Psalm 18:45-50

New International Version

⁴⁵They all lose heart;^(A)
they come trembling^(B) from their strongholds.^(C)

⁴⁶The Lord lives!^(D) Praise be to my Rock!^(E)
    Exalted be God^(F) my Savior!^(G)
⁴⁷He is the God who avenges^(H) me,
    who subdues nations^(I) under me,
⁴⁸    who saves^(J) me from my enemies.^(K)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man^(L) you rescued me.
⁴⁹Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;^(M)
    I will sing^(N) the praises of your name.^(O)

⁵⁰He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,^(P)
to David^(Q) and to his descendants forever.^(R)

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Proverbs 4:4-6

New International Version

⁴Then he taught me, and he said to me,
    “Take hold^(A) of my words with all your heart;
    keep my commands, and you will live.^(B)
⁵Get wisdom,^(C) get understanding;
    do not forget my words or turn away from them.
⁶Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;^(D)
    love her, and she will watch over you.^(E)

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Matthew 12:29-37

New International Version

²⁹“Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

³⁰“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.^(A) ³¹And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.^(B) ³²Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age^(C) or in the age to come.^(D)

³³“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.^(E) ³⁴You brood of vipers,^(F) how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks^(G) what the heart is full of. ³⁵A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”^(H)

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Acts 13:40-52

New International Version

⁴⁰Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

⁴¹“‘Look, you scoffers,
    wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days
    that you would never believe,
    even if someone told you.’^[a]”^(A)

⁴²As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue,^(B) the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. ⁴³When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.^(C)

⁴⁴On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying^(D) and heaped abuse^(E) on him.

⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first.^(F) Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.^(G) ⁴⁷For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

“‘I have made you^[b] a light for the Gentiles,^(H)
that you^[c] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’^[d]”^(I)

⁴⁸When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord;^(J) and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

⁴⁹The word of the Lord^(K) spread through the whole region. ⁵⁰But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.^(L) ⁵¹So they shook the dust off their feet^(M) as a warning to them and went to Iconium.^(N) ⁵²And the disciples^(O) were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.^(P)