in accepting the complaint of you Jews,^{(A) 15} but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I do not wish to be a judge of these matters.” ¹⁶ And he dismissed them from the tribunal. ¹⁷ Then all of them^[a] seized Sosthenes, the official of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of these things.^(B)

Paul’s Return to Antioch

¹⁸ After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow.^{(C) 19} When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to stay longer, he declined, ²¹ but on taking leave of them he said, “I^[b] will return to you, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.^(D)

²² When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem^[c] and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.^{(E) 23} After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia^[d] and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.^(F)

Ministry of Apollos

²⁴ Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos from Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures.^{(G) 25} He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.^{(H) 26} He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. ²⁷ And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers,^{(I) 28} for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah^[e] is Jesus.^(J)

Jesus Cures a Blind Man at Bethsaida

²² They came to Bethsaida. Some people^[a] brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.^{(A) 23} He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Can you see anything?”^{(B) 24} And the man^[b] looked up and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” ²⁵ Then Jesus^[c] laid his hands on his eyes again, and he looked intently, and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶ Then he sent him away to his home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.”^[d](C)

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

²⁷ Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”^{(D) 28} And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”^{(E) 29} He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.”^{[e](F) 30} And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.^(G)

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

³¹ Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise again. ³² He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.^{(H) 33} But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”^(I)