Old/New Testament
Psalm 46[a]
God, Refuge of His People
1 For the director.[b] A song of the sons of Korah. According to alamoth.
2 [c]God is our refuge and our strength,
a well-proved help in times of trouble.[d]
3 Therefore, we will not be afraid, though the earth be shaken
and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,
4 though its waters rage and seethe
and the mountains tremble at the upheaval.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.[e] Selah
5 There is a river[f] whose streams bring joy to the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
6 God is in her midst; she will not be overcome;
God will help her at break of dawn.[g]
7 The nations are in tumult and kingdoms fall;
when he raises his voice,[h] the earth melts away.
8 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
9 Come and behold the works of the Lord,
the astonishing deeds he has wrought on the earth.
10 He puts an end to wars all over the earth;
he breaks the bow and snaps the spear,
and he burns the shields with flames.[i]
11 “Be still and acknowledge that I am God,
exalted among the nations,
exalted on the earth.”[j]
12 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Psalm 47[k]
The Lord, King of All Nations
1 For the director.[l] A psalm of the sons of Korah.
2 All you peoples, clap your hands,[m]
shout to God with cries of gladness.
3 For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome;
he is the great King over all the earth.
4 He subdued nations under us
and brought peoples under our feet.
5 He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob,[n] whom he loved. Selah
6 [o]God has ascended amid shouts of joy;
the Lord, amid the sound of trumpets.
7 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
8 For God is the King of the entire earth;
sing hymns of praise to him.
9 God reigns over all the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
10 The princes of the nations assemble
with the people of the God of Abraham;
for the rulers[p] of the earth belong to God,
and he is exalted on high.
Psalm 48[q]
Thanksgiving for the Deliverance of God’s People
1 A psalm of the sons of Korah.[r] A song.
2 Great is the Lord and worthy of high praise
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain,[s] 3 towering in its beauty,
is the joy of the entire earth.
Mount Zion, the true heights of the north,[t]
is the city of the great King.
4 God is in her citadels
and has revealed himself as her fortress.[u]
5 [v]For the kings conspired together
and came onward in unison.
6 As soon as they beheld her, they were astounded;
filled with panic, they fled.
7 They were seized with trembling,
with pains like those of a woman in labor,
8 as though a wind from the east[w]
were breaking up the ships of Tarshish.
9 What we had heard,
we have now beheld for ourselves[x]
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God
that he established to endure forever. Selah
10 O God, as we stand in the midst of your temple,
we will meditate on your kindness.[y]
11 Like your name,[z] O God,
your praise extends to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness;
12 let Mount Zion rejoice.
Let the towns of Judah exult
in your saving judgments.[aa]
13 [ab]Walk around Zion; pass throughout her;
count the number of her towers.
14 Take careful note of her ramparts,
walk through her citadels,
so that you may recount for future generations
15 that such is God;
our God forever and ever,
he will be our guide eternally.[ac]
Chapter 28
Paul at Malta. 1 Once we had made our way to safety, we learned that the island was called Malta.[a] 2 The natives[b] treated us with unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they lit a bonfire and welcomed all of us around it.
3 Paul had gathered an armful of sticks and put them on the fire when a viper, driven out by the heat, attached itself to his hand. 4 On seeing the snake hanging from his hand, the natives said to one another, “This man must be a murderer. Although he escaped from the sea, Justice[c] has not allowed him to live.”
5 However, he shook off the snake into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after waiting for a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.
7 In the vicinity of that place there were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, whose name was Publius.[d] He received us and gave us his hospitality for three days. 8 It so happened that this man’s father was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and cured him by praying and laying hands on him. 9 After this happened, the rest of the sick people on the island also came and were cured. 10 They honored us with many marks of respect, and when we were about to set sail, they put on board all the supplies we needed.
11 From Malta to Rome. Three months later,[e] we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island. The ship was from Alexandria, with the Dioscuri as its figurehead. 12 We landed at Syracuse[f] and spent three days there. 13 Then we sailed along the coast and came to Rhegium.[g] After one day there, a south wind came up, and we reached Puteoli in two days.
14 In Puteoli, we found some brethren, and we were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 When the brethren there learned of our arrival, they came out to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius[h] and the Three Taverns. On seeing them, Paul gave thanks to God, and his courage was strengthened.
Paul’s Activity at Rome[i]
Meetings with the Jewish Leaders. On his arrival in Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier guarding him.[j] 17 Three days later, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brethren, although I have done nothing against our people or our ancestral customs, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 After they had examined me, the Romans wanted to release me because they had found nothing against me that deserved the death penalty. 19 But the Jews objected, and I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no accusation to make against my own nation. 20 This is the reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for it is because of the hope of Israel that I wear these chains.”21 They replied, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brethren who arrived here reported or spoken anything evil about you. 22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, for all we know about this sect is that it is denounced everywhere.”
23 And so they agreed on a day to meet with him, and they came to his lodgings in great numbers. From early morning until evening, he presented his case to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and attempting to convince them about Jesus as he argued from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets. 24 Some were persuaded by what he had said, but others refused to believe.
25 Having failed to reach an agreement among themselves, they began to leave. Then Paul made his final statement, “How right the Holy Spirit was when he spoke to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah, saying,
26 ‘Go to the people and say
You will indeed listen but never understand,
and you will indeed look but never perceive.
27 For this people’s heart has become dull,
their ears have been stopped up,
and they have shut their eyes,
lest their eyes might see,
their ears might hear,
and their hearts might understand.
Then they would be converted,
and I would heal them.’
28 “Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation offered by God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen.” [ 29 And when he had said this, the Jews departed, arguing vigorously among themselves.][k]
30 Conclusion—But Not an End.[l] Paul remained there in his lodgings for two full years at his own expense. He welcomed all who came to him, 31 and without hindrance he boldly proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
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