Psalm 143; Genesis 11:1–9; Acts 2:1–21; John 14:23–31

red bookmark icon blue bookmark icon gold bookmark icon
Psalm 143

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David.

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

cgive ear to my pleas for mercy!

In your dfaithfulness answer me, in your drighteousness!

eEnter not into judgment with your servant,

for no one living is righteous fbefore you.

For the enemy has pursued my soul;

ghe has crushed my life to the ground;

hhe has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

Therefore my spirit ifaints within me;

my heart within me is appalled.

jI remember the days of old;

kI meditate on all that you have done;

I ponder the work of your hands.

lI stretch out my hands to you;

mmy soul thirsts for you like na parched land. Selah

oAnswer me quickly, O Lord!

pMy spirit fails!

qHide not your face from me,

rlest I be like those who go down to the pit.

sLet me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I ttrust.

uMake me know the way I should go,

vfor to you I lift up my soul.

wDeliver me from my enemies, O Lord!

I have fled to you for refuge.1

10  xTeach me to do your will,

for you are my God!

yLet your good Spirit zlead me

on alevel ground!

11  bFor your name’s sake, O Lord, cpreserve my life!

In your righteousness dbring my soul out of trouble!

12  And in your steadfast love you will ecut off my enemies,

and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,

for I am your fservant.


Genesis 11:1–9

The Tower of Babel

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in zthe land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, aand bitumen for mortar. Then they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower bwith its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth. And cthe Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, dlet us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech. So ethe Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called fBabel, because there the Lord confused1 the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.


Acts 2:1–21

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

When fthe day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like ga mighty rushing wind, and hit filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues ias of fire appeared to them and rested1 on each one of them. And they were all jfilled with the Holy Spirit and began kto speak in other tongues las the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And mat this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And nthey were amazed and astonished, saying, Are not all these who are speaking oGalileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and pMedes and qElamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and rproselytes, Cretans and Arabianswe hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. 12 And sall were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, What does this mean? 13 But others tmocking said, They are filled with new wine.

Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, usince it is only the third hour of the day.2 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

17  vAnd in the last days it shall be, God declares,

wthat I will pour out my Spirit xon all flesh,

and your sons and yyour daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

18  even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and zthey shall prophesy.

19  And I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

20  athe sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before bthe day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

21  And it shall come to pass that ceveryone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.


John 14:23–31

23 Jesus answered him, wIf anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and xwe will come to him and ymake our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And zthe word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

25 These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the aHelper, the Holy Spirit, bwhom the Father will send in my name, che will teach you all things and dbring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 ePeace I leave with you; fmy peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. gLet not your hearts be troubled, neither hlet them be afraid. 28 iYou heard me say to you, jI am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I kam going to the Father, for lthe Father is greater than I. 29 And mnow I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for nthe ruler of this world is coming. oHe has no claim on me, 31 but I do pas the Father has commanded me, qso that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.