1 O LORD, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me.

2  Many are saying of my soul, "There is no deliverance for him in God." Selah.

3  But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

4  I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah.

5  I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.

6  I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about.

7  Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.

8  Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.

1 O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me.

2  Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me.

3  O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

4  The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

5  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6  For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

2  It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

3  Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

4  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth.

5  How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

9  And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

10  And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.

11  They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

12  Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away.

13  When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

14  These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

15  At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,

16  "Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

17  "For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry."

18  (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.

19  And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

20  "For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT'; and, 'LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.'

21  "Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—

22  beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."

23  So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.

24  And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen

25  to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."

26  And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

1  The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,

2  until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.

3  To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

4  Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;

5  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

6  So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

7  He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;

8  but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Acts Introduction

1  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2  I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"

3  For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence.

4  He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5  You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;

6  Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

7  A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.

8  You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked.

9  For you have made the LORD, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

10  No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11  For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.

12  They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

13  You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

14  "Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.

15  "He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

16  "With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation."

Easter

42  They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43  Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

44  And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;

45  and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

46  Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,