Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord

A Song of ^(A)Ascents.

Unless the Lord Builds the House

A Song of ^(G)Ascents. Of Solomon.

Ahab Killed in Battle

²⁹ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. ³⁰ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ^(A)“I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. ³¹ Now the king of Syria had commanded ^(B)the thirty-two captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” ³² And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. ³³ And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. ³⁴ But a certain man drew his bow at random^[a] and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, ^(C)for I am wounded.” ³⁵ And the battle continued that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died. And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. ³⁶ And about sunset a cry went through the army, “Every man to his city, and every man to his country!”

³⁷ So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. ³⁸ And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, ^(D)according to the word of the Lord that he had spoken. ³⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and ^(E)the ivory house that he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? ⁴⁰ So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah

^41 (F)Jehoshaphat the son of ^(G)Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. ⁴² Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. ^43 (H)He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. Yet ^(I)the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. ^44 (J)Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

⁴⁵ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written ^(K)in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? ⁴⁶ And from the land he exterminated the remnant ^(L)of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa.

^47 (M)There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. ⁴⁸ Jehoshaphat made ^(N)ships of Tarshish to go to ^(O)Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at ^(P)Ezion-geber. ⁴⁹ Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships,” but Jehoshaphat was not willing. ^50 (Q)And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

Ahaziah Reigns in Israel

⁵¹ Ahaziah the son of Ahab ^(R)began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. ⁵² He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord ^(S)and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. ^53 (T)He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger ^(U)in every way that his father had done.

Saul Escapes from Damascus

^23 (A)When many days had passed, the Jews^[a] plotted to kill him, ²⁴ but their ^(B)plot became known to Saul. ^(C)They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, ²⁵ but his disciples took him by night and ^(D)let him down through an opening in the wall,^[b] lowering him in a basket.

Saul in Jerusalem

²⁶ And ^(E)when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But ^(F)Barnabas took him and ^(G)brought him to the apostles and declared to them ^(H)how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and ^(I)how at Damascus he had ^(J)preached boldly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ So he went ^(K)in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ And he spoke and disputed against ^(L)the Hellenists.^[c] But ^(M)they were seeking to kill him. ³⁰ And when ^(N)the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off ^(O)to Tarsus.

³¹ So ^(P)the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And ^(Q)walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, ^(R)it multiplied.

The Healing of Aeneas

³² Now ^(S)as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. ³³ There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. ³⁴ And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, ^(T)Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. ^35 (U)And all the residents of Lydda and ^(V)Sharon saw him, and ^(W)they turned to the Lord.

Dorcas Restored to Life

³⁶ Now there was in ^(X)Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas.^[d] She was full of ^(Y)good works and acts of charity. ³⁷ In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in ^(Z)an upper room. ³⁸ Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, ^(AA)“Please come to us without delay.” ³⁹ So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to ^(AB)the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics^[e] and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. ⁴⁰ But Peter ^(AC)put them all outside, and ^(AD)knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body ^(AE)he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. ⁴¹ And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. ⁴² And it became known throughout all Joppa, and ^(AF)many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ And he stayed in Joppa for many days ^(AG)with one Simon, a tanner.