Book One
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
who walks not in the bcounsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his cdelight is in the law2 of the Lord,
and on his law he dmeditates day and night.
3 eHe is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that fyields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he gprospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for hthe Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his jAnointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens klaughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree:
lThe Lord said to me, m“You are my nSon;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the oends of the earth your possession.
9 pYou shall break4 them with a qrod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 rKiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
sBlessed are all who take refuge in him.
Save Me, O My God
A Psalm of David, twhen he fled from Absalom his son.
1 O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
2 many are usaying of my soul,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah5
3 But you, O Lord, are a vshield about me,
my glory, and the wlifter of my head.
4 xI cried yaloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
5 I zlay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid aof many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Arise, O Lord!
Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 bSalvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people! Selah
Paul and Silas in Thessalonica
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to ssuffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout tGreeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews1 were ujealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they vformed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have wturned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another xking, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Paul and Silas in Berea
10 The brothers2 immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
