Old/New Testament
Book 1 (Psalms 1-41)
Psalm 1[a]
1 How blessed[b] is the one[c] who does not follow[d] the advice[e] of the wicked,[f]
or stand in the pathway[g] with sinners,
or sit in the assembly[h] of scoffers.[i]
2 Instead[j] he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands;[k]
he meditates on[l] his commands[m] day and night.
3 He is like[n] a tree planted by flowing streams;[o]
it[p] yields[q] its fruit at the proper time,[r]
and its leaves never fall off.[s]
He succeeds in everything he attempts.[t]
4 Not so with the wicked!
Instead[u] they are like wind-driven chaff.[v]
5 For this reason[w] the wicked cannot withstand[x] judgment,[y]
nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly.[z]
6 Certainly[aa] the Lord guards the way of the godly,[ab]
but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.[ac]
Psalm 2[ad]
2 Why[ae] do the nations rebel?[af]
Why[ag] are the countries[ah] devising[ai] plots that will fail?[aj]
2 The kings of the earth[ak] form a united front;[al]
the rulers collaborate[am]
against the Lord and his anointed king.[an]
3 They say,[ao] “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us.[ap]
Let’s free ourselves from[aq] their ropes.”
4 The one enthroned[ar] in heaven laughs in disgust;[as]
the Lord taunts[at] them.
5 Then he angrily speaks to them
and terrifies them in his rage,[au] saying,[av]
6 “I myself[aw] have installed[ax] my king
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 The king says,[ay] “I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me:[az]
‘You are my son.[ba] This very day I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,[bb]
the ends of the earth as your personal property.
9 You will break them[bc] with an iron scepter;[bd]
you will smash them like a potter’s jar.’”[be]
10 So now, you kings, do what is wise;[bf]
you rulers of the earth, submit to correction.[bg]
11 Serve[bh] the Lord in fear.
Repent in terror.[bi]
12 Give sincere homage.[bj]
Otherwise he[bk] will be angry,[bl]
and you will die because of your behavior,[bm]
when his anger quickly ignites.[bn]
How blessed[bo] are all who take shelter in him![bp]
Psalm 3[bq]
A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom.[br]
3 Lord, how[bs] numerous are my enemies!
Many attack me.[bt]
2 Many say about me,
“God will not deliver him.”[bu] (Selah)[bv]
3 But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me;[bw]
you are my glory[bx] and the one who restores me.[by]
4 To the Lord I cried out,[bz]
and he answered me from his holy hill.[ca] (Selah)
5 I rested and slept;
I awoke,[cb] for the Lord protects[cc] me.
6 I am not afraid[cd] of the multitude of people[ce]
who attack me from all directions.[cf]
7 Rise up,[cg] Lord!
Deliver me, my God!
Yes,[ch] you will strike[ci] all my enemies on the jaw;
you will break the teeth[cj] of the wicked.[ck]
8 The Lord delivers;[cl]
you show favor to your people.[cm] (Selah)
Paul and Silas at Thessalonica
17 After they traveled through[a] Amphipolis[b] and Apollonia,[c] they came to Thessalonica,[d] where there was a Jewish synagogue.[e] 2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue,[f] as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed[g] them from the scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating[h] that the Christ[i] had to suffer and to rise from the dead,[j] saying,[k] “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”[l] 4 Some of them were persuaded[m] and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group[n] of God-fearing Greeks[o] and quite a few[p] prominent women. 5 But the Jews became jealous,[q] and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace,[r] they formed a mob[s] and set the city in an uproar.[t] They attacked Jason’s house,[u] trying to find Paul and Silas[v] to bring them out to the assembly.[w] 6 When they did not find them, they dragged[x] Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials,[y] screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble[z] throughout the world[aa] have come here too, 7 and[ab] Jason has welcomed them as guests! They[ac] are all acting against Caesar’s[ad] decrees, saying there is another king named[ae] Jesus!”[af] 8 They caused confusion among[ag] the crowd and the city officials[ah] who heard these things. 9 After[ai] the city officials[aj] had received bail[ak] from Jason and the others, they released them.
Paul and Silas at Berea
10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea[al] at once, during the night. When they arrived,[am] they went to the Jewish synagogue.[an] 11 These Jews[ao] were more open-minded[ap] than those in Thessalonica,[aq] for they eagerly[ar] received[as] the message, examining[at] the scriptures carefully every day[au] to see if these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few[av] prominent[aw] Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica[ax] heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God[ay] in Berea, they came there too, inciting[az] and disturbing[ba] the crowds. 14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast[bb] at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.[bc] 15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.[bd]
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