Psalms 46; Psalms 47; Psalms 48; Acts 28

1 God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in times of trouble.

2 So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or the mountains fall into the sea,

3 even if the oceans roar and foam, or the mountains shake at the raging sea. Selah

4 There is a river that brings joy to the city of God, the holy place where God Most High lives.

5 God is in that city, and so it will not be shaken. God will help her at dawn.

6 Nations tremble and kingdoms shake. God shouts and the earth crumbles.

7 The Lord All-Powerful is with us; the God of Jacob is our defender.Selah

8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the amazing things he has done on the earth.

9 He stops wars everywhere on the earth. He breaks all bows and spears and burns up the chariots with fire.

10 God says, "Be quiet and know that I am God. I will be supreme over all the nations; I will be supreme in the earth."

11 The Lord All-Powerful is with us; the God of Jacob is our defender.Selah God, the King of the World

1 Clap your hands, all you people. Shout to God with joy.

2 The Lord Most High is wonderful.

3 He defeated nations for us and put them under our control.

4 He chose the land we would inherit. We are the children of Jacob, whom he loved.Selah

5 God has risen with a shout of joy; the Lord has risen as the trumpets sounded.

6 Sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing praises to our King. Sing praises.

7 God is King of all the earth, so sing a song of praise to him.

8 God is King over the nations. God sits on his holy throne.

9 The leaders of the nations meet with the people of the God of Abraham, because the leaders of the earth belong to God. He is supreme. Jerusalem, the City of God A psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 The Lord is great; he should be praised in the city of our God, on his holy mountain.

2 It is high and beautiful and brings joy to the whole world. Mount Zion is like the high mountains of the north; it is the city of the Great King.

3 God is within its palaces; he is known as its defender.

4 Kings joined together and came to attack the city.

5 But when they saw it, they were amazed. They ran away in fear.

6 Fear took hold of them; they hurt like a woman having a baby.

7 You destroyed the large trading ships with an east wind.

8 First we heard and now we have seen that God will always keep his city safe. It is the city of the Lord All-Powerful, the city of our God.Selah

9 God, we come into your Temple to think about your love.

10 God, your name is known everywhere; all over the earth people praise you. Your right hand is full of goodness.

11 Mount Zion is happy and all the towns of Judah rejoice, because your decisions are fair.

12 Walk around Jerusalem and count its towers.

13 Notice how strong they are. Look at the palaces. Then you can tell your children about them.

14 This God is our God forever and ever. He will guide us from now on.

1 When we were safe on land, we learned that the island was called Malta.

2 The people who lived there were very good to us. Because it was raining and very cold, they made a fire and welcomed all of us.

3 Paul gathered a pile of sticks and was putting them on the fire when a poisonous snake came out because of the heat and bit him on the hand.

4 The people living on the island saw the snake hanging from Paul's hand and said to each other, "This man must be a murderer! He did not die in the sea, but Justicen does not want him to live."

5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and was not hurt.

6 The people thought that Paul would swell up or fall down dead. They waited and watched him for a long time, but nothing bad happened to him. So they changed their minds and said, "He is a god!"

7 There were some fields around there owned by Publius, an important man on the island. He welcomed us into his home and was very good to us for three days.

8 Publius' father was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, prayed, and put his hands on the man and healed him.

9 After this, all the other sick people on the island came to Paul, and he healed them, too.

10

11 The people on the island gave us many honors. When we were ready to leave, three months later, they gave us the things we needed. We got on a ship from Alexandria that had stayed on the island during the winter. On the front of the ship was the sign of the twin gods.

12 We stopped at Syracuse for three days.

13 From there we sailed to Rhegium. The next day a wind began to blow from the south, and a day later we came to Puteoli.

14 We found some believers there who asked us to stay with them for a week. Finally, we came to Rome.

15 The believers in Rome heard that we were there and came out as far as the Market of Appiusn and the Three Innsn to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.

16 When we arrived at Rome, Paul was allowed to live alone, with the soldier who guarded him.

17 Three days later Paul sent for the Jewish leaders there. When they came together, he said, "Brothers, I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. But I was arrested in Jerusalem and given to the Romans.

18 After they asked me many questions, they could find no reason why I should be killed. They wanted to let me go free,

19 but the Jewish people there argued against that. So I had to ask to come to Rome to have my trial before Caesar. But I have no charge to bring against my own people.

20 That is why I wanted to see you and talk with you. I am bound with this chain because I believe in the hope of Israel."

21 They answered Paul, "We have received no letters from Judea about you. None of our Jewish brothers who have come from there brought news or told us anything bad about you.

22 But we want to hear your ideas, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this religious group."

23 Paul and the Jewish people chose a day for a meeting and on that day many more of the Jews met with Paul at the place he was staying. He spoke to them all day long. Using the law of Moses and the prophets' writings, he explained the kingdom of God, and he tried to persuade them to believe these things about Jesus.

24 Some believed what Paul said, but others did not.

25 So they argued and began leaving after Paul said one more thing to them: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

26 'Go to this people and say: You will listen and listen, but you will not understand. You will look and look, but you will not learn,

27 because these people have become stubborn. They don't hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might really understand what they see with their eyes and hear with their ears. They might really understand in their minds and come back to me and be healed.'

28 "I want you to know that God has also sent his salvation to those who are not Jewish, and they will listen!"

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30 Paul stayed two full years in his own rented house and welcomed all people who came to visit him.

31 He boldly preached about the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him.