Through the Bible – Day 192

Bible text(s)

Psalms 22

(A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune “A Deer at Dawn”.)

Suffering and praise

₁My God, my God, why have you

deserted me?

Why are you so far away?

Won't you listen to my groans

and come to my rescue?

₂I cry out day and night,

but you don't answer,

and I can never rest.

₃Yet you are the holy God,

ruling from your throne

and praised by Israel.

₄Our ancestors trusted you,

and you rescued them.

₅When they cried out for help,

you saved them,

and you did not let them down

when they depended on you.

₆But I am merely a worm,

far less than human,

and I am hated and rejected

by people everywhere.

₇Everyone who sees me

makes fun and sneers.

They shake their heads,

₈and say, “Trust the LORD!

If you are his favourite,

let him protect you

and keep you safe.”

₉You, LORD, brought me

safely through birth,

and you protected me

when I was a baby

at my mother's breast.

₁₀From the day I was born,

I have been in your care,

and from the time of my birth,

you have been my God.

₁₁Don't stay far off

when I am in trouble

with no one to help me.

₁₂Enemies are all around

like a herd of wild bulls.

Powerful bulls from Bashan

are everywhere.

₁₃My enemies are like lions

roaring and attacking

with jaws open wide.

₁₄I have no more strength

than a few drops of water.

All my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like melted wax.

₁₅My strength has dried up

like a broken clay pot,

and my tongue sticks

to the roof of my mouth.

You, God, have left me

to die in the dust.

₁₆Brutal enemies attack me

like a pack of dogs,

tearing at my hands

and my feet.

₁₇I can count all my bones,

and my enemies just stare

and sneer at me.

₁₈They took my clothes

and gambled for them.

₁₉Don't stay far away, LORD!

My strength comes from you,

so hurry and help.

₂₀Rescue me from enemy swords

and save me from those dogs.

₂₁Don't let lions eat me.

You rescued me from the horns

of wild bulls,

₂₂and when your people meet,

I will praise you, LORD.

₂₃All who worship the LORD,

now praise him!

You belong to Jacob's family

and to the people of Israel,

so fear and honour the LORD!

₂₄The LORD doesn't hate

or despise the helpless

in all their troubles.

When I cried out, he listened

and did not turn away.

₂₅When your people meet,

you will fill my heart

with your praises, LORD,

and everyone will see me

keep my promises to you.

₂₆The poor will eat and be full,

and all who worship you

will be thankful

and live in hope.

₂₇Everyone on this earth

will remember you, LORD.

People all over the world

will turn and worship you,

₂₈because you are in control,

the ruler of all nations.

₂₉All who are rich

and have more than enough

will bow down to you, Lord.

Even those who are dying

and almost in the grave

will come and bow down.

₃₀In the future, everyone

will worship and learn

about you, our Lord.

₃₁People not yet born

will be told,

“The Lord has saved us!”

Psalms 23

(A psalm by David.)

The good shepherd

₁You, LORD, are my shepherd.

I will never be in need.

₂You let me rest in fields

of green grass.

You lead me to streams

of peaceful water,

₃and you refresh my life.

You are true to your name,

and you lead me

along the right paths.

₄I may walk through valleys

as dark as death,

but I won't be afraid.

You are with me,

and your shepherd's rod

makes me feel safe.

₅You treat me to a feast,

while my enemies watch.

You honour me as your guest,

and you fill my cup

until it overflows.

₆Your kindness and love

will always be with me

each day of my life,

and I will live for ever

in your house, LORD.

Psalms 24

(A psalm by David.)

Who can enter the LORD's temple?

₁The earth and everything on it

belong to the LORD.

The world and its people

belong to him.

₂The LORD placed it all

on the oceans and rivers.

₃Who may climb the LORD's hill

or stand in his holy temple?

₄Only those who do right

for the right reasons,

and don't worship idols

or tell lies under oath.

₅The LORD God, who saves them,

will bless and reward them,

₆because they worship and serve

the God of Jacob.

₇Open the ancient gates,

so that the glorious king

may come in.

₈Who is this glorious king?

He is our LORD, a strong

and mighty warrior.

₉Open the ancient gates,

so that the glorious king

may come in.

₁₀Who is this glorious king?

He is our LORD,

the All-Powerful!

Psalms 22:1-24:10CEVOpen in Bible reader

Acts 17

Paul in Athens

₁₆While Paul was waiting in Athens, he was upset to see all the idols in the city. ₁₇He went to the Jewish meeting place to speak to the Jews and to anyone who worshipped with them. Day after day he also spoke to everyone he met in the market. ₁₈Some of them were Epicureans and some were Stoics, and they started arguing with him.

People were asking, “What is this know-all trying to say?”

Some even said, “Paul must be preaching about foreign gods! That's what he means when he talks about Jesus and about people rising from death.”

₁₉They brought Paul before a council called the Areopagus, and said, “Tell us what your new teaching is all about. ₂₀We have heard you say some strange things, and we want to know what you mean.”

₂₁More than anything else the people of Athens and the foreigners living there loved to hear and to talk about anything new. ₂₂So Paul stood up in front of the council and said:

People of Athens, I see that you are very religious. ₂₃As I was going through your city and looking at the things you worship, I found an altar with the words, “To an Unknown God.” You worship this God, but you don't really know him. So I want to tell you about him. ₂₄This God made the world and everything in it. He is Lord of heaven and earth, and he doesn't live in temples built by human hands. ₂₅He doesn't need help from anyone. He gives life, breath, and everything else to all people. ₂₆From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be.

₂₇God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn't far from any of us, ₂₈and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are. “We are his children,” just as some of your poets have said.

₂₉Since we are God's children, we must not think that he is like an idol made out of gold or silver or stone. He isn't like anything that humans have thought up and made. ₃₀In the past, God forgave all this because people did not know what they were doing. But now he says that everyone everywhere must turn to him. ₃₁He has set a day when he will judge the world's people with fairness. And he has chosen the man Jesus to do the judging for him. God has given proof of this to all of us by raising Jesus from death.

₃₂As soon as the people heard Paul say that a man had been raised from death, some of them started laughing. Others said, “We will hear you talk about this some other time.” ₃₃When Paul left the council meeting, ₃₄some of the men put their faith in the Lord and went with Paul. One of them was a council member named Dionysius. A woman named Damaris and several others also put their faith in the Lord.

Acts 17:16-34CEVOpen in Bible reader