Psalm 119:73-80

New International Version

י Yodh

⁷³Your hands made me^(A) and formed me;
    give me understanding to learn your commands.
⁷⁴May those who fear you rejoice^(B) when they see me,
    for I have put my hope in your word.^(C)
⁷⁵I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,^(D)
    and that in faithfulness^(E) you have afflicted me.
⁷⁶May your unfailing love^(F) be my comfort,
    according to your promise^(G) to your servant.
⁷⁷Let your compassion^(H) come to me that I may live,
    for your law is my delight.^(I)
⁷⁸May the arrogant^(J) be put to shame for wronging me without cause;^(K)
    but I will meditate on your precepts.
⁷⁹May those who fear you turn to me,
    those who understand your statutes.^(L)
⁸⁰May I wholeheartedly follow^(M) your decrees,^(N)
    that I may not be put to shame.^(O)

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Jeremiah 8:4-13

New International Version

Sin and Punishment

⁴“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘When people fall down, do they not get up?^(A)
    When someone turns away,^(B) do they not return?
⁵Why then have these people turned away?
    Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;^(C)
    they refuse to return.^(D)
⁶I have listened^(E) attentively,
    but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent^(F) of their wickedness,
    saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course^(G)
    like a horse charging into battle.
⁷Even the stork in the sky
    knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
    observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know^(H)
    the requirements of the Lord.

⁸“‘How can you say, “We are wise,
    for we have the law^(I) of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
    has handled it falsely?
⁹The wise^(J) will be put to shame;
    they will be dismayed^(K) and trapped.^(L)
Since they have rejected the word^(M) of the Lord,
    what kind of wisdom^(N) do they have?
¹⁰Therefore I will give their wives to other men
    and their fields to new owners.^(O)
From the least to the greatest,
    all are greedy for gain;^(P)
prophets^(Q) and priests alike,
    all practice deceit.^(R)
¹¹They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
    when there is no peace.^(S)
¹²Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
    No, they have no shame^(T) at all;
    they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
    they will be brought down when they are punished,^(U)
says the Lord.^(V)

¹³“‘I will take away their harvest,
declares the Lord.
    There will be no grapes on the vine.^(W)
There will be no figs^(X) on the tree,
    and their leaves will wither.^(Y)
What I have given them
    will be taken^(Z) from them.^[a]’”

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 8:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.

Acts 19:28-41

New International Version

²⁸When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”^(A) ²⁹Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius^(B) and Aristarchus,^(C) Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia,^(D) and all of them rushed into the theater together. ³⁰Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples^(E) would not let him. ³¹Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

³²The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another.^(F) Most of the people did not even know why they were there. ³³The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned^(G) for silence in order to make a defense before the people. ³⁴But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”^(H)

³⁵The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians,^(I) doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? ³⁶Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. ³⁷You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples^(J) nor blasphemed our goddess. ³⁸If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen^(K) have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls.^(L) They can press charges. ³⁹If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” ⁴¹After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.