11But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.
12For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
24"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!
26Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
27"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.
30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
33But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
20Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.
21Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
22Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
23But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.
24Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
25He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
16I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.
17What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.
19For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise!
20For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.
21To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold--I speak foolishly--I am bold also.
22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.
23Are they ministers of Christ?--I speak as a fool--I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.
24From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
25Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness--
28besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
30If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.
31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
32In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;
33but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.
1It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:
2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
3And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--
4how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.
6For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.
7And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
8Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
9And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
11I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.
12Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
25But the word of the LORD endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
1Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."
7Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,"
8and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
1Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
2Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
3Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;
4but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
5And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
6whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
9Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.
10And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
11Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God."
12And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.
13They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;
14for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us."
15And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.
1Then the high priest said, "Are these things so?"
2And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
3For You meet him with the blessings of goodness; You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
5His glory is great in Your salvation; Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
1After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
2Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
3Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
4Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.
5But whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house.'
6And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.
7And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.
8Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.
9And heal the sick there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.'
10But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,
11"The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'
12But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.
13"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.
15And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.
16He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."
17Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."
18And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
Glory be to God forever. Amen.