Psalm 123, CSB

A song of ascents.

I lift my eyes to you, the one enthroned in heaven.

Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand, like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand, so our eyes are on the Lord our God until he shows us favor.

Show us favor, Lord, show us favor, for we’ve had more than enough contempt.

We’ve had more than enough scorn from the arrogant and contempt from the proud.

Proverbs 26:14–19, CSB

A door turns on its hinges, and a slacker, on his bed.

The slacker buries his hand in the bowl; he is too weary to bring it to his mouth!

In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven who can answer sensibly.

A person who is passing by and meddles in a quarrel that’s not his is like one who grabs a dog by the ears.

Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows, so is the person who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

Acts 8:1–3, CSB

Saul agreed with putting him to death. On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.

Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.

Saul, however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.