Psalms 16; Psalms 17; Acts 20:1-16

1 God, keep me safe. I go to you for safety.

2 I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord. Without you, I don't have anything that is good."

3 God's people who live in our land are glorious. I take great delight in them.

4 Those who run after other gods will have nothing but trouble. I will not pour out offerings of blood to those gods. My lips will not speak their names.

5 Lord, everything you have given me is good. You have made my life secure.

6 I am very pleased with what you have given me. I am very happy with what I've received from you.

7 I will praise the Lord. He gives me good advice. Even at night my heart teaches me.

8 I know that the LORD is always with me. He is at my right hand. I will always be secure.

9 So my heart is glad. Joy is on my tongue. My body also will be secure.

10 You will not leave me in the grave. You will not let your faithful one rot away.

11 You always show me the path that leads to life. You will fill me with joy when I am with you. You will give me endless pleasures at your right hand.

1 Lord, hear me when I ask you to treat me fairly. Listen to my cry for help. Hear my prayer. It doesn't come from lips that tell lies.

2 When you hand down your sentence, may it be in my favor. May your eyes see what is right.

3 Look deep down into my heart. Study me carefully at night. Put me to the test. You won't find anything wrong. I have made up my mind that my mouth won't say sinful things.

4 I don't do the things other people do. By obeying your word I have kept myself from acting like those who try to hurt others.

5 My steps have stayed on your paths. My feet have not slipped.

6 God, I call out to you because you will answer me. Listen to me. Hear my prayer.

7 Show the wonder of your great love. By using your powerful right hand, you save those who go to you for safety from their enemies.

8 Take good care of me, just as you would take care of your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

9 Save me from the sinful people who attack me. Save me from my deadly enemies who are all around me.

10 They make their hearts hard and stubborn. Their mouths speak with pride.

11 They have tracked me down. They are all around me. Their eyes watch for a chance to throw me to the ground.

12 They are like a hungry lion, waiting to attack. They are like a powerful lion, hiding in the bushes.

13 Lord, rise up. Oppose them and bring them down. With your sword, save me from those evil people.

14 Lord, by your power save me from people like that. They belong to this world. They get their reward in this life. You satisfy the hunger of those you love. Their children have plenty. And those children store up wealth for their children.

15 Because I do what is right, I will enjoy your blessing. When I wake up, I will be satisfied because I will see you.

1 All the trouble came to an end. Then Paul sent for the believers. After cheering them up, he said good-by. He then left for Macedonia.

2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of hope to the people. Finally he arrived in Greece.

3 There he stayed for three months. He was just about to sail for Syria. But the Jews were making plans against him. So he decided to go back through Macedonia.

4 Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, from Berea went with him. Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy went too. Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia Minor also went with him.

5 These men went on ahead. They waited for us at Troas.

6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Five days later we joined the others at Troas. We stayed there for seven days.

7 On the first day of the week we met to break bread and eat together. Paul spoke to the people. He kept on talking until midnight because he planned to leave the next day.

8 There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were meeting.

9 A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. He sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. Sound asleep, Eutychus fell from the third floor. When they picked him up from the ground, he was dead.

10 Paul went down and threw himself on the young man. He put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he told them. "He's alive!"

11 Then Paul went upstairs again. He broke bread and ate with them. He kept on talking until daylight. Then he left.

12 The people took the young man home. They were greatly comforted because he was alive.

13 We went on ahead to the ship. We sailed for Assos. There we were going to take Paul on board. He had planned it this way because he wanted to go there by land.

14 So he met us at Assos. We took him on board and went on to Mitylene.

15 The next day we sailed from there. We arrived near Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos. We arrived at Miletus the next day.

16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus. He didn't want to spend time in Asia Minor. He was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem. If he could, he wanted to be there by the day of Pentecost.