Psalm 31-32

New International Version

Psalm 31^[a]^(A)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;^(B)
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.^(C)
²Turn your ear to me,^(D)
    come quickly to my rescue;^(E)
be my rock of refuge,^(F)
    a strong fortress to save me.
³Since you are my rock and my fortress,^(G)
    for the sake of your name^(H) lead and guide me.
⁴Keep me free from the trap^(I) that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.^(J)
⁵Into your hands I commit my spirit;^(K)
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.^(L)

⁶I hate those who cling to worthless idols;^(M)
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.^(N)
⁷I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction^(O)
    and knew the anguish^(P) of my soul.
⁸You have not given me into the hands^(Q) of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.^(R)

⁹Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;^(S)
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,^(T)
    my soul and body^(U) with grief.
¹⁰My life is consumed by anguish^(V)
    and my years by groaning;^(W)
my strength fails^(X) because of my affliction,^[b]^(Y)
    and my bones grow weak.^(Z)
¹¹Because of all my enemies,^(AA)
    I am the utter contempt^(AB) of my neighbors^(AC)
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
¹²I am forgotten as though I were dead;^(AD)
    I have become like broken pottery.
¹³For I hear many whispering,^(AE)
    “Terror on every side!”^(AF)
They conspire against me^(AG)
    and plot to take my life.^(AH)

¹⁴But I trust^(AI) in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵My times^(AJ) are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
¹⁶Let your face shine^(AK) on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.^(AL)
¹⁷Let me not be put to shame,^(AM) Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent^(AN) in the realm of the dead.
¹⁸Let their lying lips^(AO) be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly^(AP) against the righteous.

¹⁹How abundant are the good things^(AQ)
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,^(AR)
    on those who take refuge^(AS) in you.
²⁰In the shelter^(AT) of your presence you hide^(AU) them
    from all human intrigues;^(AV)
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

²¹Praise be to the Lord,^(AW)
    for he showed me the wonders of his love^(AX)
    when I was in a city under siege.^(AY)
²²In my alarm^(AZ) I said,
    “I am cut off^(BA) from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry^(BB) for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

²³Love the Lord, all his faithful people!^(BC)
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,^(BD)
    but the proud he pays back^(BE) in full.
²⁴Be strong and take heart,^(BF)
    all you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil.^[c]

¹Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.^(BG)
²Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them^(BH)
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.^(BI)

³When I kept silent,^(BJ)
    my bones wasted away^(BK)
    through my groaning^(BL) all day long.
⁴For day and night
    your hand was heavy^(BM) on me;
my strength was sapped^(BN)
    as in the heat of summer.^[d]

⁵Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.^(BO)
I said, “I will confess^(BP)
    my transgressions^(BQ) to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.^(BR)

⁶Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;^(BS)
surely the rising^(BT) of the mighty waters^(BU)
    will not reach them.^(BV)
⁷You are my hiding place;^(BW)
    you will protect me from trouble^(BX)
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.^(BY)

⁸I will instruct^(BZ) you and teach you^(CA) in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on^(CB) you.
⁹Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle^(CC)
    or they will not come to you.
¹⁰Many are the woes of the wicked,^(CD)
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts^(CE) in him.

¹¹Rejoice in the Lord^(CF) and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Footnotes

Psalm 31:1 In Hebrew texts 31:1-24 is numbered 31:2-25.
Psalm 31:10 Or guilt
Psalm 32:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 32:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.

Acts 16:1-21

New International Version

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,^(A) where a disciple named Timothy^(B) lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer^(C) but whose father was a Greek. ²The believers^(D) at Lystra and Iconium^(E) spoke well of him. ³Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.^(F) ⁴As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders^(G) in Jerusalem^(H) for the people to obey.^(I) ⁵So the churches were strengthened^(J) in the faith and grew daily in numbers.^(K)

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

⁶Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia^(L) and Galatia,^(M) having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.^(N) ⁷When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus^(O) would not allow them to. ⁸So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.^(P) ⁹During the night Paul had a vision^(Q) of a man of Macedonia^(R) standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰After Paul had seen the vision, we^(S) got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel^(T) to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

¹¹From Troas^(U) we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. ¹²From there we traveled to Philippi,^(V) a Roman colony and the leading city of that district^[a] of Macedonia.^(W) And we stayed there several days.

¹³On the Sabbath^(X) we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira^(Y) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart^(Z) to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵When she and the members of her household^(AA) were baptized,^(AB) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶Once when we were going to the place of prayer,^(AC) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit^(AD) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,^(AE) who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.^(AF)

¹⁹When her owners realized that their hope of making money^(AG) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(AH) and dragged^(AI) them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar^(AJ) ²¹by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans^(AK) to accept or practice.”^(AL)