Old/New Testament
Psalm 4[a]
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David.
4 When I call out, answer me,
O God who vindicates me.[b]
Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place.[c]
Have mercy on me[d] and respond to[e] my prayer.
2 You men,[f] how long will you try to turn my honor into shame?[g]
How long[h] will you love what is worthless[i]
and search for what is deceptive?[j] (Selah)
3 Realize that[k] the Lord shows the godly special favor;[l]
the Lord responds[m] when I cry out to him.
4 Tremble with fear and do not sin.[n]
Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways.[o] (Selah)
5 Offer the prescribed sacrifices[p]
and trust in the Lord.[q]
6 Many say, “Who can show us anything good?”
Smile upon us, Lord![r]
7 You make me happier[s]
than those who have abundant grain and wine.[t]
8 I will lie down and sleep peacefully,[u]
for you, Lord, make me safe and secure.[v]
Psalm 5[w]
For the music director, to be accompanied by wind instruments;[x] a psalm of David.
5 Listen to what I say,[y] Lord!
Carefully consider my complaint![z]
2 Pay attention to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for I am praying to you!
3 Lord, in the morning[aa] you will hear[ab] me;[ac]
in the morning I will present my case to you[ad] and then wait expectantly for an answer.[ae]
4 Certainly[af] you are not a God who approves of evil;[ag]
evil people[ah] cannot dwell with you.[ai]
5 Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence;[aj]
you hate[ak] all who behave wickedly.[al]
6 You destroy[am] liars;[an]
the Lord despises[ao] violent and deceitful people.[ap]
7 But as for me,[aq] because of your great faithfulness I will enter your house;[ar]
I will bow down toward your holy temple as I worship you.[as]
8 Lord, lead me in your righteousness[at]
because of those who wait to ambush me,[au]
remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me.[av]
9 For[aw] they do not speak the truth;[ax]
their stomachs are like the place of destruction,[ay]
their throats like an open grave,[az]
their tongues like a steep slope leading into it.[ba]
10 Condemn them,[bb] O God!
May their own schemes be their downfall.[bc]
Drive them away[bd] because of their many acts of insurrection,[be]
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But may all who take shelter[bf] in you be happy.[bg]
May they continually[bh] shout for joy.[bi]
Shelter them[bj] so that those who are loyal to you[bk] may rejoice.[bl]
12 Certainly[bm] you reward[bn] the godly,[bo] Lord.
Like a shield you protect[bp] them[bq] in your good favor.[br]
Psalm 6[bs]
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments, according to the sheminith style;[bt] a psalm of David.
6 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger.
Do not discipline me in your raging fury.[bu]
2 Have mercy on me,[bv] Lord, for I am frail.
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking.[bw]
3 I am absolutely terrified,[bx]
and you, Lord—how long will this continue?[by]
4 Relent, Lord, rescue me![bz]
Deliver me because of your faithfulness.[ca]
5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death.[cb]
In Sheol who gives you thanks?[cc]
6 I am exhausted as I groan.
All night long I drench my bed in tears;[cd]
my tears saturate the cushion beneath me.[ce]
7 My eyes[cf] grow dim[cg] from suffering;
they grow weak[ch] because of all my enemies.[ci]
8 Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly,[cj]
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.[ck]
9 The Lord has heard my appeal for mercy;
the Lord has accepted[cl] my prayer.
10 They will be humiliated[cm] and absolutely terrified.[cn]
All my enemies will turn back and be suddenly humiliated.
Paul at Athens
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was greatly upset[a] because he saw[b] the city was full of idols. 17 So he was addressing[c] the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles[d] in the synagogue,[e] and in the marketplace[f] every day[g] those who happened to be there. 18 Also some of the Epicurean[h] and Stoic[i] philosophers were conversing[j] with him, and some were asking,[k] “What does this foolish babbler[l] want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.”[m] (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)[n] 19 So they took Paul and[o] brought him to the Areopagus,[p] saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 20 For you are bringing some surprising things[q] to our ears, so we want to know what they[r] mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time[s] in nothing else than telling[t] or listening to something new.)[u]
22 So Paul stood[v] before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious[w] in all respects.[x] 23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship,[y] I even found an altar with this inscription:[z] ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it,[aa] this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it,[ab] who is[ac] Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands,[ad] 25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything,[ae] because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone.[af] 26 From one man[ag] he made every nation of the human race[ah] to inhabit the entire earth,[ai] determining their set times[aj] and the fixed limits of the places where they would live,[ak] 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around[al] for him and find him,[am] though he is[an] not far from each one of us. 28 For in him we live and move about[ao] and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’[ap] 29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity[aq] is like gold or silver or stone, an image[ar] made by human[as] skill[at] and imagination.[au] 30 Therefore, although God has overlooked[av] such times of ignorance,[aw] he now commands all people[ax] everywhere to repent,[ay] 31 because he has set[az] a day on which he is going to judge the world[ba] in righteousness, by a man whom he designated,[bb] having provided proof to everyone by raising[bc] him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard about[bd] the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff,[be] but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul left the Areopagus.[bf] 34 But some people[bg] joined him[bh] and believed. Among them[bi] were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus,[bj] a woman[bk] named Damaris, and others with them.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.