19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.

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19 When anxiety(A) was great within me,
    your consolation(B) brought me joy.

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From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

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From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;(A)
    lead me to the rock(B) that is higher than I.

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who (A)comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any [a]trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as (B)the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our [b]consolation also abounds through Christ.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 1:4 tribulation
  2. 2 Corinthians 1:5 comfort

who comforts us(A) in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,(B) so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

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In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah

You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit [a]makes diligent search.

Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His (A)promise failed [b]forevermore?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah

10 And I said, “This is my [c]anguish;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 77:6 ponders diligently
  2. Psalm 77:8 Lit. unto generation and generation
  3. Psalm 77:10 Lit. infirmity

When I was in distress,(A) I sought the Lord;
    at night(B) I stretched out untiring hands,(C)
    and I would not be comforted.(D)

I remembered(E) you, God, and I groaned;(F)
    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[a](G)
You kept my eyes from closing;
    I was too troubled to speak.(H)
I thought about the former days,(I)
    the years of long ago;
I remembered my songs in the night.
    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

“Will the Lord reject forever?(J)
    Will he never show his favor(K) again?
Has his unfailing love(L) vanished forever?
    Has his promise(M) failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?(N)
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?(O)

10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 77:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 9 and 15.

(A)through whom also we have access by faith into this grace (B)in which we stand, and (C)rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but (D)we also glory in tribulations, (E)knowing that tribulation produces [a]perseverance; (F)and perseverance, [b]character; and character, hope. (G)Now hope does not disappoint, (H)because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 5:3 endurance
  2. Romans 5:4 approved character

through whom we have gained access(A) by faith into this grace in which we now stand.(B) And we[a] boast in the hope(C) of the glory of God. Not only so, but we[b] also glory in our sufferings,(D) because we know that suffering produces perseverance;(E) perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope(F) does not put us to shame, because God’s love(G) has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,(H) who has been given to us.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 5:2 Or let us
  2. Romans 5:3 Or let us

16 When I heard, (A)my body trembled;
My lips quivered at the voice;
Rottenness entered my bones;
And I trembled in myself,
That I might rest in the day of trouble.
When he comes up to the people,
He will invade them with his troops.

A Hymn of Faith

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
18 Yet I will (B)rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

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16 I heard and my heart pounded,
    my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
    and my legs trembled.(A)
Yet I will wait patiently(B) for the day of calamity
    to come on the nation invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,(C)
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,(D)
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,(E)
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.(F)

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My soul shall be satisfied as with [a]marrow and [b]fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

When (A)I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 63:5 Lit. fat
  2. Psalm 63:5 Abundance

I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;(A)
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
    I think of you through the watches of the night.(B)

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that (A)the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though (B)it is tested by fire, (C)may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, (D)whom having not [a]seen you love. (E)Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:8 M known

These have come so that the proven genuineness(A) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire(B)—may result in praise, glory and honor(C) when Jesus Christ is revealed.(D) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him(E) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

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For You are the God of my strength;
Why do You cast me off?
(A)Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

(B)Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to (C)Your holy hill
And to Your [a]tabernacle.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.

(D)Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The [b]help of my countenance and my God.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 43:3 dwelling places
  2. Psalm 43:5 Lit. salvation

You are God my stronghold.
    Why have you rejected(A) me?
Why must I go about mourning,(B)
    oppressed by the enemy?(C)
Send me your light(D) and your faithful care,(E)
    let them lead me;(F)
let them bring me to your holy mountain,(G)
    to the place where you dwell.(H)
Then I will go(I) to the altar(J) of God,
    to God, my joy(K) and my delight.(L)
I will praise you with the lyre,(M)
    O God, my God.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.(N)

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Jeremiah’s Unpopular Ministry

O Lord, You [a]induced me, and I was persuaded;
(A)You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.
(B)I am [b]in derision daily;
Everyone mocks me.
For when I spoke, I cried out;
(C)I shouted, “Violence and plunder!”
Because the word of the Lord was made to me
A reproach and a derision daily.
Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name.”
But His word was in my heart like a (D)burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And (E)I could not.
10 (F)For I heard many [c]mocking:
“Fear on every side!”
“Report,” they say, “and we will report it!”
(G)All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying,
“Perhaps he can be induced;
Then we will prevail against him,
And we will take our revenge on him.”

11 But the Lord is (H)with me as a mighty, awesome One.
Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not (I)prevail.
They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.
Their (J)everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 20:7 enticed or persuaded
  2. Jeremiah 20:7 Lit. a laughingstock all the day
  3. Jeremiah 20:10 slandering

Jeremiah’s Complaint

You deceived[a](A) me, Lord, and I was deceived[b];
    you overpowered(B) me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed(C) all day long;
    everyone mocks(D) me.
Whenever I speak, I cry out
    proclaiming violence and destruction.(E)
So the word of the Lord has brought me
    insult and reproach(F) all day long.
But if I say, “I will not mention his word
    or speak anymore in his name,”(G)
his word is in my heart like a fire,(H)
    a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;(I)
    indeed, I cannot.
10 I hear many whispering,
    “Terror(J) on every side!
    Denounce(K) him! Let’s denounce him!”
All my friends(L)
    are waiting for me to slip,(M) saying,
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
    then we will prevail(N) over him
    and take our revenge(O) on him.”

11 But the Lord(P) is with me like a mighty warrior;
    so my persecutors(Q) will stumble and not prevail.(R)
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;(S)
    their dishonor will never be forgotten.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 20:7 Or persuaded
  2. Jeremiah 20:7 Or persuaded

12 Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13 Surely I have [a]cleansed my heart in (A)vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.

15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was [b]too painful for me—

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 73:13 kept my heart pure in vain
  2. Psalm 73:16 troublesome in my eyes

12 This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,(A) they go on amassing wealth.(B)

13 Surely in vain(C) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.(D)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(E)
    and every morning brings new punishments.

15 If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand(F) all this,
    it troubled me deeply

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