April 30th, 2006, Thursday of the fourth week of Easter.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

From Paphos, Paul and his companions set sail

and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia.

But John left them and returned to Jerusalem.

They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pasidia.

On the Sabbath,

they entered into the synagogue

and took their seats.

After the reading of the law and the prophets,

the synagogue officials sent word to them.

My brothers,

if one of you has a word of exhortation

for the people, please speak.

So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said,

Fellow children of Israel, and you others who are God fearing, listen.

The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted the people during their

sojourn in the land of Egypt. With uplifted arm he led them out, and for about 40 years

he put up with them in the desert. When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of

Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance, at the end of about 450 years.

After these things, he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king.

God gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin for 40 years. Then he removed him and raised up David

...