Psalms 37; Psalms 38; Psalms 39; Acts 26

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Psalms 37

1 Don't be upset because of evil people. Don't be jealous of those who do wrong,

2 because like the grass, they will soon dry up. Like green plants, they will soon die away.

3 Trust the Lord and do good. Live in the land and feed on truth.

4 Enjoy serving the Lord, and he will give you what you want.

5 Depend on the Lord; trust him, and he will take care of you.

6 Then your goodness will shine like the sun, and your fairness like the noonday sun.

7 Wait and trust the Lord. Don't be upset when others get rich or when someone else's plans succeed.

8 Don't get angry. Don't be upset; it only leads to trouble.

9 Evil people will be sent away, but those who trust the Lord will inherit the land.

10 In a little while the wicked will be no more. You may look for them, but they will be gone.

11 People who are not proud will inherit the land and will enjoy complete peace.

12 The wicked make evil plans against good people. They grind their teeth at them in anger.

13 But the Lord laughs at the wicked, because he sees that their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw their swords and bend their bows to kill the poor and helpless, to kill those who are honest.

15 But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will break.

16 It is better to have little and be right than to have much and be wrong.

17 The power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports those who do right.

18 The Lord watches over the lives of the innocent, and their reward will last forever.

19 They will not be ashamed when trouble comes. They will be full in times of hunger.

20 But the wicked will die. flowers of the fields; they will disappear like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and don't pay back, but those who do right give freely to others.

22 Those whom the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be sent away.

23 When a person's steps follow the Lord, God is pleased with his ways.

24 If he stumbles, he will not fall, because the Lord holds his hand.

25 I was young, and now I am old, but I have never seen good people left helpless or their children begging for food.

26 Good people always lend freely to others, and their children are a blessing.

27 Stop doing evil and do good, so you will live forever.

28 The Lord loves justice and will not leave those who worship him. He will always protect them, but the children of the wicked will die.

29 Good people will inherit the land and will live in it forever.

30 A good person speaks with wisdom, and he says what is fair.

31 The teachings of his God are in his heart, so he does not fail to keep them.

32 The wicked watch for good people so that they may kill them.

33 But the Lord will not take away his protection or let good people be judged guilty.

34 Wait for the Lord's help and follow him. He will honor you and give you the land, and you will see the wicked sent away.

35 I saw a wicked and cruel man who looked strong like a healthy tree in good soil.

36 But he died and was gone; I looked for him, but he couldn't be found.

37 Think of the innocent person, and watch the honest one. The man who has peace will have children to live after him.

38 But sinners will be destroyed; in the end the wicked will die.

39 The Lord saves good people; he is their strength in times of trouble.

40 The Lord helps them and saves them; he saves them from the wicked, because they trust in him for protection. A psalm of David to remember.

Psalms 38

1 Lord, don't correct me when you are angry. Don't punish me when you are furious.

2 Your arrows have wounded me, and your hand has come down on me.

3 My body is sick from your punishment. Even my bones are not healthy because of my sin.

4 My guilt has overwhelmed me; like a load it weighs me down.

5 My sores stink and become infected because I was foolish.

6 I am bent over and bowed down; I am sad all day long.

7 I am burning with fever, and my whole body is sore.

8 I am weak and faint. I moan from the pain I feel.

9 Lord, you know everything I want; my cries are not hidden from you.

10 My heart pounds, and my strength is gone. I am losing my sight.

11 Because of my wounds, my friends and neighbors avoid me, and my relatives stay far away.

12 Some people set traps to kill me. Those who want to hurt me plan trouble; all day long they think up lies.

13 I am like a deaf man; I cannot hear. Like a mute, I cannot speak.

14 I am like a person who does not hear, who has no answer to give.

15 I trust you, Lord. You will answer, my Lord and God.

16 I said, "Don't let them laugh at me or brag when I am defeated."

17 I am about to die, and I cannot forget my pain.

18 I confess my guilt; I am troubled by my sin.

19 My enemies are strong and healthy, and many hate me for no reason.

20 They repay me with evil for the good I did. They lie about me because I try to do good.

21 Lord, don't leave me; my God, don't go away.

22 Quickly come and help me, my Lord and Savior. For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

Psalms 39

1 I said, "I will be careful how I act and will not sin by what I say. I will be careful what I say around wicked people."

