Old/New Testament
I Will Bless the Lord
Of David.
26 (A)Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have (B)walked in my integrity,
and I have (C)trusted in the Lord without wavering.
2 (D)Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and (E)my mind.[a]
3 For your (F)steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I (G)walk in your (H)faithfulness.
4 I do not (I)sit with men of (J)falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
5 I (K)hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I (L)wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, O Lord,
7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
and telling all your (M)wondrous deeds.
8 O Lord, I (N)love the habitation of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
9 (O)Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of (P)bribes.
11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on (Q)level ground;
in (R)the great assembly I will bless the Lord.
The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Of David.
27 The Lord is my (S)light and my (T)salvation;
(U)whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[b] of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
to (V)eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 (W)Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet[c] I will be confident.
4 (X)One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may (Y)dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon (Z)the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire[d] in his temple.
5 For he will (AA)hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will (AB)lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my (AC)head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of (AD)joy;
(AE)I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 (AF)Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, (AG)“Seek[e] my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”[f]
9 (AH)Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
(AI)O God of my salvation!
10 For (AJ)my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will (AK)take me in.
11 (AL)Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on (AM)a level path
because of my enemies.
12 (AN)Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for (AO)false witnesses have risen against me,
and they (AP)breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look[g] upon (AQ)the goodness of the Lord
in (AR)the land of the living!
14 (AS)Wait for the Lord;
(AT)be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
The Lord Is My Strength and My Shield
Of David.
28 To you, O Lord, I call;
(AU)my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you (AV)be silent to me,
I become like those who (AW)go down to the pit.
2 (AX)Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to you for help,
when I (AY)lift up my hands
(AZ)toward your most holy sanctuary.[h]
3 Do not (BA)drag me off with the wicked,
with the workers of evil,
(BB)who speak peace with their neighbors
while evil is in their hearts.
4 (BC)Give to them according to their work
and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
(BD)render them their due reward.
5 Because they (BE)do not regard the works of the Lord
or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.
22 (A)“Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”
2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in (B)the Hebrew language,[a] they became even more quiet. And he said:
3 (C)“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated (D)at the feet of (E)Gamaliel[b] (F)according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, (G)being zealous for God (H)as all of you are this day. 4 (I)I persecuted (J)this Way (K)to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as (L)the high priest and (M)the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to (N)the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 (O)“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am (P)Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 (Q)Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand[c] the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 And I said, (R)‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.
12 “And (S)one Ananias, a devout man (T)according to the law, (U)well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 (V)came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And (W)at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. 14 And he said, (X)‘The God of our fathers (Y)appointed you to know his will, (Z)to see (AA)the Righteous One and (AB)to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for (AC)you will be a witness for him to everyone of what (AD)you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you wait? (AE)Rise and be baptized and (AF)wash away your sins, (AG)calling on his name.’
17 (AH)“When I had returned to Jerusalem and (AI)was praying in the temple, I fell into (AJ)a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, (AK)‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another (AL)I imprisoned and (AM)beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen (AN)your witness was being shed, (AO)I myself was standing by and (AP)approving and (AQ)watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you (AR)far away to the Gentiles.’”
Paul and the Roman Tribune
22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, (AS)“Away with such a fellow from the earth! For (AT)he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into (AU)the barracks, saying that he should be (AV)examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips,[d] Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog (AW)a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about (AX)to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also (AY)was afraid, (AZ)for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that (BA)he had bound him.
Paul Before the Council
30 But on the next day, (BB)desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.