Psalm 29-30
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 29
The Voice of God in a Great Storm
A Psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,[a]
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.(A)
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
worship the Lord in holy splendor.(B)
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.(C)
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.(D)
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.(E)
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf
and Sirion like a young wild ox.(F)
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.(G)
9 The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl[b]
and strips the forest bare,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”(H)
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.(I)
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!(J)
Psalm 30
Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness
A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the temple. Of David.
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.(K)
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.(L)
3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.[c](M)
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.(N)
5 For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.(O)
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.(P)
8 To you, O Lord, I cried,
and to the Lord I made supplication:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?(Q)
10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”[d]
Acts 23:1-15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
23 While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, “Brothers,[a] up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God.”(A) 2 Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth.(B) 3 At this Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?”(C) 4 Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.’ ”(D)
6 When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, “Brothers,[b] I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection[c] of the dead.”(E) 7 When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.)(F) 9 Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”(G) 10 When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.(H)
11 That night the Lord stood near him and said, “Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.”(I)
The Plot to Kill Paul
12 In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.(J) 13 There were more than forty who joined in this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food until we have killed Paul.(K) 15 Now then, you and the council must notify the tribune to bring him down to you, on the pretext that you want to make a more thorough examination of his case. And we are ready to do away with him before he arrives.”(L)
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