Psalm 22:6-13

New International Version

⁶But I am a worm^(A) and not a man,
    scorned by everyone,^(B) despised^(C) by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;^(D)
    they hurl insults,^(E) shaking their heads.^(F)
⁸“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.^(G)
Let him deliver him,^(H)
    since he delights^(I) in him.”

⁹Yet you brought me out of the womb;^(J)
you made me trust^(K) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
¹⁰From birth^(L) I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

¹¹Do not be far from me,^(M)
for trouble is near^(N)
and there is no one to help.^(O)

¹²Many bulls^(P) surround me;^(Q)
strong bulls of Bashan^(R) encircle me.
¹³Roaring lions^(S) that tear their prey^(T)
open their mouths wide^(U) against me.

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Proverbs 5:3-6

New International Version

³For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil;^(A)
⁴but in the end she is bitter as gall,^(B)
    sharp as a double-edged sword.
⁵Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.^(C)
⁶She gives no thought to the way of life;
    her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.^(D)

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Matthew 14:1-12

New International Version

John the Baptist Beheaded^(A)

14 At that time Herod^(B) the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus,^(C) ²and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist;^(D) he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

³Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison^(E) because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,^(F) ⁴for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.”^(G) ⁵Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.^(H)

⁶On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much ⁷that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” ⁹The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted ¹⁰and had John beheaded^(I) in the prison. ¹¹His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. ¹²John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it.^(J) Then they went and told Jesus.

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Acts 16:16-24

New International Version

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶Once when we were going to the place of prayer,^(A) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit^(B) 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,^(C) 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.^(D)

¹⁹When her owners realized that their hope of making money^(E) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(F) and dragged^(G) 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^(H) ²¹by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans^(I) to accept or practice.”^(J)

²²The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.^(K) ²³After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer^(L) was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.^(M)