Psalms 23; Psalms 24; Psalms 25; Acts 21:18-40

1 The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name's sake.

4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff-they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

1 The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord;

2 for He laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers.

3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place?

4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not set his mind on what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully.

5 He will receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in.

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors! Then the King of glory will come in.

10 Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah

1 Lord, I turn my hope to You.

2 My God, I trust in You. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me.

3 Not one person who waits for You will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced.

4 Make Your ways known to me, Lord; teach me Your paths.

5 Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long.

6 Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithful love, for they [have existed] from antiquity.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with Your faithful love, remember me because of Your goodness, Lord.

8 The Lord is good and upright; therefore He shows sinners the way.

9 He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.

10 All the Lord's ways [show] faithful love and truth to those who keep His covenant and decrees.

11 Because of Your name, Lord, forgive my sin, for it is great.

12 Who is the person who fears the Lord? He will show him the way he should choose.

13 He will live a good life, and his descendants will inherit the land.

14 The secret counsel of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He reveals His covenant to them.

15 My eyes are always on the Lord, for He will pull my feet out of the net.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am alone and afflicted.

17 The distresses of my heart increase; bring me out of my sufferings.

18 Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins.

19 Consider my enemies; they are numerous, and they hate me violently.

20 Guard me and deliver me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in You.

21 May integrity and uprightness keep me, for I wait for You.

22 God, redeem Israel, from all its distresses.

18 The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

19 After greeting them, he related one by one what God did among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20 When they heard it, they glorified God and said, "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.

21 But they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, by telling them not to circumcise their children or to walk in our customs.

22 So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you've come.

23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have obligated themselves with a vow.

24 Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law.

25 With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality."

26 Then the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering for each of them would be made.

27 As the seven days were about to end, the Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple complex, stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him,

28 shouting, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What's more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has profaned this holy place."

29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple complex.

30 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple complex, and at once the gates were shut.

31 As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos.

32 Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

33 Then the commander came up, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He asked who he was and what he had done.

34 Some in the mob were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks.

35 When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the mob's violence,

36 for the mass of people were following and yelling, "Kill him!"

37 As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, "Am I allowed to say something to you?" He replied, "Do you know Greek?

38 Aren't you the Egyptian who raised a rebellion some time ago and led 4,000 Assassins, a Lat loanword from sica , dagger; compare "cut-throats" or daggermen. into the desert?"

39 Paul said, "I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people."

40 After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language: