Psalms 21 — CEV
1 (A psalm by David for the music leader.) Our LORD, your mighty power makes the king glad, and he celebrates victories that you have given him.
2 You did what he wanted most and never told him "No."
3 You truly blessed the king, and you placed on him a crown of finest gold.
4 He asked to live a long time, and you promised him life that never ends.
5 The king is highly honored. You have let him win victories that have made him famous.
6 You have given him blessings that will last forever, and you have made him glad by being so near to him.
7 LORD Most High, the king trusts you, and your kindness keeps him from defeat.
8 With your mighty arm, LORD, you will strike down all of your hateful enemies.
9 They will be destroyed by fire once you are here, and because of your anger, flames will swallow them.
10 You will wipe their families from the earth, and they will disappear.
11 All their plans to harm you will come to nothing.
12 You will make them run away by shooting your arrows at their faces.
13 Show your strength, LORD, so that we may sing and praise your power.
Proverbs 31 — CEV
1 These are the sayings that King Lemuel of Massa was taught by his mother.
2 My son Lemuel, you were born in answer to my prayers, so listen carefully.
3 Don't waste your life chasing after women! This has ruined many kings.
4 Kings and leaders should not get drunk or even want to drink.
5 Drinking makes you forget your responsibilities, and you mistreat the poor.
6 Beer and wine are only for the dying or for those who have lost all hope.
7 Let them drink and forget how poor and miserable they feel.
8 But you must defend those who are helpless and have no hope.
9 Be fair and give justice to the poor and homeless.
10 A truly good wife is the most precious treasure a man can find!
11 Her husband depends on her, and she never lets him down.
12 She is good to him every day of her life,
13 and with her own hands she gladly makes clothes.
14 She is like a sailing ship that brings food from across the sea.
15 She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and for her servants.
16 She knows how to buy land and how to plant a vineyard,
17 and she always works hard.
18 She knows when to buy or sell, and she stays busy until late at night.
19 She spins her own cloth,
20 and she helps the poor and the needy.
21 Her family has warm clothing, and so she doesn't worry when it snows.
22 She does her own sewing, and everything she wears is beautiful.
23 Her husband is a well-known and respected leader in the city.
24 She makes clothes to sell to the shop owners.
25 She is strong and graceful, as well as cheerful about the future.
26 Her words are sensible, and her advice is thoughtful.
27 She takes good care of her family and is never lazy.
28 Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says,
29 "There are many good women, but you are the best!"
30 Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the LORD deserves to be praised.
31 Show her respect—praise her in public for what she has done.
Isaiah 9 — CEV
1 But those who have suffered will no longer be in pain. The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali in Galilee were once hated. But this land of the Gentiles across the Jordan River and along the Mediterranean Sea will be greatly respected.
2 Those who walked in the dark have seen a bright light. And it shines upon everyone who lives in the land of darkest shadows.
3 Our LORD, you have made your nation stronger. Because of you, its people are glad and celebrate like workers at harvest time or like soldiers dividing up what they have taken.
4 You have broken the power of those who abused and enslaved your people. You have rescued them just as you saved your people from Midian.
5 The boots of marching warriors and the blood-stained uniforms have been fed to flames and eaten by fire.
6 A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will be our ruler. His names will be Wonderful Advisor and Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.
7 His power will never end; peace will last forever. He will rule David's kingdom and make it grow strong. He will always rule with honesty and justice. The LORD All-Powerful will make certain that all of this is done.
8 The Lord had warned the people of Israel,
9 and all of them knew it, including everyone in the capital city of Samaria. But they were proud and stubborn and said,
10 "Houses of brick and sycamore have fallen to the ground, but we will build houses with stones and cedar."
11 The LORD made their enemies attack them.
12 He sent the Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west, and they swallowed up Israel. But even this did not stop him from being angry, so he kept on punishing them.
13 The people of Israel still did not turn back to the LORD All-Powerful and worship him.
14 In one day he cut off their head and tail, their leaves and branches.
15 Their rulers and leaders were the head, and the lying prophets were the tail.
16 They had led the nation down the wrong path, and the people were confused.
17 The Lord was angry with his people and kept punishing them, because they had turned against him. They were evil and spoke foolishly. That's why he did not have pity on their young people or on their widows and orphans.
18 Evil had spread like a raging forest fire sending thornbushes up in smoke.
19 The LORD All-Powerful was angry and used the people as fuel for a fire that scorched the land. They turned against each other
20 like wild animals attacking and eating everyone around them, even their own relatives. But still they were not satisfied.
21 The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh turned against each other, then joined forces to attack Judah. But the LORD was still angry and ready to punish the nation even more.
Acts 1 — CEV
1 Theophilus, I first wrote to you about all that Jesus did and taught from the very first
2 until he was taken up to heaven. But before he was taken up, he gave orders to the apostles he had chosen with the help of the Holy Spirit.
3 For forty days after Jesus had suffered and died, he proved in many ways that he had been raised from death. He appeared to his apostles and spoke to them about God's kingdom.
4 While he was still with them, he said: Don't leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I told you he has promised to do.
5 John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
6 While the apostles were still with Jesus, they asked him, "Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king again?"
7 Jesus said to them, "You don't need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls.
8 But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world."
9 After Jesus had said this and while they were watching, he was taken up into a cloud. They could not see him,
10 but as he went up, they kept looking up into the sky. Suddenly two men dressed in white clothes were standing there beside them.
11 They said, "Why are you men from Galilee standing here and looking up into the sky? Jesus has been taken to heaven. But he will come back in the same way that you have seen him go."
12 The Mount of Olives was about half a mile from Jerusalem. The apostles who had gone there were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon, known as the Eager One, and Judas the son of James. After the apostles returned to the city, they went upstairs to the room where they had been staying.
13 (SEE 1:12)
14 The apostles often met together and prayed with a single purpose in mind. The women and Mary the mother of Jesus would meet with them, and so would his brothers.
15 One day there were about one hundred twenty of the Lord's followers meeting together, and Peter stood up to speak to them.
16 He said: My friends, long ago by the power of the Holy Spirit, David said something about Judas, and what he said has now happened. Judas was one of us and had worked with us, but he brought the mob to arrest Jesus.
17 (SEE 1:16)
18 Then Judas bought some land with the money he was given for doing that evil thing. He fell headfirst into the field. His body burst open, and all his insides came out.
19 When the people of Jerusalem found out about this, they called the place Akeldama, which in the local language means "Field of Blood."
20 In the book of Psalms it says, "Leave his house empty, and don't let anyone live there." It also says, "Let someone else have his job."
21 So we need someone else to help us tell others that Jesus has been raised from death. He must also be one of the men who was with us from the very beginning. He must have been with us from the time the Lord Jesus was baptized by John until the day he was taken to heaven.
22 (SEE 1:21)
23 Two men were suggested: One of them was Joseph Barsabbas, known as Justus, and the other was Matthias.
24 Then they all prayed, "Lord, you know what everyone is like! Show us the one you have chosen
25 to be an apostle and to serve in place of Judas, who got what he deserved."
26 They drew names, and Matthias was chosen to join the group of the eleven apostles.
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