Day 483 of 730

¹Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

²When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,

³saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!"

⁴But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying,

⁵"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me.

⁶When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.

⁷I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat!'

⁸But I said, 'Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.'

⁹But a voice answered the second time out of heaven, 'What God has cleansed, do not call unclean.'

¹⁰This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

¹¹Behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

¹²The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house.

¹³He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, 'Send to Joppa, and get Simon, whose surname is Peter,

¹⁴who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.'

¹⁵As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.

¹⁶I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

¹⁷If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?"

¹⁸When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!"

¹⁹They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.

²⁰But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, proclaiming the Lord Jesus.

²¹The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

²²The report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch,

²³who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord.

²⁴For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.

²⁵Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.

²⁶When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. It happened, that for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

²⁷Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

²⁸One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius.

²⁹As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea;

³⁰which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

¹Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous! Praise is fitting for the upright.

²Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre. Sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings.

³Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy!

⁴For the word of the Lord is right. All his work is done in faithfulness.

⁵He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the loving kindness of the Lord.

⁶By the Lord's word, the heavens were made; all their army by the breath of his mouth.

⁷He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

⁸Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

⁹For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.

¹¹The counsel of the Lord stands fast forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

¹²Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.

¹³The Lord looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men.

¹⁴From the place of his habitation he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,

¹⁵he who fashions all of their hearts; and he considers all of their works.

¹⁶There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

¹⁷A horse is a vain thing for safety, neither does he deliver any by his great power.

¹⁸Behold, the Lord's eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness;

¹⁹to deliver their soul from death, to keep them alive in famine.

²⁰Our soul has waited for the Lord. He is our help and our shield.

²¹For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

²²Let your loving kindness be on us, Lord, since we have hoped in you.

¹An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.

²A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.

³When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace.

⁴The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.

⁵To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice.

⁶A fool's lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.

⁷A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

⁸The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person's innermost parts.

⁹One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.

¹⁰The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run to him, and are safe.

¹¹The rich man's wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination.

¹²Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is humility.

¹³He who gives answer before he hears, that is folly and shame to him.

¹⁴A man's spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear?

¹⁵The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

¹⁶A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.

¹⁷He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him.

¹⁸The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart.

¹⁹A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city; and disputes are like the bars of a castle.

²⁰A man's stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.

²²Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of the Lord.

²³The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.

²⁴A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.