Psalm 135

¹ Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord, ² you who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

³ Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. ⁴ For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.

⁵ I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. ⁶ The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. ⁷ He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

⁸ He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of people and animals. ⁹ He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. ¹⁰ He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings- ¹¹ Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan- ¹² and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.

¹³ Your name, Lord, endures forever, your renown, Lord, through all generations. ¹⁴ For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

¹⁵ The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. ¹⁶ They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. ¹⁷ They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. ¹⁸ Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

¹⁹ All you Israelites, praise the Lord; house of Aaron, praise the Lord; ²⁰ house of Levi, praise the Lord; you who fear him, praise the Lord. ²¹ Praise be to the Lord from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

---

Daniel 3:1-30

The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace

¹King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,[a] and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. ² He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. ³ So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

⁴ Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: ⁵ As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. ⁶ Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."

⁷ Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁸ At this time some astrologers[b] came forward and denounced the Jews. ⁹ They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "May the king live forever! ¹⁰ Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, ¹¹ and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. ¹² But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon-Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego-who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up."

¹³ Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, ¹⁴ and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? ¹⁵ Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty's hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual ²⁰ and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. ²¹ So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. ²² The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, ²³ and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"

They replied, "Certainly, Your Majesty."

²⁵ He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!"

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, ²⁷ and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."

³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

---

1 John 2:3-11

Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

³ We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴ Whoever says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

⁷ Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸ Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

⁹ Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b] is still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves their brother and sister[c] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ¹¹ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

Psalm 135

¹ Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord, ² you who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

³ Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. ⁴ For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.

⁵ I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. ⁶ The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. ⁷ He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

⁸ He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of people and animals. ⁹ He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. ¹⁰ He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings- ¹¹ Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan- ¹² and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.

¹³ Your name, Lord, endures forever, your renown, Lord, through all generations. ¹⁴ For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

¹⁵ The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. ¹⁶ They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. ¹⁷ They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. ¹⁸ Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

¹⁹ All you Israelites, praise the Lord; house of Aaron, praise the Lord; ²⁰ house of Levi, praise the Lord; you who fear him, praise the Lord. ²¹ Praise be to the Lord from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

---

Daniel 6:1-28

Daniel in the Den of Lions

¹It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,² with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. ³ Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. ⁴ At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ⁵ Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."

⁶ So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: "May King Darius live forever! ⁷ The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions' den. ⁸ Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered-in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." ⁹ So King Darius put the decree in writing.
¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. ¹¹ Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. ¹² So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions' den?"
The king answered, "The decree stands-in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed."
¹³ Then they said to the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day." ¹⁴ When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.
¹⁵ Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, "Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed."
¹⁶ So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!"
¹⁷ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed. ¹⁸ Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
¹⁹ At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"
²¹ Daniel answered, "May the king live forever! ²² My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty."
²³ The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
²⁴ At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:
"May you prosper greatly!
²⁶ "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
"For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. ²⁷ He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."
²⁸ So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus[b] the Persian.

---

1 John 2:12-17

Reasons for Writing

¹² I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

¹⁴ I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

On Not Loving the World
¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. ¹⁶ For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Psalm 135

¹ Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord, ² you who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

³ Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. ⁴ For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.

⁵ I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. ⁶ The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. ⁷ He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

⁸ He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of people and animals. ⁹ He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. ¹⁰ He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings- ¹¹ Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan- ¹² and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.

¹³ Your name, Lord, endures forever, your renown, Lord, through all generations. ¹⁴ For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

¹⁵ The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. ¹⁶ They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. ¹⁷ They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. ¹⁸ Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

¹⁹ All you Israelites, praise the Lord; house of Aaron, praise the Lord; ²⁰ house of Levi, praise the Lord; you who fear him, praise the Lord. ²¹ Praise be to the Lord from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

---

Isaiah 26:1-15

A Song of Praise

¹ In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. ² Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. ³ You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. ⁴ Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. ⁵ He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust. ⁶ Feet trample it down- the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor.

⁷ The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth. ⁸ Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,[a] we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. ⁹ My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. ¹⁰ But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord. ¹¹ Lord, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.

¹² Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. ¹³ Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor. ¹⁴ They are now dead, they live no more; their spirits do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them. ¹⁵ You have enlarged the nation, Lord; you have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for yourself; you have extended all the borders of the land.

---

Mark 12:18-27

Marriage at the Resurrection

¹⁸ Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. ¹⁹ "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁰ Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children.²¹ The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. ²² In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³ At the resurrection[a] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

²⁴ Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? ²⁵ When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. ²⁶ Now about the dead rising-have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'[b]? ²⁷ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"

Psalm 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

¹Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

² How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[b]?[c] ³ Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

⁴ Tremble and[d] do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. ⁵ Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.

⁶ Many, Lord, are asking, "Who will bring us prosperity?" Let the light of your face shine on us. ⁷ Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

---

Daniel 9:1-19

Daniel's Prayer

¹In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes[a] (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian[b] kingdom- ² in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. ³ So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

"Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁵ we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. ⁶ We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

⁷ "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame-the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.⁸ We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. ⁹ The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; ¹⁰ we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. ¹¹ All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.

"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. ¹² You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. ¹³ Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. ¹⁴ The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.

¹⁵ "Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. ¹⁶ Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.

¹⁷ "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸ Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹ Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."

---

1 John 2:18-25

Warnings Against Denying the Son

¹⁸ Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

²⁰ But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.[a] ²¹ I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. ²² Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist-denying the Father and the Son. ²³ No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

²⁴ As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵ And this is what he promised us-eternal life.

Psalm 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

¹Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

² How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[b]?[c] ³ Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

⁴ Tremble and[d] do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. ⁵ Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.

⁶ Many, Lord, are asking, "Who will bring us prosperity?" Let the light of your face shine on us. ⁷ Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

---

Daniel 10:2-19

²At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. ³ I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

⁴ On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, ⁵ I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. ⁶ His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

⁷ I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. ⁸ So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. ⁹ Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.

¹⁰ A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹ He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you." And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

¹² Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³ But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come."

¹⁵ While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. ¹⁶ Then one who looked like a man[a] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, "I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak. ¹⁷ How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe."

¹⁸ Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. ¹⁹ "Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed," he said. "Peace! Be strong now; be strong."

When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength."

---

1 John 2:26-28

²⁶ I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. ²⁷ As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit-just as it has taught you, remain in him.

Psalm 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

¹Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

² How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[b]?[c] ³ Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

⁴ Tremble and[d] do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. ⁵ Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.

⁶ Many, Lord, are asking, "Who will bring us prosperity?" Let the light of your face shine on us. ⁷ Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

---

Acts 3:1-10

Peter Heals a Lame Beggar

¹ One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer-at three in the afternoon. ² Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴ Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" ⁵ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

⁶ Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." ⁷ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹ When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

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Luke 22:24-30

²⁴ A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.²⁵ Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. ²⁶ But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. ²⁸ You are those who have stood by me in my trials. ²⁹ And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, ³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Acts 3:12-19

¹² When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴ You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵ You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶ By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

¹⁷ "Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. ¹⁸ But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

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Psalm 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

¹Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

² How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[b]?[c] ³ Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

⁴ Tremble and[d] do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. ⁵ Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.

⁶ Many, Lord, are asking, "Who will bring us prosperity?" Let the light of your face shine on us. ⁷ Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.

⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

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1 John 3:1-7

¹See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. ⁵ But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. ⁶ No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

⁷ Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

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Luke 24:36b-48

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

³⁶ While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

³⁷ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. ³⁸ He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

⁴⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹ And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate it in their presence.

⁴⁴ He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them, "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things.