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.
Lead Me in Your Righteousness
To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.
1 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my groaning.
2 Give attention to the sound of my cry,
jmy King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
3 O Lord, kin the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you1 and watch.
4 For you are lnot a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But I, through the mabundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down ntoward your holy temple
in the fear of you.
8 oLead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
pmake your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
qtheir throat is an ropen grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you srejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may texult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you ucover him with favor as with a shield.
5 jAt Gibeon kthe Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because lhe mwalked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although nI am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have ochosen, a great people, ptoo many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, qI give you a wise and discerning mind, so that rnone like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that sno other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
The Conversion of Saul
1 cBut Saul, still dbreathing ethreats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the fWay, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a glight from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, h“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice ibut seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, j“Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a kchosen instrument of mine to carry my name lbefore the Gentiles and mkings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will nshow him how much he must osuffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And playing his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.
Saul Proclaims Jesus in Synagogues
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he qproclaimed Jesus in the rsynagogues, saying, “He is the sSon of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and tconfounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was uthe Christ.
Saul Escapes from Damascus
23 When many days had passed, the Jews1 vplotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. wThey were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and xlet him down through an opening in the wall,2 lowering him in a basket.
Saul in Jerusalem
26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached yboldly in the zname of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the aHellenists.3 But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And bwalking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it cmultiplied.
