Psalm 96; Psalm 98; Acts 25:13–27

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Psalm 96

Worship in the Splendor of Holiness

aOh sing to the Lord ba new song;

sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

ctell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous works among all the peoples!

For dgreat is the Lord, and egreatly to be praised;

he is to be feared above fall gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

but the Lord gmade the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;

hstrength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O ifamilies of the peoples,

jascribe to the Lord glory and strength!

Ascribe to the Lord kthe glory due his name;

bring lan offering, and mcome into his courts!

Worship the Lord in nthe splendor of holiness;1

otremble before him, all the earth!

10  Say among the nations, pThe Lord reigns!

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;

he will qjudge the peoples with equity.

11  Let rthe heavens be glad, and let sthe earth rejoice;

let tthe sea roar, and all that fills it;

12  let uthe field exult, and everything in it!

Then shall all vthe trees of the forest sing for joy

13  before the Lord, for he comes,

for he comes wto judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness,

and the peoples in his faithfulness.


Psalm 98

Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord

A Psalm.

Oh sing to the Lord ya new song,

for he has done zmarvelous things!

His aright hand and his holy arm

have worked salvation for him.

The Lord has bmade known his salvation;

he has crevealed his righteousness in dthe sight of the nations.

He has eremembered his fsteadfast love and faithfulness

to the house of Israel.

All gthe ends of the earth have seen

hthe salvation of our God.

iMake a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;

jbreak forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,

with the lyre and the ksound of melody!

With ltrumpets and the sound of mthe horn

imake a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

nLet the sea roar, and oall that fills it;

othe world and those who dwell in it!

Let the rivers pclap their hands;

let qthe hills sing for joy together

before the Lord, for he comes

to rjudge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness,

and the peoples with equity.


Acts 25:13–27

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, tThere is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case uagainst him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 vI answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone wbefore the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 xSo when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on ythe tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they zhad certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about aa certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I basked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But cwhen Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of dthe emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar. 22 Then eAgrippa said to Festus, I would like to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, you will hear him.

23 So on the next day fAgrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom gthe whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, hshouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that ihe had done nothing deserving death. And jas he himself appealed to kthe emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.