Psalm 141

New International Version

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

¹I call to you, Lord, come quickly^(A) to me;
hear me^(B) when I call to you.
²May my prayer be set before you like incense;^(C)
may the lifting up of my hands^(D) be like the evening sacrifice.^(E)

³Set a guard over my mouth,^(F) Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.^(G)
⁴Do not let my heart^(H) be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds^(I)
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.^(J)

⁵Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me^(K)—that is oil on my head.^(L)
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

⁶Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,^(M)
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
⁷They will say, “As one plows^(N) and breaks up the earth,^(O)
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth^(P) of the grave.”

⁸But my eyes are fixed^(Q) on you, Sovereign Lord;
    in you I take refuge^(R)—do not give me over to death.
⁹Keep me safe^(S) from the traps set by evildoers,^(T)
    from the snares^(U) they have laid for me.
¹⁰Let the wicked fall^(V) into their own nets,
    while I pass by in safety.^(W)

Psalm 142

New International Version

Psalm 142^[a]

A maskil^[b] of David. When he was in the cave.^(A) A prayer.

¹I cry aloud^(B) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.^(C)
²I pour out before him my complaint;^(D)
before him I tell my trouble.^(E)

³When my spirit grows faint^(F) within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
⁴Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;^(G)
    no one cares^(H) for my life.

⁵I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,^(I)
my portion^(J) in the land of the living.”^(K)

⁶Listen to my cry,^(L)
    for I am in desperate need;^(M)
rescue me^(N) from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong^(O) for me.
⁷Set me free from my prison,^(P)
    that I may praise your name.^(Q)
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.^(R)

Footnotes

Psalm 142:1 In Hebrew texts 142:1-7 is numbered 142:2-8.
Psalm 142:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term

Daniel 6

New International Version

Daniel in the Den of Lions

6 ^[a]It pleased Darius^(A) to appoint 120 satraps^(B) to rule throughout the kingdom, ²with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel.^(C) The satraps were made accountable^(D) to them so that the king might not suffer loss. ³Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.^(E) ⁴At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges^(F) against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ⁵Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”^(G)

⁶So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever!^(H) ⁷The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors^(I) have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.^(J) ⁸Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”^(K) ⁹So King Darius put the decree in writing.

¹⁰Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward^(L) Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees^(M) and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.^(N) ¹¹Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.^(O) ¹²So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”^(P)

¹³Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah,^(Q) pays no attention^(R) to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” ¹⁴When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed;^(S) he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

¹⁵Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”^(T)

¹⁶So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den.^(U) The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue^(V) you!”

¹⁷A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed^(W) it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. ¹⁸Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating^(X) and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.^(Y)

¹⁹At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. ²⁰When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”^(Z)

²¹Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!^(AA) ²²My God sent his angel,^(AB) and he shut the mouths of the lions.^(AC) They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.^(AD) Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

²³The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound^(AE) was found on him, because he had trusted^(AF) in his God.

²⁴At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den,^(AG) along with their wives and children.^(AH) And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.^(AI)

²⁵Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language^(AJ) in all the earth:

“May you prosper greatly!^(AK)

²⁶“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence^(AL) the God of Daniel.^(AM)

“For he is the living God^(AN)
    and he endures forever;^(AO)
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
    his dominion will never end.^(AP)
²⁷He rescues and he saves;^(AQ)
    he performs signs and wonders^(AR)
    in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”^(AS)

²⁸So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus^[b]^(AT) the Persian.^(AU)

Footnotes

Daniel 6:1 In Aramaic texts 6:1-28 is numbered 6:2-29.
Daniel 6:28 Or Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus

Acts 21:17-36

New International Version

Paul’s Arrival at Jerusalem

¹⁷When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters^(A) received us warmly.^(B) ¹⁸The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James,^(C) and all the elders^(D) were present. ¹⁹Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles^(E) through his ministry.^(F)

²⁰When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous^(G) for the law.^(H) ²¹They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses,^(I) telling them not to circumcise their children^(J) or live according to our customs.^(K) ²²What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, ²³so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow.^(L) ²⁴Take these men, join in their purification rites^(M) and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved.^(N) Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. ²⁵As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”^(O)

²⁶The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.^(P)

Paul Arrested

²⁷When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,^(Q) ²⁸shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”^(R) ²⁹(They had previously seen Trophimus^(S) the Ephesian^(T) in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)

³⁰The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul,^(U) they dragged him^(V) from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. ³¹While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³²He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.^(W)

³³The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound^(X) with two^(Y) chains.^(Z) Then he asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another,^(AA) and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.^(AB) ³⁵When Paul reached the steps,^(AC) the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. ³⁶The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”^(AD)