Psalm 78:41-72
English Standard Version
41 They (A)tested God again and again
and provoked (B)the Holy One of Israel.
42 They (C)did not remember his power[a]
or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
43 (D)when he performed his (E)signs in Egypt
and his (F)marvels in (G)the fields of Zoan.
44 He (H)turned their rivers to blood,
so that they could not drink of their streams.
45 He sent among them swarms of (I)flies, which devoured them,
and (J)frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave their crops to (K)the destroying locust
and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with (L)hail
and their sycamores with frost.
48 He gave over their (M)cattle to the hail
and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He let loose on them his burning anger,
wrath, indignation, and distress,
a company of (N)destroying angels.
50 He made a path for his anger;
he did not spare them from death,
but gave their lives over to the plague.
51 He struck down every (O)firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of (P)Ham.
52 Then he led out his people (Q)like sheep
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 (R)He led them in safety, so that they (S)were not afraid,
but (T)the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to his (U)holy land,
(V)to the mountain which his right hand had (W)won.
55 He (X)drove out nations before them;
he (Y)apportioned them for a possession
and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56 Yet they (Z)tested and (AA)rebelled against the Most High God
and did not keep his testimonies,
57 but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;
they twisted like (AB)a deceitful bow.
58 For they (AC)provoked him to anger with their (AD)high places;
they (AE)moved him to jealousy with their (AF)idols.
59 When God heard, he was full of (AG)wrath,
and he utterly rejected Israel.
60 He (AH)forsook his dwelling at (AI)Shiloh,
the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
61 and delivered his (AJ)power to captivity,
his (AK)glory to the hand of the foe.
62 He (AL)gave his people over to the sword
and (AM)vented his wrath on his heritage.
63 (AN)Fire devoured their young men,
and their young women had no (AO)marriage song.
64 Their (AP)priests fell by the sword,
and their (AQ)widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord (AR)awoke as from sleep,
like a strong man shouting because of wine.
66 And he (AS)put his adversaries to rout;
he put them to everlasting shame.
67 He rejected the tent of (AT)Joseph;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he (AU)loves.
69 He (AV)built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
like the earth, which he has founded forever.
70 He (AW)chose David his servant
and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from (AX)following the nursing ewes he brought him
to (AY)shepherd Jacob his people,
Israel his (AZ)inheritance.
72 With (BA)upright heart he shepherded them
and (BB)guided them with his skillful hand.
Footnotes
- Psalm 78:42 Hebrew hand
Isaiah 44
English Standard Version
Israel the Lord's Chosen
44 “But now hear, (A)O Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!
2 Thus says the Lord who made you,
(B)who formed you from the womb and will help you:
(C)Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
(D)Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 (E)For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They shall spring up among the grass
(F)like willows by flowing streams.
5 (G)This one will say, ‘I am the Lord's,’
another will call on the name of Jacob,
and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord's,’
and name himself by the name of Israel.”
Besides Me There Is No God
6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
and (H)his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
(I)“I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
7 (J)Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.[a]
Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
8 Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
(K)And you are my witnesses!
(L)Is there a God besides me?
There is no (M)Rock; I know not any.”
The Folly of Idolatry
9 (N)All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 (O)Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 (P)Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.
12 (Q)The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil.[b] He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. (R)He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 (S)He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. (T)He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an (U)abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 (V)He feeds on (W)ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not (X)a lie in my right hand?”
The Lord Redeems Israel
21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are (Y)my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant;
(Z)O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22 (AA)I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.
23 (AB)Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;
shout, O (AC)depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
(AD)and will be glorified[c] in Israel.
24 Thus says the Lord, (AE)your Redeemer,
(AF)who formed you from the womb:
(AG)“I am the Lord, who made all things,
(AH)who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself,
25 who frustrates the signs of liars
and makes fools of diviners,
(AI)who turns wise men back
and makes their knowledge foolish,
26 (AJ)who confirms the word of his servant
and fulfills the counsel of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’
(AK)and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,
and I will raise up their ruins’;
27 (AL)who says to the deep, ‘Be dry;
I will dry up your rivers’;
28 who says of (AM)Cyrus, ‘He is (AN)my shepherd,
and he shall fulfill all my purpose’;
saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’
(AO)and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 44:7 Or Who like me can proclaim it?
- Isaiah 44:13 Hebrew stylus
- Isaiah 44:23 Or will display his beauty
Acts 24:1-23
English Standard Version
Paul Before Felix at Caesarea
24 And (A)after five days the high priest (B)Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before (C)the governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:
“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, (D)most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4 But, to detain[a] you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, (E)one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of (F)the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 (G)He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.[b] 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”
9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.
10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:
“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that (H)it is not more than twelve days since I (I)went up (J)to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and (K)they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 (L)Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to (M)the Way, which they call (N)a sect, (O)I worship (P)the God of our fathers, believing everything (Q)laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 (R)having (S)a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be (T)a resurrection (U)of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always (V)take pains to have a (W)clear conscience toward both God and man. 17 Now (X)after several years (Y)I came to bring alms to (Z)my nation and to present (AA)offerings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me (AB)purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But (AC)some Jews from Asia— 19 (AD)they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing (AE)that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”
Paul Kept in Custody
22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of (AF)the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he (AG)should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that (AH)none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.
Read full chapterThe Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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