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 23:16-35

New International Version

¹⁶But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks^(A) and told Paul.

¹⁷Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸So he took him to the commander.

The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner,^(B) sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

¹⁹The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

²⁰He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin^(C) tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.^(D) ²¹Don’t give in to them, because more than forty^(E) of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him.^(F) They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

²²The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

²³Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen^[a] to go to Caesarea^(G) at nine tonight.^(H) ²⁴Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”^(I)

²⁵He wrote a letter as follows:

²⁶Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency,^(J) Governor Felix:

Greetings.^(K)

²⁷This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him,^(L) but I came with my troops and rescued him,^(M) for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.^(N) ²⁸I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.^(O) ²⁹I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law,^(P) but there was no charge against him^(Q) that deserved death or imprisonment. ³⁰When I was informed^(R) of a plot^(S) to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers^(T) to present to you their case against him.

³¹So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. ³²The next day they let the cavalry^(U) go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.^(V) ³³When the cavalry^(W) arrived in Caesarea,^(X) they delivered the letter to the governor^(Y) and handed Paul over to him. ³⁴The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,^(Z) ³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers^(AA) get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard^(AB) in Herod’s palace.