One Year Bible.

The Fool Says There Is No God

¹For the choirmaster. Of David.

The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt; their acts are vile.

There is no one who does good.

²The LORD looks down from heaven

upon the sons of men

to see if any understand,

if any seek God.

³All have turned away,

they have together become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.

⁴Will the workers of iniquity never learn?

They devour my people like bread;

they refuse to call upon the LORD.

⁵There they are, overwhelmed with dread,

for God is in the company of the righteous.

⁶You sinners frustrate the plans of the oppressed,

yet the LORD is their shelter.

⁷Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion!

When the LORD restores His captive people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

Ananias and Sapphira

¹Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ²With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

³Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? ⁴Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!”

⁵On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened. ⁶Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

⁷About three hours later his wife also came in, unaware of what had happened. ⁸“Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?”

“Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.”

⁹“How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

¹⁰At that instant she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹And great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these events.

The Apostles Heal Many

¹²The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade. ¹³Although the people regarded them highly, no one else dared to join them. ¹⁴Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord — large numbers of both men and women.

¹⁵As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. ¹⁶Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.

The Apostles Arrested and Freed

¹⁷Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They went out ¹⁸and arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. ¹⁹But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying, ²⁰“Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.”

²¹At daybreak the apostles entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people.

When the high priest and his associates arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin— the full assembly of the elders of Israel— and sent to the jail for the apostles. ²²But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they returned with the report: ²³“We found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”

The Apostles before the Sanhedrin

²⁴When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed as to what was happening. ²⁵Then someone came in and announced, “Look, the men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people!”

²⁶At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles — but not by force, for fear the people would stone them. ²⁷They brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest interrogated them. ²⁸“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”

²⁹But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. ³¹God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³²We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Gamaliel’s Advice

³³When the Council members heard this, they were enraged, and they resolved to put the apostles to death. ³⁴But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a short time.

³⁵“Men of Israel,” he said, “consider carefully what you are about to do to these men. ³⁶Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. ³⁷After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and drew away people after him. He too perished, and all his followers were scattered.

³⁸So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”

⁴⁰At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.

⁴¹The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. ⁴²Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

The Burden against Nineveh

¹This is the burden against Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

²The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;

the LORD is avenging and full of wrath.

The LORD takes vengeance on His foes

and reserves wrath for His enemies.

³The LORD is slow to anger

and great in power;

the LORD will by no means

leave the guilty unpunished.

His path is in the whirlwind and storm,

and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

⁴He rebukes the sea and dries it up;

He makes all the rivers run dry.

Bashan and Carmel wither,

and the flower of Lebanon wilts.

⁵The mountains quake before Him,

and the hills melt away;

the earth trembles at His presence—

the world and all its dwellers.

⁶Who can withstand His indignation?

Who can endure His burning anger?

His wrath is poured out like fire;

even rocks are shattered before Him.

⁷The LORD is good,

a stronghold in the day of distress;

He cares for those who trust in Him.

⁸But with an overwhelming flood

He will make an end of Nineveh

and pursue His enemies into darkness.

⁹Whatever you plot against the LORD,

He will bring to an end.

Affliction will not rise up

a second time.

¹⁰For they will be entangled as with thorns

and consumed like the drink of a drunkard —

like stubble that is fully dry.

¹¹From you, O Nineveh, comes forth

a plotter of evil against the LORD,

a counselor of wickedness.

¹²This is what the LORD says:

“Though they are allied and numerous,

yet they will be cut down and pass away.

Though I have afflicted you, O Judah,

I will afflict you no longer.

¹³For I will now break their yoke from your neck

and tear away your shackles.”

¹⁴The LORD has issued a command concerning you, O Nineveh:

“There will be no descendants

to carry on your name.

I will cut off the carved image and cast idol

from the house of your gods;

I will prepare your grave,

for you are contemptible.”

¹⁵Look to the mountains—

the feet of one who brings good news,

who proclaims peace!

Celebrate your feasts, O Judah;

fulfill your vows.

For the wicked will never again march through you;

they will be utterly cut off.

The Overthrow of Nineveh

¹One who scatters advances

against you, O Nineveh.

