oremus Bible Browser

Acts 20:28-38

²⁸Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God^* that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.^* ²⁹I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. ³¹Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears. ³²And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified. ³³I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing. ³⁴You know for yourselves that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions. ³⁵In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” ’

36 When he had finished speaking, he knelt down with them all and prayed. ³⁷There was much weeping among them all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, ³⁸grieving especially because of what he had said, that they would not see him again. Then they brought him to the ship.

²⁹ Because of your temple at Jerusalem
   kings bear gifts to you.
³⁰ Rebuke the wild animals that live among the reeds,
   the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample^* under foot those who lust after tribute;
   scatter the peoples who delight in war.^*
³¹ Let bronze be brought from Egypt;
   let Ethiopia^* hasten to stretch out its hands to God.

³² Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;
   sing praises to the Lord,
          Selah
³³ O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
   listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
³⁴ Ascribe power to God,
   whose majesty is over Israel;
   and whose power is in the skies.
³⁵ Awesome is God in his^* sanctuary,
   the God of Israel;
   he gives power and strength to his people.

Blessed be God!

John 17:11-19

¹¹And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. ¹²While I was with them, I protected them in your name that^* you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost,^* so that the scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.^* ¹⁴I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁵I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.^* ¹⁶They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.