Psalms 33; Psalms 34; Acts 24

1 All you who are righteous, shout joyfully to the LORD! It's right for those who do right to praise God.

2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre! Sing praises to him with the ten-stringed harp!

3 Sing to him a new song! Play your best with joyful shouts!

4 Because the LORD's word is right, his every act is done in good faith.

5 He loves righteousness and justice; the LORD's faithful love fills the whole earth.

6 The skies were made by the LORD's word, all their starry multitude by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathered the ocean waters into a heap; he put the deep seas into storerooms.

8 All the earth honors the LORD; all the earth's inhabitants stand in awe of him.

9 Because when he spoke, it happened! When he commanded, there it was!

10 The LORD overrules what the nations plan; he frustrates what the peoples intend to do.

11 But the LORD's plan stands forever; what he intends to do lasts from one generation to the next.

12 The nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom God has chosen as his possession, is truly happy!

13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees every human being.

14 From his dwelling place God observes all who live on earth.

15 God is the one who made all their hearts, the one who knows everything they do.

16 Kings aren't saved by the strength of their armies; warriors aren't rescued by how much power they have.

17 A warhorse is a bad bet for victory; it can't save despite its great strength.

18 But look here: the LORD's eyes watch all who honor him, all who wait for his faithful love,

19 to deliver their lives from death and keep them alive during a famine.

20 We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield.

21 Our heart rejoices in God because we trust his holy name.

22 LORD, let your faithful love surround us because we wait for you.

1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise will always be in my mouth.

2 I praise the LORD— let the suffering listen and rejoice.

3 Magnify the LORD with me! Together let us lift his name up high!

4 I sought the LORD and he answered me. He delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to God will shine; their faces are never ashamed.

6 This suffering person cried out: the LORD listened and saved him from every trouble.

7 On every side, the LORD's messenger protects those who honor God; and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see how good the LORD is! The one who takes refuge in him is truly happy!

9 You who are the LORD's holy ones, honor him, because those who honor him don't lack a thing.

10 Even strong young lions go without and get hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, children, listen to me. Let me teach you how to honor the LORD:

12 Do you love life; do you relish the chance to enjoy good things?

13 Then you must keep your tongue from evil and keep your lips from speaking lies!

14 Turn away from evil! Do good! Seek peace and go after it!

15 The LORD's eyes watch the righteous, his ears listen to their cries for help.

16 But the LORD's face is set against those who do evil, to eliminate even the memory of them from the earth.

17 When the righteous cry out, the LORD listens; he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed.

19 The righteous have many problems, but the LORD delivers them from every one.

20 He protects all their bones; not even one will be broken.

21 But just one problem will kill the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be held responsible.

22 The LORD saves his servants' lives; all those who take refuge in him won't be held responsible for anything.

1 Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. They pressed charges against Paul before the governor.

2 After the governor summoned Paul, Tertullus began to make his case against him. He declared, "Under your leadership, we have experienced substantial peace, and your administration has brought reforms to our nation.

3 Always and everywhere, most honorable Felix, we acknowledge this with deep gratitude.

4 I don't want to take too much of your time, so I ask that you listen with your usual courtesy to our brief statement of the facts.

5 We have found this man to be a troublemaker who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the empire. He's a ringleader of the Nazarene faction

6 and even tried to defile the temple. That's when we arrested him.

8 By examining him yourself, you will be able to verify the allegations we are bringing against him."

9 The Jews reinforced the action against Paul, affirming the truth of these accusations.

10 The governor nodded at Paul, giving him permission to speak. He responded, "I know that you have been judge over this nation for many years, so I gladly offer my own defense.

11 You can verify that I went up to worship in Jerusalem no more than twelve days ago.

12 They didn't find me arguing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd, whether in the synagogue or anywhere else in the city.

13 Nor can they prove to you the allegations they are now bringing against me.

14 I do admit this to you, that I am a follower of the Way, which they call a faction. Accordingly, I worship the God of our ancestors and believe everything set out in the Law and written in the Prophets.

15 The hope I have in God I also share with my accusers, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

16 On account of this, I have committed myself to maintaining a clear conscience before God and with all people.

17 After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring gifts for the poor of my nation and to offer sacrifices.

18 When they found me in the temple, I was ritually pure. There was no crowd and no disturbance.

19 But there were some Jews from the province of Asia. They should be here making their accusations, if indeed they have something against me.

20 In their absence, have these people who are here declare what crime they found when I stood before the Jerusalem Council.

21 Perhaps it concerns this one statement that I blurted out when I was with them: ‘I am on trial before you today because of the resurrection of the dead.'"

22 Felix, who had an accurate understanding of the Way, adjourned the meeting. He said, "When Lysias the commander arrives from Jerusalem, I will decide this case."

23 He arranged for a centurion to guard Paul. He was to give Paul some freedom, and his friends were not to be hindered in their efforts to provide for him.

24 After several days, Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and summoned Paul. He listened to him talk about faith in Christ Jesus.

25 When he spoke about upright behavior, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became fearful and said, "Go away for now! When I have time, I'll send for you."

26 At the same time, he was hoping that Paul would offer him some money, so he often sent for him and talked with him.

27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Since Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.