Psalm 4-6

English Standard Version

Answer Me When I Call

To the ^(A)choirmaster: with ^(B)stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

4 Answer me when I call, O God of my ^(C)righteousness!
You have ^(D)given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

²O men,^[a] how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after ^(E)lies? Selah
³But know that the Lord has ^(F)set apart ^(G)the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

⁴^(H)Be angry,^[b] and do not sin;
^(I)ponder in your own hearts ^(J)on your beds, and be silent. Selah
⁵Offer ^(K)right sacrifices,
and put your ^(L)trust in the Lord.

⁶There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
^(M)Lift up ^(N)the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
⁷You have put ^(O)more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.

⁸In peace I will both ^(P)lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me ^(Q)dwell in safety.

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

5 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
    consider my ^(R)groaning.
²Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my ^(S)King and my God,
    for ^(T)to you do I pray.
³O Lord, in ^(U)the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you^[c] and ^(V)watch.

⁴For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
    evil may not dwell with you.
⁵The ^(W)boastful shall not ^(X)stand before your eyes;
    you ^(Y)hate all evildoers.
⁶You destroy those who speak ^(Z)lies;
    the Lord abhors ^(AA)the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

⁷But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
I will ^(AB)bow down ^(AC)toward your ^(AD)holy temple
    in the fear of you.
⁸^(AE)Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    ^(AF)make your way straight before me.

⁹For there is no truth in their mouth;
    their inmost self is ^(AG)destruction;
^(AH)their throat is ^(AI)an open grave;
    they ^(AJ)flatter with their tongue.
¹⁰^(AK)Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them ^(AL)fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
    for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹But let all who ^(AM)take refuge in you ^(AN)rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may ^(AO)exult in you.
¹²For you ^(AP)bless the righteous, O Lord;
    you ^(AQ)cover him with favor as with ^(AR)a shield.

O Lord, Deliver My Life

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to ^(AS)The Sheminith.^[d] A Psalm of David.

6 O Lord, ^(AT)rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor ^(AU)discipline me in your wrath.
²Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
    ^(AV)heal me, O Lord, ^(AW)for my bones are troubled.
³My ^(AX)soul also is greatly troubled.
    But you, O Lord—^(AY)how long?

⁴Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
⁵For in ^(AZ)death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who will give you praise?

⁶I am ^(BA)weary with my ^(BB)moaning;
    every night I flood my bed with tears;
    I drench my couch with my weeping.
⁷My ^(BC)eye wastes away because of grief;
    it grows weak because of all my foes.

⁸^(BD)Depart from me, all you ^(BE)workers of evil,
    for the Lord ^(BF)has heard the sound of my weeping.
⁹The Lord has heard my ^(BG)plea;
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
¹⁰All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
    they shall ^(BH)turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

Footnotes

Psalm 4:2 Or O men of rank
Psalm 4:4 Or Be agitated
Psalm 5:3 Or I direct my prayer to you
Psalm 6:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term

Acts 9:22-43

English Standard Version

²²But Saul ^(A)increased all the more in strength, and ^(B)confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving ^(C)that Jesus was the Christ.

Saul Escapes from Damascus

²³^(D)When many days had passed, the Jews^[a] plotted to kill him, ²⁴but their ^(E)plot became known to Saul. ^(F)They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, ²⁵but his disciples took him by night and ^(G)let him down through an opening in the wall,^[b] lowering him in a basket.

Saul in Jerusalem

²⁶And ^(H)when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷But ^(I)Barnabas took him and ^(J)brought him to the apostles and declared to them ^(K)how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and ^(L)how at Damascus he had ^(M)preached boldly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸So he went ^(N)in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹And he spoke and disputed against ^(O)the Hellenists.^[c] But ^(P)they were seeking to kill him. ³⁰And when ^(Q)the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off ^(R)to Tarsus.

³¹So ^(S)the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And ^(T)walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, ^(U)it multiplied.

The Healing of Aeneas

³²Now ^(V)as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. ³³There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. ³⁴And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, ^(W)Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. ³⁵^(X)And all the residents of Lydda and ^(Y)Sharon saw him, and ^(Z)they turned to the Lord.

Dorcas Restored to Life

³⁶Now there was in ^(AA)Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas.^[d] She was full of ^(AB)good works and acts of charity. ³⁷In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in ^(AC)an upper room. ³⁸Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, ^(AD)“Please come to us without delay.” ³⁹So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to ^(AE)the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics^[e] and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. ⁴⁰But Peter ^(AF)put them all outside, and ^(AG)knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body ^(AH)he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. ⁴¹And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. ⁴²And it became known throughout all Joppa, and ^(AI)many believed in the Lord. ⁴³And he stayed in Joppa for many days ^(AJ)with one Simon, a tanner.

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Footnotes

Acts 9:23 The Greek word Ioudaioi refers specifically here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, who opposed the Christian faith in that time
Acts 9:25 Greek through the wall
Acts 9:29 That is, Greek-speaking Jews
Acts 9:36 The Aramaic name Tabitha and the Greek name Dorcas both mean gazelle
Acts 9:39 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin