Psalms 7; Psalms 8; Psalms 9; Acts 18

1 LORD my God, I go to you for safety. Help me. Save me from all those who are chasing me.

2 If you don't, they will tear me apart as if they were lions. They will rip me to pieces so that no one can save me.

3 LORD my God, suppose I have done something wrong. Suppose I am guilty.

4 I have done evil to my friend. Or I have robbed my enemy without any reason.

5 If I have done any of those things, let my enemy chase me and catch me. Let him walk all over me. Let him bury me in the dust. "Selah"

6 Lord, rise up in your anger. Rise up against the great anger of my enemies. My God, wake up. Command that the right thing be done.

7 Let all the people of the earth gather around you. Rule over them from your throne in heaven.

8 Lord, judge all people. Lord, judge me. But remember that I have done what is right. Most High God, remember that I am honest.

9 God, you always do what is right. You look deep down inside the hearts and minds of people. Bring to an end the terrible things sinful people do. Make godly people safe.

10 The Most High God is like a shield that keeps me safe. He saves those whose hearts are honest.

11 God judges fairly. He shows his anger every day.

12 If evil people don't change their ways, God will sharpen his sword. He will get his bow ready to use.

13 He has prepared his deadly weapons. He has made his flaming arrows ready.

14 Anyone who is full of evil plans trouble and ends up telling lies.

15 Anyone who digs a hole and shovels it out falls into the pit he has made.

16 The trouble he causes comes back on him. The terrible things he does come down on his own head.

17 I will give thanks to the LORD because he does what is right. I will sing praise to the LORD Most High.

1 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in the whole earth! You have made your glory higher than the heavens.

2 You have made sure that children and infants praise you. You have done it because of your enemies. You have done it to put a stop to their talk.

3 I think about the heavens. I think about what your fingers have created. I think about the moon and stars that you have set in place.

4 What is a human being that you think about him? What is a son of man that you take care of him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings. You placed on him a crown of glory and honor.

6 You made human beings the rulers over all that your hands have created. You put everything under their control.

7 They rule over all flocks and herds and over the wild animals.

8 They rule over the birds of the air and over the fish in the ocean. They rule over everything that swims in the oceans.

9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in the whole earth!

1 Lord, I will praise you with all my heart. I will tell about all of the miracles you have done.

2 I will be glad and full of joy because of you. Most High God, I will sing praise to you.

3 My enemies turn back. They fall down and die right in front of you.

4 You have proved that I haven't done anything wrong. You have sat on your throne and judged fairly.

5 You have punished the nations. You have destroyed evil people. You have erased their names from your book for ever and ever.

6 The enemy has been destroyed forever. You have leveled their cities to the ground. Even the memory of them is gone.

7 The LORD rules forever. He has set up his throne so that he can judge people.

8 He will judge the world in keeping with what is right. He will rule over all of its people fairly.

9 The LORD is a place of safety for those who have been beaten down. He keeps them safe in times of trouble.

10 Lord, those who know you will trust in you. You have never deserted those who look to you.

11 Sing praises to the Lord. He rules from his throne in Zion. Tell among the nations what he has done.

12 The One who pays back murderers remembers. He doesn't forget the cries of those who are hurting.

13 Lord, see how badly my enemies treat me! Show me your favor. Don't let me go down to the gates of death.

14 Then I can give praise to you at the gates of the city of Zion. There I will be full of joy because you have saved me.

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug. Their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

16 The LORD is known to be fair. Evil people are trapped by what they have done. "Higgaion." "Selah"

17 Sinful people go down to the grave. So do all the nations that forget God.

18 But those who are in need will always be remembered. The hope of those who are hurting will never die.

19 Lord, rise up. Don't let people win the battle. Let the nations come to you and be judged.

20 Lord, strike them with terror. Let the nations know they are only human. "Selah"

1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, who was a native of Pontus. Aquila had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla. The emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla.

3 They were tentmakers, just as he was. So he stayed and worked with them.

4 Every Sabbath day he went to the synagogue. He was trying to get both Jews and Greeks to believe in the Lord.

5 Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia. Then Paul spent all his time preaching. He gave witness to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

6 But the Jews opposed Paul. They treated him badly. He didn't like this. So he shook out his clothes. Then he said to them, "Anything that happens to you will be your own fault! Don't blame me for it! From now on I will go to people who are not Jews."

7 Then Paul left the synagogue. He went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a man who worshiped God.

8 Crispus was the synagogue ruler. He and his whole family came to believe in the Lord. Many others who lived in Corinth heard Paul. They too believed and were baptized.

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Keep on speaking. Don't be silent.

10 I am with you. No one will attack you and harm you. I have many people in this city."

11 So Paul stayed there for a year and a half. He taught them God's word.

12 At that time Gallio was governor of Achaia. The Jews got together and attacked Paul. They brought him into court.

13 "This man," they charged, "is trying to talk people into worshiping God in ways that are against the law."

14 Paul was about to speak up for himself. But just then Gallio spoke to the Jews. "You Jews are not claiming that Paul has committed a crime, whether large or small," he said. "If you were, it would make sense for me to listen to you.

15 But this is about your own law. It is a question of words and names. Settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things."

16 So he had them thrown out of the court.

17 Then all the Jews turned against Sosthenes. He was the synagogue ruler. They beat him up in front of the court. But Gallio didn't care at all.

18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time. Then he left the believers and sailed for Syria. Priscilla and Aquila went with him. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea. He did this because he had made a promise to God.

19 They arrived at Ephesus. There Paul said good-by to Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and talked with the Jews.

20 The Jews asked him to spend more time with them. But he said no.

21 As he left, he made them a promise. "If God wants me to," he said, "I will come back." Then he sailed from Ephesus.

22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem. There he greeted the church. He then went down to Antioch.

23 Paul spent some time in Antioch. Then he left and traveled all over Galatia and Phrygia. He gave strength to all the believers there.

24 At that time a Jew named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was an educated man from Alexandria. He knew the Scriptures very well.

25 Apollos had been taught the way of the Lord. He spoke with great power. He taught the truth about Jesus. But he only knew about John's baptism.

26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Priscilla and Aquila heard him. So they invited him to their home. There they gave him a better understanding of the way of God.

27 Apollos wanted to go to Achaia. The brothers agreed with him. They wrote to the believers there. They asked them to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who had become believers by God's grace.

28 He argued strongly against the Jews in public meetings. He proved from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.