Psalm 16-17

New International Version

Psalm 16

A miktam^[a] of David.

¹Keep me safe,^(A) my God,
for in you I take refuge.^(B)

²I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;^(C)
    apart from you I have no good thing.”^(D)
³I say of the holy people^(E) who are in the land,^(F)
    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
⁴Those who run after other gods^(G) will suffer^(H) more and more.
    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
    or take up their names^(I) on my lips.

⁵Lord, you alone are my portion^(J) and my cup;^(K)
    you make my lot^(L) secure.
⁶The boundary lines^(M) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.^(N)
⁷I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;^(O)
    even at night^(P) my heart instructs me.
⁸I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand,^(Q) I will not be shaken.^(R)

⁹Therefore my heart is glad^(S) and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,^(T)
¹⁰because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,^(U)
    nor will you let your faithful^[b] one^(V) see decay.^(W)
¹¹You make known to me the path of life;^(X)
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,^(Y)
    with eternal pleasures^(Z) at your right hand.^(AA)

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

¹Hear me,^(AB) Lord, my plea is just;
    listen to my cry.^(AC)
Hear^(AD) my prayer—
    it does not rise from deceitful lips.^(AE)
²Let my vindication^(AF) come from you;
    may your eyes see what is right.^(AG)

³Though you probe my heart,^(AH)
    though you examine me at night and test me,^(AI)
you will find that I have planned no evil;^(AJ)
    my mouth has not transgressed.^(AK)
⁴Though people tried to bribe me,
    I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
⁵My steps have held to your paths;^(AL)
    my feet have not stumbled.^(AM)

⁶I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;^(AN)
    turn your ear to me^(AO) and hear my prayer.^(AP)
⁷Show me the wonders of your great love,^(AQ)
    you who save by your right hand^(AR)
    those who take refuge^(AS) in you from their foes.
⁸Keep me^(AT) as the apple of your eye;^(AU)
    hide me^(AV) in the shadow of your wings^(AW)
⁹from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me.^(AX)

¹⁰They close up their callous hearts,^(AY)
    and their mouths speak with arrogance.^(AZ)
¹¹They have tracked me down, they now surround me,^(BA)
    with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
¹²They are like a lion^(BB) hungry for prey,^(BC)
    like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

¹³Rise up,^(BD) Lord, confront them, bring them down;^(BE)
    with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
¹⁴By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
    from those of this world^(BF) whose reward is in this life.^(BG)
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
    may their children gorge themselves on it,
    and may there be leftovers^(BH) for their little ones.

¹⁵As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake,^(BI) I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.^(BJ)

Footnotes

Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 16:10 Or holy

Acts 12

New International Version

Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison

12 It was about this time that King Herod^(A) arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. ²He had James, the brother of John,^(B) put to death with the sword.^(C) ³When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews,^(D) he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.^(E) ⁴After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.^(F)

⁵So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.^(G)

⁶The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains,^(H) and sentries stood guard at the entrance. ⁷Suddenly an angel^(I) 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.^(J)

⁸Then 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. ⁹Peter 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.^(K) ¹⁰They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself,^(L) and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

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

¹²When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark,^(O) where many people had gathered and were praying.^(P) ¹³Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.^(Q) ¹⁴When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed^(R) 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.”^(S)

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

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

Herod’s Death

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea^(X) and stayed there. ²⁰He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon;^(Y) 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.^(Z)

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

²⁴But the word of God^(AC) continued to spread and flourish.^(AD)