2 So I kept very quiet. I didn't even say anything good, but I became even more upset.

3 I became very angry inside, and as I thought about it, my anger burned. So I spoke:

4 "Lord, tell me when the end will come and how long I will live. Let me know how long I have.

5 You have given me only a short life; my lifetime is like nothing to you. Everyone's life is only a breath.Selah

6 People are like shadows moving about. All their work is for nothing; they collect things but don't know who will get them.

7 "So, Lord, what hope do I have? You are my hope.

8 Save me from all my sins. Don't let wicked fools make fun of me.

9 I am quiet; I do not open my mouth, because you are the one who has done this.

10 Quit punishing me; your beating is about to kill me.

11 You correct and punish people for their sins; like a moth, you destroy what they love. Everyone's life is only a breath.Selah

12 "Lord, hear my prayer, and listen to my cry. Do not ignore my tears. I am like a visitor with you. Like my ancestors, I'm only here a short time.

13 Leave me alone so I can be happy before I leave and am no more." For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Acts 26

1 Agrippa said to Paul, "You may now speak to defend yourself." Then Paul raised his hand and began to speak.

2 He said, "King Agrippa, I am very happy to stand before you and will answer all the charges the Jewish people make against me.

3 You know so much about all the Jewish customs and the things the Jews argue about, so please listen to me patiently.

4 "All the Jewish people know about my whole life, how I lived from the beginning in my own country and later in Jerusalem.

5 They have known me for a long time. If they want to, they can tell you that I was a good Pharisee. And the Pharisees obey the laws of the Jewish religion more carefully than any other group.

6 Now I am on trial because I hope for the promise that God made to our ancestors.

7 This is the promise that the twelve tribes of our people hope to receive as they serve God day and night. My king, the Jews have accused me because I hope for this same promise!

8 Why do any of you people think it is impossible for God to raise people from the dead?

9 "I, too, thought I ought to do many things against Jesus from Nazareth.

10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem. The leading priests gave me the power to put many of God's people in jail, and when they were being killed, I agreed it was a good thing.

11 In every synagogue, I often punished them and tried to make them speak against Jesus. I was so angry against them I even went to other cities to find them and punish them.

12 "One time the leading priests gave me permission and the power to go to Damascus.

13 On the way there, at noon, I saw a light from heaven. It was brighter than the sun and flashed all around me and those who were traveling with me.

14 We all fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice speaking to me in the Jewish language, saying, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are only hurting yourself by fighting me.'

15 I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' The Lord said, 'I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.

16 Stand up! I have chosen you to be my servant and my witness -- you will tell people the things that you have seen and the things that I will show you. This is why I have come to you today.

17 I will keep you safe from your own people and also from those who are not Jewish. I am sending you to them

18 to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to the light, away from the power of Satan and to God. Then their sins can be forgiven, and they can have a place with those people who have been made holy by believing in me.'

19 "King Agrippa, after I had this vision from heaven, I obeyed it.

20 I began telling people that they should change their hearts and lives and turn to God and do things to show they really had changed. I told this first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and in every part of Judea, and also to those who are not Jewish.

21 This is why the Jews took me and were trying to kill me in the Temple.

22 But God has helped me, and so I stand here today, telling all people, small and great, what I have seen. But I am saying only what Moses and the prophets said would happen --

23 that the Christ would die, and as the first to rise from the dead, he would bring light to the Jewish and non-Jewish people."

24 While Paul was saying these things to defend himself, Festus said loudly, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Too much study has driven you crazy!"

25 Paul said, "Most excellent Festus, I am not crazy. My words are true and sensible.

26 King Agrippa knows about these things, and I can speak freely to him. I know he has heard about all of these things, because they did not happen off in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, do you believe what the prophets wrote? I know you believe."

28 King Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian in such a short time?"

29 Paul said, "Whether it is a short or a long time, I pray to God that not only you but every person listening to me today would be saved and be like me -- except for these chains I have."

30 Then King Agrippa, Governor Festus, Bernice, and all the people sitting with them stood up

31 and left the room. Talking to each other, they said, "There is no reason why this man should die or be put in jail."

32 And Agrippa said to Festus, "We could let this man go free, but he has asked Caesar to hear his case."