Add parallel Print Page Options

God places the lonely in families;
    he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Read full chapter

God sets the lonely(A) in families,[a](B)
    he leads out the prisoners(C) with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.(D)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland

He gives the childless woman a family,
    making her a happy mother.

Praise the Lord!

Read full chapter

He settles the childless(A) woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

Read full chapter

33 For the Lord hears the cries of the needy;
    he does not despise his imprisoned people.

Read full chapter

33 The Lord hears the needy(A)
    and does not despise his captive people.

Read full chapter

10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom,
    imprisoned in iron chains of misery.

Read full chapter

10 Some sat in darkness,(A) in utter darkness,
    prisoners suffering(B) in iron chains,(C)

Read full chapter

14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;
    he snapped their chains.

Read full chapter

14 He brought them out of darkness,(A) the utter darkness,(B)
    and broke away their chains.(C)

Read full chapter

Good News for the Oppressed

61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
    for the Lord has anointed me
    to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
    and to proclaim that captives will be released
    and prisoners will be freed.[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 61:1 Greek version reads and the blind will see. Compare Luke 4:18.

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit(A) of the Sovereign Lord(B) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed(C) me
    to proclaim good news(D) to the poor.(E)
He has sent me to bind up(F) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom(G) for the captives(H)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind

He gives justice to the oppressed
    and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.

Read full chapter

He upholds(A) the cause of the oppressed(B)
    and gives food to the hungry.(C)
The Lord sets prisoners free,(D)

Read full chapter

40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes,
    causing them to wander in trackless wastelands.
41 But he rescues the poor from trouble
    and increases their families like flocks of sheep.

Read full chapter

40 he who pours contempt on nobles(A)
    made them wander in a trackless waste.(B)
41 But he lifted the needy(C) out of their affliction
    and increased their families like flocks.(D)

Read full chapter

27 As Isaiah said,

“Rejoice, O childless woman,
    you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
    you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
    than the woman who lives with her husband!”[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 4:27 Isa 54:1.

27 For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”[a](A)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:27 Isaiah 54:1

Those who were well fed are now starving,
    and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
    and the woman with many children wastes away.

Read full chapter

Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry(A) are hungry no more.
She who was barren(B) has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

Read full chapter

26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

Read full chapter

26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.(A) At once all the prison doors flew open,(B) and everyone’s chains came loose.(C)

Read full chapter

Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison

The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.

So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. 10 They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.

11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders[a] had planned to do to me!”

12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. 13 He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”

16 Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. 17 He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.

18 At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter. 19 Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.

The Death of Herod Agrippa

20 Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod’s country for food. The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod’s personal assistant, 21 and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. 22 The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!”

23 Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.

24 Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.

25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned,[b] taking John Mark with them.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 12:11 Or the Jewish people.
  2. 12:25 Or mission, they returned to Jerusalem. Other manuscripts read mission, they returned from Jerusalem; still others read mission, they returned from Jerusalem to Antioch.

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains,(A) and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel(B) of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.(C)

Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.(D) 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself,(E) and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

11 Then Peter came to himself(F) and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me(G) from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark,(H) where many people had gathered and were praying.(I) 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.(J) 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed(K) she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”(L)

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand(M) for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James(N) and the other brothers and sisters(O) about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.(P)

Herod’s Death

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea(Q) and stayed there. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon;(R) they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.(S)

21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel(T) of the Lord struck him down,(U) and he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But the word of God(V) continued to spread and flourish.(W)

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

25 When Barnabas(X) and Saul had finished their mission,(Y) they returned from[a] Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.(Z)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 12:25 Some manuscripts to

34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,
    because of the wickedness of those who live there.

Read full chapter

34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,(A)
    because of the wickedness of those who lived there.

Read full chapter