^5 (A)If any of you lacks wisdom, ^(B)let him ask God, ^(C)who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

^15 (A)Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ^16 (B)making the best use of the time, because ^(C)the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what ^(D)the will of the Lord is.

^5 (A)Walk in wisdom toward ^(B)outsiders, making the best use of the time.

²⁰ Brothers, ^(A)do not be children in your thinking. ^(B)Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be ^(C)mature.

¹⁵ But there was found in it ^(A)a poor, wise man, and he by his ^(B)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. ¹⁶ But I say that ^(C)wisdom is better than might, though ^(D)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

¹⁷ The words of the wise heard in ^(E)quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

⁴ This is the thing that you shall do: ^(A)of you priests and Levites who come off duty on the Sabbath, one third shall be gatekeepers, ⁵ and one third shall be at the king's house and one third at the Gate of the Foundation. And all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. ⁶ Let no one enter the house of the Lord except the priests ^(B)and ministering Levites. They may enter, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the charge of the Lord. ⁷ The Levites shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever enters the house shall be put to death. Be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

⁸ The Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men, who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss ^(C)the divisions. ⁹ And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God. ¹⁰ And he set all the people as a guard for the king, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house. ¹¹ Then they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him ^(D)the testimony. And they proclaimed him king, and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, ^(E)“Long live the king.”

Seven Chosen to Serve

6 Now in these days ^(A)when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists^[a] arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in ^(B)the daily distribution. ² And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. ^3 (C)Therefore, brothers,^[b] pick out from among you seven men ^(D)of good repute, ^(E)full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. ⁴ But ^(F)we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, ^(G)a man full of faith and ^(H)of the Holy Spirit, and ^(I)Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, ^(J)a proselyte of Antioch. ⁶ These they set before the apostles, and ^(K)they prayed and ^(L)laid their hands on them.

⁷ And ^(M)the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests ^(N)became obedient to ^(O)the faith.

Stephen Is Seized

⁸ And Stephen, full of grace and ^(P)power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.