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Psalm 50
English Standard Version
Psalm 50
English Standard Version
God Himself Is Judge
A Psalm of (A)Asaph.
50 (B)The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
(C)from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, (D)the perfection of beauty,
(E)God shines forth.
3 Our God comes; he (F)does not keep silence;[a]
before him is a devouring (G)fire,
around him a mighty tempest.
4 (H)He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made (I)a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6 (J)The heavens declare his righteousness,
for (K)God himself is judge! Selah
7 (L)“Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you.
(M)I am God, your God.
8 Not for your sacrifices (N)do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house
or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 (O)I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
(P)for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 (Q)Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[b]
and (R)perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and (S)call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will (T)deliver you, and you shall (U)glorify me.”
16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 (V)For you hate discipline,
(W)and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, (X)you are pleased with him,
(Y)and you keep company with adulterers.
19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
(Z)and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I (AA)have been silent;
you thought that I[c] was one like yourself.
But now I (AB)rebuke you and (AC)lay the charge before you.
22 “Mark this, then, you who (AD)forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be (AE)none to deliver!
23 The one who (AF)offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who (AG)orders his way rightly
I will show the (AH)salvation of God!”
Footnotes
- Psalm 50:3 Or May our God come, and not keep silence
- Psalm 50:14 Or Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God
- Psalm 50:21 Or that the I am
Psalm 50
New International Version
Psalm 50
New International Version
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(A)
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(B)
2 From Zion,(C) perfect in beauty,(D)
God shines forth.(E)
3 Our God comes(F)
and will not be silent;(G)
a fire devours(H) before him,(I)
and around him a tempest(J) rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth,(K) that he may judge his people:(L)
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,(M)
who made a covenant(N) with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim(O) his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.[a][b](P)
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify(Q) against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.(R)
8 I bring no charges(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings,(T) which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull(U) from your stall
or of goats(V) from your pens,(W)
10 for every animal of the forest(X) is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.(Y)
11 I know every bird(Z) in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields(AA) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world(AB) is mine, and all that is in it.(AC)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(AD) to God,
fulfill your vows(AE) to the Most High,(AF)
15 and call(AG) on me in the day of trouble;(AH)
I will deliver(AI) you, and you will honor(AJ) me.”
16 But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant(AK) on your lips?(AL)
17 You hate(AM) my instruction
and cast my words behind(AN) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(AO) with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.(AP)
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.(AQ)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(AR)
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(AS)
you thought I was exactly[c] like you.
But I now arraign(AT) you
and set my accusations(AU) before you.
Footnotes
- Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
- Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
- Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.
Acts 26
English Standard Version
Acts 26
English Standard Version
Paul's Defense Before Agrippa
26 So (A)Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today (B)against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the (C)customs and (D)controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 (E)“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among (F)my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that (G)according to the strictest (H)party of our (I)religion I have lived as (J)a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in (K)the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 (L)to which (M)our twelve tribes hope to (N)attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope (O)I am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought (P)incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
9 (Q)“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of (R)Jesus of Nazareth. 10 (S)And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority (T)from the chief priests, but (U)when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And (V)I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them (W)blaspheme, and (X)in raging fury against them I (Y)persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
12 “In this connection (Z)I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me (AA)in the Hebrew language,[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and (AB)stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, (AC)to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 (AD)delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—(AE)to whom I (AF)am sending you 18 (AG)to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from (AH)the power of Satan to God, that they may receive (AI)forgiveness of sins and (AJ)a place among those who are sanctified (AK)by faith in me.’
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to (AL)the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first (AM)to those in Damascus, (AN)then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also (AO)to the Gentiles, that they should (AP)repent and (AQ)turn to God, performing deeds (AR)in keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason (AS)the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 (AT)To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so (AU)I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what (AV)the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 (AW)that the Christ (AX)must suffer and that, (AY)by being the first (AZ)to rise from the dead, (BA)he would proclaim (BB)light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, (BC)you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, (BD)most excellent Festus, but I am speaking (BE)true and (BF)rational words. 26 For (BG)the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be (BH)a Christian?”[b] 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day (BI)might become such as I am—except for (BJ)these chains.”
30 Then the king rose, and (BK)the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, (BL)“This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, (BM)“This man could have been set (BN)free if he had not appealed (BO)to Caesar.”
Footnotes
- Acts 26:14 Or the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic)
- Acts 26:28 Or In a short time you would persuade me to act like a Christian!
Acts 26
New International Version
Acts 26
New International Version
26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”(A)
So Paul motioned with his hand(B) and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you(C) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,(D) 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs(E) and controversies.(F) Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,(G) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time(H) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect(I) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.(J) 6 And now it is because of my hope(K) in what God has promised our ancestors(L) that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes(M) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.(N) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.(O) 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?(P)
9 “I too was convinced(Q) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose(R) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.(S) 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people(T) in prison,(U) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.(V) 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,(W) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice(X) saying to me in Aramaic,[a](Y) ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.(Z) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.(AA) 17 I will rescue you(AB) from your own people and from the Gentiles.(AC) I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes(AD) and turn them from darkness to light,(AE) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins(AF) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(AG)
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient(AH) to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus,(AI) then to those in Jerusalem(AJ) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,(AK) I preached that they should repent(AL) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.(AM) 21 That is why some Jews seized me(AN) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.(AO) 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen(AP)— 23 that the Messiah would suffer(AQ) and, as the first to rise from the dead,(AR) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”(AS)
24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,(AT) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning(AU) is driving you insane.”
25 “I am not insane, most excellent(AV) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things,(AW) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”(AX)
29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”(AY)
30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice(AZ) and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”(BA)
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free(BB) if he had not appealed to Caesar.”(BC)
Footnotes
- Acts 26:14 Or Hebrew
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.