Psalm 47

GOD OUR KING
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with a jubilant cry.
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is awe-inspiring,
a great King over the whole earth.
3 He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
4 He chooses for us our inheritance —
the pride of Jacob, whom he loves. Selah
5 God ascends among shouts of joy,
the Lord, with the sound of a ram’s horn.
6 Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our King, sing praise!
7 Sing a song of wisdom,
for God is King of the whole earth.
8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
9 The nobles of the peoples have assembled
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For the leaders of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.

Psalm 48

ZION EXALTED
A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

The Lord is great and highly praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain,
2 rising splendidly,
is the joy of the whole earth.
Mount Zion ​— ​the summit of Zaphon ​— ​
is the city of the great King.
3 God is known as a stronghold
in its citadels.
4 Look! The kings assembled;
they advanced together.
5 They looked and froze with fear;
they fled in terror.
6 Trembling seized them there,
agony like that of a woman in labor,
7 as you wrecked the ships of Tarshish
with the east wind.
8 Just as we heard, so we have seen
in the city of the Lord of Armies,
in the city of our God;
God will establish it forever. Selah
9 God, within your temple,
we contemplate your faithful love.
10 Like your name, God, so your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with justice.
11 Mount Zion is glad.
Judah’s villages rejoice
because of your judgments.
12 Go around Zion, encircle it;
count its towers,
13 note its ramparts; tour its citadels
so that you can tell a future generation:
14 “This God, our God forever and ever —
he will always lead us.”

Psalm 49

MISPLACED TRUST IN WEALTH
For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.

Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who inhabit the world,
2 both low and high,
rich and poor together.
3 My mouth speaks wisdom;
my heart’s meditation brings understanding.
4 I turn my ear to a proverb;
I explain my riddle with a lyre.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble?
The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.
6 They trust in their wealth
and boast of their abundant riches.
7 Yet these cannot redeem a person
or pay his ransom to God —
8 since the price of redeeming him is too costly,
one should forever stop trying —
9 so that he may live forever
and not see the Pit.
10 For one can see that the wise die;
the foolish and stupid also pass away.
Then they leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their permanent homes,
their dwellings from generation to generation,
though they have named estates after themselves.
12 But despite his assets, mankind will not last;
he is like the animals that perish.
13 This is the way of those who are arrogant,
and of their followers,
who approve of their words. Selah
14 Like sheep they are headed for Sheol;
Death will shepherd them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning,
and their form will waste away in Sheol,
far from their lofty abode.
15 But God will redeem me
from the power of Sheol,
for he will take me. Selah
16 Do not be afraid when a person gets rich,
when the wealth of his house increases.
17 For when he dies, he will take nothing at all;
his wealth will not follow him down.
18 Though he blesses himself during his lifetime —
and you are acclaimed when you do well for yourself —
19 he will go to the generation of his ancestors;
they will never see the light.
20 Mankind, with his assets
but without understanding,
is like the animals that perish.

Acts 26

PAUL’S DEFENSE BEFORE AGRIPPA
Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”

Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 “All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand on trial because of the hope in what God promised to our ancestors, 7 the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope. 8 Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 9 In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them. 11 In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme. Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

PAUL’S ACCOUNT OF HIS CONVERSION AND COMMISSION
12 “I was traveling to Damascus under these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. 13 King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord? ’

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. 22 To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place ​— ​23 that the Messiah would suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

AGRIPPA NOT QUITE PERSUADED
24 As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You’re out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”

25 But Paul replied, “I’m not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I’m speaking words of truth and good judgment. 26 For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.”

28 Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily? ”

29 “I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am ​— ​except for these chains.”

30 The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, 31 and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

— Acts 26:1-32 (CSB)