Psalm 77

English Standard Version

In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to ^(A)Jeduthun. A Psalm of ^(B)Asaph.

77 I ^(C)cry aloud to God,
    aloud to God, and he will hear me.
²^(D)In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
    in ^(E)the night my ^(F)hand is stretched out without wearying;
    my soul ^(G)refuses to be comforted.
³When I remember God, I ^(H)moan;
    when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

⁴You hold my eyelids open;
    I am so ^(I)troubled that I cannot speak.
⁵I consider ^(J)the days of old,
    the years long ago.
⁶I said,^[a] “Let me remember my ^(K)song in the night;
    let me ^(L)meditate in my heart.”
    Then my spirit made a diligent search:
⁷“Will the Lord ^(M)spurn forever,
    and never again ^(N)be favorable?
⁸Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
    Are his ^(O)promises at an end for all time?
⁹^(P)Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    ^(Q)Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

¹⁰Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the ^(R)right hand of the Most High.”^[b]

¹¹I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will ^(S)remember your wonders of old.
¹²I will ponder all your ^(T)work,
    and meditate on your ^(U)mighty deeds.
¹³Your way, O God, is ^(V)holy.
    ^(W)What god is great like our God?
¹⁴You are the God who ^(X)works wonders;
    you have ^(Y)made known your might among the peoples.
¹⁵You ^(Z)with your arm redeemed your people,
    the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

¹⁶When ^(AA)the waters saw you, O God,
    when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
    indeed, the deep trembled.
¹⁷The clouds poured out water;
    the skies ^(AB)gave forth thunder;
    your ^(AC)arrows flashed on every side.
¹⁸^(AD)The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    ^(AE)your lightnings lighted up the world;
    the earth ^(AF)trembled and shook.
¹⁹Your ^(AG)way was through the sea,
    your path through the great waters;
    yet your footprints ^(AH)were unseen.^[c]
²⁰You ^(AI)led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Footnotes

Psalm 77:6 Hebrew lacks I said
Psalm 77:10 Or This is my grief: that the right hand of the Most High has changed
Psalm 77:19 Hebrew unknown

Proverbs 29

English Standard Version

29 ^(A)He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,
    will suddenly be ^(B)broken ^(C)beyond healing.
²When ^(D)the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
    but when ^(E)the wicked rule, the people groan.
³He who ^(F)loves wisdom makes his father glad,
    but ^(G)a companion of prostitutes ^(H)squanders his wealth.
⁴By justice a king ^(I)builds up the land,
    but he who exacts gifts^[a] tears it down.
⁵^(J)A man who flatters his neighbor
    spreads ^(K)a net for his feet.
⁶An evil man is ^(L)ensnared in his transgression,
    but a righteous man ^(M)sings and rejoices.
⁷A righteous man ^(N)knows the rights of the poor;
    a wicked man does not ^(O)understand such knowledge.
⁸^(P)Scoffers set a city aflame,
    but the wise turn away wrath.
⁹If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
    the fool only rages and laughs, and there is ^(Q)no quiet.
¹⁰Bloodthirsty men ^(R)hate one who is blameless
    and seek the life of the upright.^[b]
¹¹A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
    but a wise man quietly holds it back.
¹²If a ruler listens to falsehood,
    all his officials will be wicked.
¹³The poor man and the oppressor ^(S)meet together;
    the Lord ^(T)gives light to the eyes of both.
¹⁴If a king ^(U)faithfully judges the poor,
    his throne will ^(V)be established forever.
¹⁵^(W)The rod and reproof give wisdom,
    but a child left to himself ^(X)brings shame to his mother.
¹⁶When the wicked increase, transgression increases,
    but ^(Y)the righteous will look upon their downfall.
¹⁷^(Z)Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
    he will give delight to your heart.
¹⁸Where ^(AA)there is no prophetic vision the people ^(AB)cast off restraint,^[c]
    but blessed is he who ^(AC)keeps the law.
¹⁹By mere words a servant is not disciplined,
    for though he understands, he will not respond.
²⁰Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
    ^(AD)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
²¹Whoever pampers his servant from childhood
    will in the end find him his heir.^[d]
²²^(AE)A man of wrath stirs up strife,
    and one given to anger causes much transgression.
²³^(AF)One's pride will bring him low,
    ^(AG)but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
²⁴The partner of a thief ^(AH)hates his own life;
    ^(AI)he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
²⁵^(AJ)The fear of man lays a snare,
    but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
²⁶Many ^(AK)seek the face of a ruler,
    but it is from the Lord that a man ^(AL)gets justice.
²⁷^(AM)An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
    but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

Footnotes

Proverbs 29:4 Or who taxes heavily
Proverbs 29:10 Or but the upright seek his soul
Proverbs 29:18 Or the people are discouraged
Proverbs 29:21 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered his heir is uncertain

1 Timothy 3

English Standard Version

Qualifications for Overseers

3 The saying is ^(A)trustworthy: If anyone aspires to ^(B)the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. ²Therefore ^(C)an overseer^[a] must be above reproach, ^(D)the husband of one wife,^[b] ^(E)sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, ^(F)hospitable, ^(G)able to teach, ³not a drunkard, not violent but ^(H)gentle, not quarrelsome, ^(I)not a lover of money. ⁴He must manage his own household well, with all dignity ^(J)keeping his children submissive, ⁵for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for ^(K)God's church? ⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may ^(L)become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷Moreover, he must be well thought of by ^(M)outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into ^(N)a snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons

⁸^(O)Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,^[c] ^(P)not addicted to much wine, ^(Q)not greedy for dishonest gain. ⁹They must ^(R)hold the mystery of the faith with ^(S)a clear conscience. ¹⁰And ^(T)let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. ¹¹^(U)Their wives likewise^[d] must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, ^(V)faithful in all things. ¹²Let deacons each be ^(W)the husband of one wife, ^(X)managing their children and their own households well. ¹³For ^(Y)those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

¹⁴I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, ¹⁵if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. ¹⁶Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

^(Z)He^[e] was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated^[f] by the Spirit,^[g]
        ^(AA)seen by angels,
^(AB)proclaimed among the nations,
    ^(AC)believed on in the world,
        ^(AD)taken up in glory.