Faith Tested, Promises Upheld Across Generations

1. Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2. Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3. Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. 4. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5. Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you.” 6. But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face. 7. Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur. 8. He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.” 9. Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” 10. Yahweh’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.” 11. Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. 12. He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers.” 13. She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?” 14. Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15. Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. 1. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless. 2. I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3. Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, 4. “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5. Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. 7. I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. 8. I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.” 9. God said to Abraham, “As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you. 12. He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. 13. He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14. The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.” 15. God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. 16. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.” 17. Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?” 18. Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19. God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20. As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21. But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.” 22. When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23. Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him. 24. Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25. Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26. In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised. 27. All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. 1. Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, 3. and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant. 4. Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5. I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.” 6. Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.” 7. Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it. 8. He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate. 9. They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “See, in the tent.” 10. He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. 11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12. Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” 13. Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?’ 14. Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son.” 15. Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” 16. The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way. 17. Yahweh said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do, 18. since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? 19. For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.” 20. Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 21. I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.” 22. The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh. 23. Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? 24. What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25. Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26. Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27. Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes. 28. What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29. He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.” 30. He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31. He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.” 32. He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.” 33. Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. 1. The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth, 2. and he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.” 3. He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4. But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter. 5. They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them.” 6. Lot went out to them to the door, and shut the door after him. 7. He said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act so wickedly. 8. See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to you. Only don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.” 9. They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. Now will we deal worse with you, than with them!” They pressed hard on the man Lot, and came near to break the door. 10. But the men reached out their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. 11. They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door. 12. The men said to Lot, “Do you have anybody else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring them out of the place: 13. for we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown so great before Yahweh that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it.” 14. Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking. 15. When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Get up! Take your wife, and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.” 16. But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and his two daughters’ hands, Yahweh being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city. 17. It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, “Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be consumed!” 18. Lot said to them, “Oh, not so, my lord. 19. See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown to me in saving my life. I can’t escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die. 20. See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live.” 21. He said to him, “Behold, I have granted your request concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22. Hurry, escape there, for I can’t do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23. The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24. Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky. 25. He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground. 26. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 27. Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Yahweh. 28. He looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and looked, and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace. 29. When God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived. 30. Lot went up out of Zoar, and lived in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to live in Zoar. He lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31. The firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us in the way of all the earth. 32. Come, let’s make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.” 33. They made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father. He didn’t know when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34. It came to pass on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine again, tonight. You go in, and lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.” 35. They made their father drink wine that night also. The younger went and lay with him. He didn’t know when she lay down, nor when she got up. 36. Thus both of Lot’s daughters were with child by their father. 37. The firstborn bore a son, and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38. The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. He is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.

1. Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2. As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.” 3. Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5. When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They had also John as their attendant. 6. When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus, 7. who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God. 8. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9. But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, 10. and said, “Full of all deceit and all cunning, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11. Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season!” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. He went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12. Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. 13. Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. 14. But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. 15. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.” 16. Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen. 17. The God of this people chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they stayed as aliens in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he led them out of it. 18. For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. 19. When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred fifty years. 20. After these things he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21. Afterward they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22. When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23. From this man’s offspring, God has brought salvation to Israel according to his promise, 24. before his coming, when John had first preached the baptism of repentance to Israel. 25. As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26. Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you. 27. For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28. Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed. 29. When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. 30. But God raised him from the dead, 31. and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. 32. We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33. that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’ 34. “Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35. Therefore he says also in another psalm, ‘You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.’ 36. For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay. 37. But he whom God raised up saw no decay. 38. Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, 39. and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40. Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets: 41. ‘Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.’” 42. So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43. Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44. The next Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God. 45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. 46. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47. For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’” 48. As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49. The Lord’s word was spread abroad throughout all the region. 50. But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders. 51. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium. 52. The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. 1. In Iconium, they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed. 2. But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers. 3. Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4. But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. 5. When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them, 6. they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region. 7. There they preached the Good News. 8. At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked. 9. He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole, 10. said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked. 11. When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12. They called Barnabas “Jupiter”, and Paul “Mercury”, because he was the chief speaker. 13. The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes. 14. But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes, and sprang into the multitude, crying out, 15. “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; 16. who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17. Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” 18. Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them. 19. But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20. But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe. 21. When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22. confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom. 23. When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed. 24. They passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. 25. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26. From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. 27. When they had arrived, and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations. 28. They stayed there with the disciples for a long time. 1. Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.” 2. Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 3. They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers. 4. When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them. 5. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” 6. The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7. When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe. 8. God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. 9. He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10. Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11. But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.” 12. All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them. 13. After they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me. 14. Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name. 15. This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written, 16. ‘After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up, 17. That the rest of men may seek after the Lord; all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who does all these things. 18. All of God’s works are known to him from eternity.’ 19. “Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20. but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. 21. For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” 22. Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers. 23. They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings. 24. Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment; 25. it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26. men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: 29. that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.” 30. So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. 31. When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement. 32. Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them. 33. After they had spent some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brothers to the apostles. 34. 35. But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. 36. After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.” 37. Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also. 38. But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work. 39. Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus, 40. but Paul chose Silas, and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God. 41. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.

1. Listen to my prayer, God. Don’t hide yourself from my supplication. 2. Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan, 3. Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked. For they bring suffering on me. In anger they hold a grudge against me. 4. My heart is severely pained within me. The terrors of death have fallen on me. 5. Fearfulness and trembling have come on me. Horror has overwhelmed me. 6. I said, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest. 7. Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness.” Selah. 8. “I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm.” 9. Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city. 10. Day and night they prowl around on its walls. Malice and abuse are also within her. 11. Destructive forces are within her. Threats and lies don’t depart from her streets. 12. For it was not an enemy who insulted me, then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hidden myself from him. 13. But it was you, a man like me, my companion, and my familiar friend. 14. We took sweet fellowship together. We walked in God’s house with company. 15. Let death come suddenly on them. Let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is among them, in their dwelling. 16. As for me, I will call on God. Yahweh will save me. 17. Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice. 18. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, although there are many who oppose me. 19. God, who is enthroned forever, will hear, and answer them. Selah. They never change, who don’t fear God. 20. He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant. 21. His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. 22. Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved. 23. But you, God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in you.