Through the Bible – Day 195

Bible text(s)

Psalms 33

Sing praises to the LORD

1You are the LORD's people.

Obey him and celebrate!

He deserves your praise.

2Praise the LORD with harps!

Use harps with ten strings

to make music for him.

3Sing a new song. Shout!

Play beautiful music.

4The LORD is truthful;

he can be trusted.

5He loves justice and fairness,

and he is kind to everyone

everywhere on earth.

6The LORD made the heavens

and everything in them

by his word.

7He scooped up the ocean

and stored the water.

8Everyone in this world

should worship and honour

the LORD!

9As soon as he spoke

the world was created;

at his command,

the earth was formed.

10The LORD destroys the plans

and spoils the schemes

of the nations.

11But what the LORD has planned

will stand for ever.

His thoughts never change.

12The LORD blesses each nation

that worships only him.

He blesses his chosen ones.

13The LORD looks at the world

14from his throne in heaven,

and he watches us all.

15The LORD gave us each a mind,

and nothing we do

can be hidden from him.

16Mighty armies alone

cannot win wars for a king;

great strength by itself

cannot keep a soldier safe.

17In war the strength of a horse

cannot be trusted

to take you to safety.

18But the LORD watches over

all who honour him

and trust his kindness.

19He protects them from death

and starvation.

20We depend on you, LORD,

to help and protect us.

21You make our hearts glad

because we trust you,

the only God.

22Be kind and bless us!

We depend on you.

Psalms 34

(Written by David when he pretended to be mad in front of Abimelech, so that Abimelech would send him away, and David could leave.)

Honour the LORD

1I will always praise the LORD.

2With all my heart,

I will praise the LORD.

Let all who are helpless,

listen and be glad.

3Honour the LORD with me!

Celebrate his great name.

4I asked the LORD for help,

and he saved me

from all my fears.

5Keep your eyes on the LORD!

You will shine like the sun

and never blush with shame.

6I was a nobody, but I prayed,

and the LORD saved me

from all my troubles.

7If you honour the LORD,

his angel will protect you.

8Discover for yourself

that the LORD is kind.

Come to him for protection,

and you will be glad.

9Honour the LORD!

You are his special people.

No one who honours the LORD

will ever be in need.

10Young lions may go hungry

or even starve,

but if you trust the LORD,

you will never miss out

on anything good.

11Come, my children, listen

as I teach you

to respect the LORD.

12Do you want to live

and enjoy a long life?

13Then don't say cruel things

and don't tell lies.

14Do good instead of evil

and try to live at peace.

15If you obey the LORD,

he will watch over you

and answer your prayers.

16But God despises evil people,

and he will wipe them all

from the earth,

till they are forgotten.

17When his people pray for help,

he listens and rescues them

from their troubles.

18The LORD is there to rescue

all who are discouraged

and have given up hope.

19The LORD's people

may suffer a lot,

but he will always

bring them safely through.

20Not one of their bones

will ever be broken.

21Wicked people are killed

by their own evil deeds,

and if you hate God's people

you will be punished.

22The LORD saves the lives

of his servants.

Run to him for protection,

and you won't be punished.

Psalms 35

(A psalm by David.)

A prayer for protection from enemies

1Fight my enemies, LORD!

Attack my attackers!

2Shield me and help me.

3Aim your spear at everyone

who hunts me down,

but promise to save me.

4Let all who want to kill me

be disappointed

and disgraced.

Chase away and confuse

all who plan to harm me.

5Send your angel after them

and let them be like straw

in the wind.

6Make them run in the dark

on a slippery road,

as your angel chases them.

7I did them no harm,

but they hid a net

to trap me,

and they dug a deep pit

to catch and kill me.

8Surprise them with disaster!

Trap them in their own nets

and let them fall and rot

in the pits they have dug.

9I will celebrate and be joyful

because you, LORD,

have saved me.

10Every bone in my body

will shout:

“No one is like the LORD!”

You protect the helpless

from those in power;

you save the poor and needy

from those who hurt them.

11Liars accuse me of crimes

I know nothing about.

12They repay evil for good,

and I feel all alone.

13When they were sick,

I wore sackcloth

and went without food.

I truly prayed for them,

14as I would for a friend

or a relative.

I was in sorrow and mourned,

as I would for my mother.

15I have stumbled,

and worthless liars

I don't even know

surround me and sneer.

16Worthless people make fun

and never stop laughing.

17But all you do is watch!

When will you do something?

Save me from the attack

of those vicious lions.

18And when your people meet,

I will praise you

and thank you, Lord,

in front of them all.

19Don't let my brutal enemies

be glad because of me.

They hate me for no reason.

Don't let them wink

behind my back.

20They say hurtful things,

and they lie to people

who want to live in peace.

21They are quick to accuse me.

They say, “You did it!

We saw you ourselves.”

22You see everything, LORD!

Please don't keep silent

or stay so far away.

23Fight to defend me, Lord God,

24and prove that I am right

by your standards.

Don't let them laugh at me

25or say to each other,

“Now we've got what we want!

We'll gobble him up!”

26Disappoint and confuse

all who are glad

to see me in trouble,

but disgrace and embarrass

my proud enemies who say to me,

“You are nothing!”

27Let all who want me to win

be happy and joyful.

From now on let them say,

“The LORD is wonderful!

God is glad when all goes well

for his servant.”

28Then I will shout all day,

“Praise the LORD God!

He did what was right.”

Psalms 33:1-35:28CEVOpen in Bible reader

Acts 19

Paul in Ephesus

1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul travelled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord's followers. 2He asked them, “When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?”

“No!” they answered. “We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”

3“Then why were you baptized?” Paul asked.

They answered, “Because of what John taught.”

4Paul replied, “John baptized people so that they would turn to God. But he also told them that someone else was coming, and that they should put their faith in him. Jesus is the one that John was talking about.” 5After the people heard Paul say this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6Then Paul placed his hands on them. The Holy Spirit was given to them, and they spoke unknown languages and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in this group.

8For three months Paul went to the Jewish meeting place and talked bravely with the people about God's kingdom. He tried to win them over, 9but some of them were stubborn and refused to believe. In front of everyone they said terrible things about God's Way. Paul left and took the followers with him to the lecture hall of Tyrannus. He spoke there every day 10for two years, until every Jew and Gentile in Asia had heard the Lord's message.

The sons of Sceva

11God gave Paul the power to perform great miracles. 12People even took handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul's body, and they carried them to everyone who was sick. All the sick people were healed, and the evil spirits went out.

13Some Jewish men started going around trying to force out evil spirits by using the name of the Lord Jesus. They said to the spirits, “Come out in the name of that same Jesus that Paul preaches about!”

14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this, 15when an evil spirit said to them, “I know Jesus! And I have heard about Paul. But who are you?” 16Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them up. They ran out of the house, naked and bruised.

17When the Jews and Gentiles in Ephesus heard about this, they were so frightened that they praised the name of the Lord Jesus. 18Many who were followers now started telling everyone about the evil things they had been doing. 19Some who had been practising witchcraft even brought their books and burnt them in public. These books were worth about fifty thousand silver coins. 20So the Lord's message spread and became even more powerful.

Acts 19:1-20CEVOpen in Bible reader
Canadian Bible Societyv.4.24.4
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