New Beginnings After Judgment and Grace

1. God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided. 2. The deep’s fountains and the sky’s windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 3. The waters continually receded from the earth. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters decreased. 4. The ship rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on Ararat’s mountains. 5. The waters receded continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were visible. 6. At the end of forty days, Noah opened the window of the ship which he had made, 7. and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8. He himself sent out a dove to see if the waters were abated from the surface of the ground, 9. but the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned into the ship to him, for the waters were on the surface of the whole earth. He put out his hand, and took her, and brought her to him into the ship. 10. He waited yet another seven days; and again he sent the dove out of the ship. 11. The dove came back to him at evening and, behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth. 12. He waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; and she didn’t return to him anymore. 13. In the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ship, and looked. He saw that the surface of the ground was dried. 14. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 15. God spoke to Noah, saying, 16. “Go out of the ship, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 17. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.” 18. Noah went out, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him. 19. Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the ship. 20. Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21. Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. I will never again strike every living thing, as I have done. 22. While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” 1. God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. 2. The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand. 3. Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you. 4. But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. 5. I will surely require your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. 6. Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image. 7. Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.” 8. God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9. “As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, 10. and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth. 11. I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12. God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13. I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 14. When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 15. I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16. The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17. God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” 18. The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. 19. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated. 20. Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard. 21. He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent. 22. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23. Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness. 24. Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25. He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.” 26. He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. 27. May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.” 28. Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. 29. All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died. 1. Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. 2. The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3. The sons of Gomer were: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4. The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5. Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations. 6. The sons of Ham were: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 7. The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were: Sheba and Dedan. 8. Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9. He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it is said, “like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Yahweh”. 10. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11. Out of that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12. and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah. 13. Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14. Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim. 15. Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth, 16. the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17. the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18. the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad. 19. The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon—as you go toward Gerar—to Gaza—as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim—to Lasha. 20. These are the sons of Ham, after their families, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations. 21. Children were also born to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth. 22. The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23. The sons of Aram were: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24. Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber. 25. To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother’s name was Joktan. 26. Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27. Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28. Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29. Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30. Their dwelling extended from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. 31. These are the sons of Shem, by their families, according to their languages, lands, and nations. 32. These are the families of the sons of Noah, by their generations, according to their nations. The nations divided from these in the earth after the flood. 1. The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. 2. As they traveled from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there. 3. They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4. They said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.” 5. Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. 6. Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. 7. Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8. So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city. 9. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth. 10. This is the history of the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11. Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of more sons and daughters. 12. Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah. 13. Arpachshad lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of more sons and daughters. 14. Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber. 15. Shelah lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of more sons and daughters. 16. Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg. 17. Eber lived four hundred thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of more sons and daughters. 18. Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu. 19. Peleg lived two hundred nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of more sons and daughters. 20. Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug. 21. Reu lived two hundred seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of more sons and daughters. 22. Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor. 23. Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and became the father of more sons and daughters. 24. Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah. 25. Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of more sons and daughters. 26. Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27. Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. 28. Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees. 29. Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran who was also the father of Iscah. 30. Sarai was barren. She had no child. 31. Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there. 32. The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.

1. The high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2. He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3. and said to him, ‘Get out of your land, and from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’ 4. Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land, where you are now living. 5. He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his offspring after him, when he still had no child. 6. God spoke in this way: that his offspring would live as aliens in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7. ‘I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,’ said God, ‘and after that will they come out, and serve me in this place.’ 8. He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. 9. “The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him, 10. and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11. Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food. 12. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time. 13. On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s race was revealed to Pharaoh. 14. Joseph sent, and summoned Jacob, his father, and all his relatives, seventy-five souls. 15. Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, himself and our fathers, 16. and they were brought back to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem. 17. “But as the time of the promise came close which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18. until there arose a different king, who didn’t know Joseph. 19. The same took advantage of our race, and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to throw out their babies, so that they wouldn’t stay alive. 20. At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome. He was nourished three months in his father’s house. 21. When he was thrown out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and reared him as her own son. 22. Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works. 23. But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24. Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian. 25. He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand. 26. “The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’ 27. But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28. Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29. Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. 30. “When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to him, 32. ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses trembled, and dared not look. 33. The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34. I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’ 35. “This Moses, whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36. This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. 37. This is that Moses, who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.’ 38. This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living revelations to give to us, 39. to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt, 40. saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’ 41. They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. 42. But God turned, and gave them up to serve the army of the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘Did you offer to me slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43. You took up the tabernacle of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship. I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’ 44. “Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen; 45. which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David, 46. who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. 47. But Solomon built him a house. 48. However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says, 49. ‘heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or what is the place of my rest? 50. Didn’t my hand make all these things?’ 51. “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do. 52. Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers. 53. You received the law as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!” 54. Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56. and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57. But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord. 58. They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59. They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60. He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep. 1. Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. 2. Devout men buried Stephen, and lamented greatly over him. 3. But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison. 4. Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word. 5. Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6. The multitudes listened with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the signs which he did. 7. For unclean spirits came out of many of those who had them. They came out, crying with a loud voice. Many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8. There was great joy in that city. 9. But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city, and amazed the people of Samaria, making himself out to be some great one, 10. to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is that great power of God.” 11. They listened to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries. 12. But when they believed Philip preaching good news concerning God’s Kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13. Simon himself also believed. Being baptized, he continued with Philip. Seeing signs and great miracles occurring, he was amazed. 14. Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15. who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16. for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of Christ Jesus. 17. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18. Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19. saying, “Give me also this power, that whomever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20. But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21. You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart isn’t right before God. 22. Repent therefore of this, your wickedness, and ask God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23. For I see that you are in the poison of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” 24. Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that none of the things which you have spoken happen to me.” 25. They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the Good News to many villages of the Samaritans. 26. But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert.” 27. He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship. 28. He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.” 30. Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31. He said, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He begged Philip to come up and sit with him. 32. Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth. 33. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth.” 34. The eunuch answered Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?” 35. Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him about Jesus. 36. As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?” 37. 38. He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40. But Philip was found at Azotus. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea. 1. But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2. and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3. As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him. 4. He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5. He said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6. But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7. The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one. 8. Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9. He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank. 10. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.” 11. The Lord said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying, 12. and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.” 13. But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem. 14. Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15. But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel. 16. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” 17. Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18. Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized. 19. He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus. 20. Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God. 21. All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!” 22. But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ. 23. When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him, 24. but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him, 25. but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket. 26. When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28. He was with them entering into Jerusalem, 29. preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him. 30. When the brothers knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus. 31. So the assemblies throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. 32. As Peter went throughout all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33. There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, because he was paralyzed. 34. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!” Immediately he arose. 35. All who lived at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. 36. Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which when translated, means Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did. 37. In those days, she became sick, and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38. As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39. Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40. Peter sent them all out, and knelt down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41. He gave her his hand, and raised her up. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43. He stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.

1. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. There is no one who does good. 2. God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God. 3. Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one. 4. Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don’t call on God? 5. There they were in great fear, where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them. 6. Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back his people from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.