Guard the fortress!

Watch the road!

Brace yourselves!

Summon all your strength!

²For the LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob

like the splendor of Israel,

though destroyers have laid them waste

and ruined the branches of their vine.

³The shields of his mighty men are red;

the valiant warriors are dressed in scarlet.

The fittings of the chariots flash like fire

on the day they are prepared,

and the spears of cypress

have been brandished.

⁴The chariots dash through the streets;

they rush around the plazas,

appearing like torches,

darting about like lightning.

⁵He summons his nobles;

they stumble as they advance.

They race to its wall;

the protective shield is set in place.

⁶The river gates are thrown open

and the palace collapses.

⁷It is decreed that the city be exiled

and carried away;

her maidservants moan like doves,

and beat upon their breasts.

⁸Nineveh has been like a pool of water

throughout her days,

but now it is draining away.

“Stop! Stop!” they cry,

but no one turns back.

⁹“Plunder the silver!

Plunder the gold!”

There is no end to the treasure,

an abundance of every precious thing.

¹⁰She is emptied!

Yes , she is desolate and laid waste!

Hearts melt, knees knock,

bodies tremble, and every face grows pale!

¹¹Where is the lions’ lair

or the feeding ground of the young lions,

where the lion and lioness prowled with their cubs,

with nothing to frighten them away?

¹²The lion mauled enough for its cubs

and strangled prey for the lioness.

It filled its dens with the kill,

and its lairs with mauled prey.

¹³“Behold, I am against you,”

declares the LORD of Hosts.

“I will reduce your chariots to cinders,

and the sword will devour your young lions.

I will cut off your prey from the earth,

and the voices of your messengers

will no longer be heard.”

Judgment on Nineveh

¹Woe to the city of blood,

full of lies,

full of plunder,

never without prey.

²The crack of the whip,

the rumble of the wheel,

galloping horse

and bounding chariot!

³Charging horseman,

flashing sword,

shining spear;

heaps of slain,

mounds of corpses,

dead bodies without end—

they stumble over their dead—

⁴because of the many harlotries of the harlot,

the seductive mistress of sorcery,

who betrays nations by her prostitution

and clans by her witchcraft.

⁵“Behold, I am against you,”

declares the LORD of Hosts.

“I will lift your skirts over your face.

I will show your nakedness to the nations

and your shame to the kingdoms.

⁶I will pelt you with filth

and treat you with contempt;

I will make a spectacle of you.

⁷Then all who see you

will recoil from you and say,

‘Nineveh is devastated;

who will grieve for her?’

Where can I find

comforters for you?”

⁸Are you better than Thebes,

stationed by the Nile with water around her,

whose rampart was the sea,

whose wall was the water?

⁹Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength;

Put and Libya were her allies.

¹⁰Yet she became an exile;

she went into captivity.

Her infants were dashed to pieces

at the head of every street.

They cast lots for her dignitaries,

and all her nobles were bound in chains.

¹¹You too will become drunk;

you will go into hiding

and seek refuge from the enemy.

¹²All your fortresses are fig trees

with the first ripe figs;

when shaken, they fall

into the mouth of the eater!

¹³Look at your troops —

they are like your women!

The gates of your land

are wide open to your enemies;

fire consumes their bars.

¹⁴Draw your water for the siege;

strengthen your fortresses.

Work the clay and tread the mortar;

repair the brick kiln!

¹⁵There the fire will devour you;

the sword will cut you down

and consume you like a young locust.

Make yourself many like the young locust;

make yourself many like the swarming locust!

¹⁶You have multiplied your merchants

more than the stars of the sky.

The young locust strips the land

and flies away.

¹⁷Your guards are like the swarming locust,

and your scribes like clouds of locusts

that settle on the walls on a cold day.

When the sun rises, they fly away,

and no one knows where.

¹⁸O king of Assyria, your shepherds slumber;

your officers sleep.

Your people are scattered on the mountains

with no one to gather them.

¹⁹There is no healing for your injury;

your wound is severe.

All who hear the news of you

applaud your downfall,

for who has not experienced

your constant cruelty?