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

Psalms 16

1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."

3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.

4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

8 I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.

10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.

11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalms 17

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.

2 From you let my vindication come; let your eyes see the right.

3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress.

4 As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.

5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.

6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words.

7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.

8 Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,

9 from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me.

10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly.

11 They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.

12 They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush.

13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, overthrow them! By your sword deliver my life from the wicked,

14 from mortals—by your hand, O Lord— from mortals whose portion in life is in this world. May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their little ones.

15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.

Acts 20:1-16

1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and after encouraging them and saying farewell, he left for Macedonia.

2 When he had gone through those regions and had given the believers much encouragement, he came to Greece,

3 where he stayed for three months. He was about to set sail for Syria when a plot was made against him by the Jews, and so he decided to return through Macedonia.

4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Beroea, by Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, by Gaius from Derbe, and by Timothy, as well as by Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia.

5 They went ahead and were waiting for us in Troas;

6 but we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we joined them in Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

7 On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued speaking until midnight.

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

9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the ground three floors below and was picked up dead.

10 But Paul went down, and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him."

11 Then Paul went upstairs, and after he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them until dawn; then he left.

12 Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive and were not a little comforted.

13 We went ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for he had made this arrangement, intending to go by land himself.

14 When he met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene.

15 We sailed from there, and on the following day we arrived opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos, and the day after that we came to Miletus.

16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; he was eager to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.