Acts 20; Psalm 109

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Acts 20

Paul in Macedonia and Greece

After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and qdeparted for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, and when ra plot was made against him by the Jews1 as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, sAristarchus and Secundus; and sGaius of Derbe, and tTimothy; and the Asians, uTychicus and vTrophimus. These went on ahead and were waiting for wus at xTroas, but we sailed away from Philippi after ythe days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

Eutychus Raised from the Dead

zOn the first day of the week, when we were gathered together ato break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lamps in bthe upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he cfell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and dbent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, eDo not be alarmed, for his life is in him. 11 And when Paul had gone up and fhad broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

13 But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and2 the day after that we went to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening gto be at Jerusalem, if possible, hon the day of Pentecost.

Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders

17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called ithe elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them:

jYou yourselves know khow I lived among you the whole time jfrom the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 lserving the Lord mwith all humility and with ntears and with trials that happened to me through othe plots of the Jews; 20 how I pdid not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and qteaching you in public and from house to house, 21 rtestifying both to Jews and to Greeks of srepentance toward God and of tfaith in our Lord Jesus Christ.3 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained uby4 the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that vthe Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that wimprisonment and xafflictions await me. 24 But yI do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only zI may finish my course and athe ministry bthat I received from the Lord Jesus, cto testify to dthe gospel of ethe grace of God. 25 And now, behold, fI know that none of you among whom I have gone about gproclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore hI testify to you this day that iI am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for jI did not shrink from declaring to you kthe whole counsel of God. 28 lPay careful attention to yourselves and to all mthe flock, in which nthe Holy Spirit has made you ooverseers, pto care for qthe church of God,5 which he robtained swith his own blood.6 29 I rknow that after my departure tfierce wolves will come in among you, unot sparing the flock; 30 and vfrom among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore wbe alert, remembering that xfor three years I did not cease night or day yto admonish every one zwith tears. 32 And now aI commend you to God and to bthe word of his grace, which is able to cbuild you up and to give you dthe inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 eI coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 fYou yourselves know that gthese hands ministered to my necessities and hto those who were with me. 35 In all things iI have shown you that jby working hard in this way we must khelp the weak and lremember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, It is more blessed mto give than to receive.

36 And when he had said these things, nhe knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And othere was much weeping on the part of all; pthey embraced Paul and pkissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of qthe word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And rthey accompanied him to the ship.


Psalm 109

Help Me, O Lord My God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

tBe not silent, O uGod of my praise!

For wicked and vdeceitful mouths are opened against me,

speaking against me with lying tongues.

They encircle me with words of hate,

and attack me wwithout cause.

In return for my love they xaccuse me,

but I ygive myself to prayer.1

So they zreward me evil for good,

and hatred for my love.

aAppoint a wicked man bagainst him;

let an accuser stand cat his right hand.

When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;

let his dprayer be counted as sin!

May his edays be few;

may fanother take his goffice!

May his hchildren be fatherless

and his wife a widow!

10  May his children iwander about and beg,

jseeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!

11  May kthe creditor seize all that he has;

may kstrangers plunder the fruits of his toil!

12  Let there be none to lextend kindness to him,

nor any to mpity his fatherless children!

13  May his nposterity be cut off;

may his oname be blotted out in the second generation!

14  May pthe iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,

and let not the sin of his mother be qblotted out!

15  rLet them be before the Lord continually,

that he may scut off the memory of them from the earth!

16  For he did not remember to show kindness,

but pursued tthe poor and needy

and uthe brokenhearted, to put them to death.

17  vHe loved to curse; let curses come2 upon him!

He did not delight in blessing; may it be far3 from him!

18  He wclothed himself with cursing as his coat;

may it xsoak4 into his body like water,

like oil into his bones!

19  May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,

like a belt that he puts on every day!

20  May this be the reward of my yaccusers from the Lord,

of those who speak evil against my life!

21  But you, O God my Lord,

deal on my behalf zfor your name’s sake;

because your asteadfast love is good, deliver me!

22  For I am bpoor and needy,

and my heart is stricken within me.

23  I am gone like ca shadow at evening;

I am dshaken off like a locust.

24  My knees are weak ethrough fasting;

my fbody has become gaunt, with no fat.

25  I am gan object of scorn to my accusers;

when they see me, they hwag their heads.

26  iHelp me, O Lord my God!

Save me according to your steadfast love!

27  Let them jknow that this is your hand;

you, O Lord, have done it!

28  kLet them curse, but you will bless!

They arise and are put to shame, but lyour servant will be glad!

29  May my accusers be mclothed with dishonor;

may they nbe wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!

30  With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;

I will opraise him in the midst of the throng.

31  For he stands pat the right hand of the needy one,

to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.