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17 Do not say, “I shall be hidden from the Lord,
    and who from on high will remember me?
Among so many people I shall not be known,
    for what is my soul in the boundless creation?
18 Behold, heaven and the highest heaven,
    the abyss and the earth, will tremble at his visitation.
19 The mountains also and the foundations of the earth
    shake with trembling when he looks upon them.
20 And no mind will reflect on this.
    Who will ponder his ways?
21 Like a tempest which no man can see,
    so most of his works are concealed.
22 Who will announce his acts of justice?
    Or who will await them? For the covenant is far off.”
23 This is what one devoid of understanding thinks;
    a senseless and misguided man thinks foolishly.

God’s Wisdom Seen in Creation

24 Listen to me, my son, and acquire knowledge,
    and pay close attention to my words.
25 I will impart instruction by weight,
    and declare knowledge accurately.

26 The works of the Lord have existed from the beginning by his creation,[a]
    and when he made them, he determined their divisions.
27 He arranged his works in an eternal order,
    and their dominion[b] for all[c] generations;
they neither hunger nor grow weary,
    and they do not cease from their labors.
28 They do not crowd one another aside,
    and they will never disobey his word.
29 After this the Lord looked upon the earth,
    and filled it with his good things;
30 with all kinds of living beings he covered its surface,
    and to it they return.

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Footnotes

  1. Sirach 16:26 Heb: Gk judgment
  2. Sirach 16:27 Or elements
  3. Sirach 16:27 Gk their

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

And they went through the region of Phry′gia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come opposite My′sia, they attempted to go into Bithyn′ia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by My′sia, they went down to Tro′as. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedo′nia was standing beseeching him and saying, “Come over to Macedo′nia and help us.” 10 And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedo′nia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

The Conversion of Lydia

11 Setting sail therefore from Tro′as, we made a direct voyage to Sam′othrace, and the following day to Ne-ap′olis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the leading city of the district[a] of Macedo′nia, and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days; 13 and on the sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyati′ra, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul. 15 And when she was baptized, with her household, she besought us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers; 20 and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, “These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one’s fetters were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and brought them out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.

35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported the words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now cast us out secretly? No! let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; 39 so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison, and visited Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they exhorted them and departed.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 16:12 The Greek text is uncertain

17 The Lord created man out of earth,
    and turned him back to it again.
He gave to men[a] few days, a limited time,
    but granted them authority over the things upon the earth.[b]
He endowed them with strength like his own,[c]
    and made them in his own image.
He placed the fear of them[d] in all living beings,
    and granted them dominion over beasts and birds.[e]
He made for them[f] tongue and eyes;
    he gave them ears and a mind for thinking.
He filled them with knowledge and understanding,
    and showed them good and evil.
He set his eye upon their hearts
    to show them the majesty of his works.[g]
10 And they will praise his holy name,
    to proclaim the grandeur of his works.
11 He bestowed knowledge upon them,
    and allotted to them the law of life.
12 He established with them an eternal covenant,
    and showed them his judgments.
13 Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,
    and their ears heard the glory of his voice.
14 And he said to them, “Beware of all unrighteousness.”[h]
    And he gave commandment to each of them concerning his neighbor.

15 Their ways are always before him,
    they will not be hid from his eyes.[i]
17 He appointed a ruler for every nation,
    but Israel is the Lord’s own portion.[j]
19 All their works are as the sun before him,
    and his eyes are continually upon their ways.
20 Their iniquities are not hidden from him,
    and all their sins are before the Lord.[k]
22 A man’s almsgiving is like a signet with the Lord,[l]
    and he will keep a person’s kindness like the apple of his eye.
23 Afterward he will arise and requite them,
    and he will bring their recompense on their heads.
24 Yet to those who repent he grants a return,
    and he encourages those whose endurance is failing.

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Footnotes

  1. Sirach 17:2 Gk them
  2. Sirach 17:2 Gk it
  3. Sirach 17:3 Cn: Gk proper to them
  4. Sirach 17:4 Syr: Gk him
  5. Sirach 17:4 Other authorities add They obtained the use of the five operations of the Lord; as sixth he distributed to them the gift of mind, and as seventh reason, the interpreter of his operations.
  6. Sirach 17:6 Syr: Gk Inclination and
  7. Sirach 17:8 Other authorities add and he gave them to boast of his marvels for ever
  8. Sirach 17:14 Or every unrighteous man
  9. Sirach 17:15 Other authorities add 16 Their ways from youth tend toward evil, and they are unable to make for themselves hearts of flesh in place of their stony hearts. 17 For in the division of the nations of the whole earth
  10. Sirach 17:17 Other authorities add 18 whom, being his first-born, he brings up with discipline, and allotting to him the light of his love, he does not neglect him.
  11. Sirach 17:20 Other authorities add 21 But the Lord, who is gracious and knows his creatures, has neither left nor abandoned them, but spared them.
  12. Sirach 17:22 Gk him

The Uproar in Thessalonica

17 Now when they had passed through Amphip′olis and Apollo′nia, they came to Thessaloni′ca, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeks[a] he argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas; as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked fellows of the rabble, they gathered a crowd, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the people. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them; and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard this. And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Paul and Silas in Beroea

10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroe′a; and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessaloni′ca, for they received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews of Thessaloni′ca learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroe′a also, they came there too, stirring up and inciting the crowds. 14 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 17:2 Or sabbaths

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