Psalm 77^[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

Repentance to Bring Blessing

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

³⁰ The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews.^(A) So the next day he released him^(B) and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin^(C) to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin^(D) and said, “My brothers,^(E) I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience^(F) to this day.” ² At this the high priest Ananias^(G) ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.^{(H) 3} Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!^(I) You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”^(J)

⁴ Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

⁵ Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’^[a]”^(K)

⁶ Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees^(L) and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers,^(M) I am a Pharisee,^(N) descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”^{(O) 7} When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection,^(P) and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

⁹ There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees^(Q) stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,”^(R) they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”^{(S) 10} The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.^(T)

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!^(U) As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”^(V)

³⁹ He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?^{(A) 40} The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.^(B)

⁴¹ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit^(C)

⁴³ “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.^(D) People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.^(E)

The Wise and Foolish Builders^(F)

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’^(G) and do not do what I say?^{(H) 47} As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice,^(I) I will show you what they are like. ⁴⁸ They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”