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129  Your testimonies are wonderful; ♦︎
   therefore my soul keeps them.
130  The opening of your word gives light; ♦︎
   it gives understanding to the simple.
131  I open my mouth and draw in my breath, ♦︎
   as I long for your commandments.
132  Turn to me and be gracious to me, ♦︎
   as is your way with those who love your name.
133  Order my steps by your word, ♦︎
   and let no wickedness have dominion over me.
134  Redeem me from earthly oppressors ♦︎
   so that I may keep your commandments.
135  Show the light of your countenance upon your servant ♦︎
   and teach me your statutes.
136  My eyes run down with streams of water, ♦︎
   because the wicked do not keep your law.
137  Righteous are you, O Lord, ♦︎
   and true are your judgements.
138  You have ordered your decrees in righteousness ♦︎
   and in great faithfulness.
139  My indignation destroys me, ♦︎
   because my adversaries forget your word.
140  Your word has been tried to the uttermost ♦︎
   and so your servant loves it.
141  I am small and of no reputation, ♦︎
   yet do I not forget your commandments.
142  Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness ♦︎
   and your law is the truth.
143  Trouble and heaviness have taken hold upon me, ♦︎
   yet my delight is in your commandments.
144  The righteousness of your testimonies is everlasting; ♦︎
   O grant me understanding and I shall live.
145  I call with my whole heart; ♦︎
   answer me, O Lord, that I may keep your statutes.
146  To you I call, O save me! ♦︎
   And I shall keep your testimonies.
147  Early in the morning I cry to you, ♦︎
   for in your word is my trust.
148  My eyes are open before the night watches, ♦︎
   that I may meditate on your word.
149  Hear my voice, O Lord, according to your faithful love; ♦︎
   according to your judgement, give me life.
150  They draw near that in malice persecute me, ♦︎
   who are far from your law.
151  You, O Lord, are near at hand, ♦︎
   and all your commandments are true.
152  Long have I known of your testimonies, ♦︎
   that you have founded them for ever.

Absalom Usurps the Throne

15After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run ahead of him. ²Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road into the gate; and when anyone brought a suit before the king for judgement, Absalom would call out and say, ‘From what city are you?’ When the person said, ‘Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel’, ³Absalom would say, ‘See, your claims are good and right; but there is no one deputed by the king to hear you.’ ⁴Absalom said moreover, ‘If only I were judge in the land! Then all who had a suit or cause might come to me, and I would give them justice.’ ⁵Whenever people came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of them, and kiss them. ⁶Thus Absalom did to every Israelite who came to the king for judgement; so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

7 At the end of four^* years Absalom said to the king, ‘Please let me go to Hebron and pay the vow that I have made to the Lord. ⁸For your servant made a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram: If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will worship the Lord in Hebron.’^{* 9}The king said to him, ‘Go in peace.’ So he got up, and went to Hebron. ¹⁰But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, ‘As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: Absalom has become king at Hebron!’ ¹¹Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom; they were invited guests, and they went in their innocence, knowing nothing of the matter. ¹²While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for^* Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city Giloh. The conspiracy grew in strength, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.

¹⁹and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul Preaches in Damascus

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, ²⁰and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ ²¹All who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?’ ²²Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus^* was the Messiah.^*

Saul Escapes from the Jews

23 After some time had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, ²⁴but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night so that they might kill him; ²⁵but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall,^* lowering him in a basket.

Saul in Jerusalem

26 When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹He spoke and argued with the Hellenists; but they were attempting to kill him. ³⁰When the believers^* learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31 Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.