16 verses
10"'No stranger shall eat of the holy thing: a foreigner living with the priests, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. 11But if a priest buys a slave, purchased by his money, he shall eat of it; and those who are born in his house shall eat of his bread. 12If a priest's daughter is married to an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things. 13But if a priest's daughter is a widow, or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father's house as in her youth, she may eat of her father's bread; but no stranger shall eat any of it.
14"'If a man eats something holy unwittingly, then he shall add a fifth of its value to it, and shall give the holy thing to the priest. 15The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to Yahweh, 16and so cause them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt when they eat their holy things; for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.'"
17Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18"Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, 'Whoever is of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners in Israel, who offers his offering, whether it is any of their vows or any of their freewill offerings, which they offer to Yahweh for a burnt offering: 19so that you may be accepted, offer a male without defect, from the bulls, or sheep, or goats. 20But you mustn't offer whatever has a defect, for it shall not be acceptable for you. 21Whoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh to accomplish a vow, or for a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted. [It must have] no defect. 22Don't offer what is blind, is injured, is maimed, has a wart, is festering, or has a running sore to Yahweh, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to Yahweh. 23Either a bull or a lamb that has any deformity or lacking in his parts, that you may offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. 24Don't offer to Yahweh what has its testicles bruised, crushed, broken, or cut. Don't do this in your land. 25Don't offer [any of these as] the bread of your God from the hand of a foreigner, because their corruption is in them. There is a defect in them. They shall not be accepted for you.'"
38 verses
A Psalm. A Song for the Dedication of the Temple. By David.
1I will extol you, Yahweh, for you have raised me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me. 2Yahweh my God, I cried to you, and you have healed me. 3Yahweh, you have brought up my soul from Sheol. You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 4Sing praise to Yahweh, you saints of his. Give thanks to his holy name. 5For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. 6As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7You, Yahweh, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong; but when you hid your face, I was troubled. 8I cried to you, Yahweh. To Yahweh I made supplication: 9"What profit is there in my destruction, if I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise you? Shall it declare your truth? 10Hear, Yahweh, and have mercy on me. Yahweh, be my helper." 11You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness, 12To the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent. Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.
1In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed. Deliver me in your righteousness. 2Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defense to save me. 3For you are my rock and my fortress, therefore for your name's sake lead me and guide me. 4Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, for you are my stronghold. 5Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth. 6I hate those who regard empty vanity, but I trust in Yahweh. 7I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities. 8You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place. 9Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief. 10For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away. 11Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, A fear to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me. 12I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery. 13For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life. 14But I trust in you, Yahweh. I said, "You are my God." 15My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who pursue me. 16Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness. 17Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol. 18Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt. 19Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men! 20In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues. 21Praise be to Yahweh, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city. 22As for me, I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before your eyes." Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you. 23Oh love Yahweh, all you his saints! Yahweh preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly. 24Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.
24 verses
33Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done. 34Some shouted one thing, and some another, among the crowd. When he couldn't find out the truth because of the noise, he commanded him to be brought into the barracks. 35When he came to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd; 36for the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, "Away with him!" 37As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he asked the commanding officer, "May I speak to you?" He said, "Do you know Greek?
38Aren't you then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?"
39But Paul said, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."
40When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,
1"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you."
2When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,
3"I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today. 4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5as also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify. I received letters from them to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.
6As I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky. 7I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' 8I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.'
9"Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn't understand the voice of him who spoke to me. 10I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.' 11When I couldn't see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
12One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus, 13came to me, and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' In that very hour I looked up at him. 14He said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. 15For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of ForeverOne.'
