Psalm 31:17-20

New International Version

¹⁷Let me not be put to shame,^(A) Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent^(B) in the realm of the dead.
¹⁸Let their lying lips^(C) be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly^(D) against the righteous.

¹⁹How abundant are the good things^(E)
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,^(F)
    on those who take refuge^(G) in you.
²⁰In the shelter^(H) of your presence you hide^(I) them
    from all human intrigues;^(J)
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

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Proverbs 7:3-5

New International Version

³Bind them on your fingers;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.^(A)
⁴Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and to insight, “You are my relative.”
⁵They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words.^(B)

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Matthew 20:17-28

New International Version

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time^(A)

¹⁷Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, ¹⁸“We are going up to Jerusalem,^(B) and the Son of Man^(C) will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.^(D) They will condemn him to death ¹⁹and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged^(E) and crucified.^(F) On the third day^(G) he will be raised to life!”^(H)

A Mother’s Request^(I)

²⁰Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons^(J) came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down,^(K) asked a favor of him.

²¹“What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”^(L)

²²“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup^(M) I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

²³Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup,^(N) but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

²⁴When the ten heard about this, they were indignant^(O) with the two brothers. ²⁵Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,^(P) ²⁷and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸just as the Son of Man^(Q) did not come to be served, but to serve,^(R) and to give his life as a ransom^(S) for many.”

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Acts 23:23-35

New International Version

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^(A) at nine tonight.^(B) ²⁴Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”^(C)

²⁵He wrote a letter as follows:

²⁶Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency,^(D) Governor Felix:

Greetings.^(E)

²⁷This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him,^(F) but I came with my troops and rescued him,^(G) for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.^(H) ²⁸I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.^(I) ²⁹I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law,^(J) but there was no charge against him^(K) that deserved death or imprisonment. ³⁰When I was informed^(L) of a plot^(M) to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers^(N) 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^(O) go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.^(P) ³³When the cavalry^(Q) arrived in Caesarea,^(R) they delivered the letter to the governor^(S) and handed Paul over to him. ³⁴The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,^(T) ³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers^(U) get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard^(V) in Herod’s palace.