Psalm 77

New International Version

Psalm 77^[a]

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

¹I cried out to God^(A) for help;
    I cried out to God to hear me.
²When I was in distress,^(B) I sought the Lord;
    at night^(C) I stretched out untiring hands,^(D)
    and I would not be comforted.^(E)

³I remembered^(F) you, God, and I groaned;^(G)
    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.^[b]^(H)
⁴You kept my eyes from closing;
    I was too troubled to speak.^(I)
⁵I thought about the former days,^(J)
    the years of long ago;
⁶I remembered my songs in the night.
    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

⁷“Will the Lord reject forever?^(K)
    Will he never show his favor^(L) again?
⁸Has his unfailing love^(M) vanished forever?
    Has his promise^(N) failed for all time?
⁹Has God forgotten to be merciful?^(O)
    Has he in anger withheld his compassion?^(P)”

¹⁰Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.^(Q)
¹¹I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles^(R) of long ago.
¹²I will consider^(S) all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”^(T)

¹³Your ways, God, are holy.
    What god is as great as our God?^(U)
¹⁴You are the God who performs miracles;^(V)
    you display your power among the peoples.
¹⁵With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,^(W)
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

¹⁶The waters^(X) saw you, God,
    the waters saw you and writhed;^(Y)
    the very depths were convulsed.
¹⁷The clouds poured down water,^(Z)
    the heavens resounded with thunder;^(AA)
    your arrows^(AB) flashed back and forth.
¹⁸Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,^(AC)
    your lightning^(AD) lit up the world;
    the earth trembled and quaked.^(AE)
¹⁹Your path^(AF) led through the sea,^(AG)
    your way through the mighty waters,
    though your footprints were not seen.

²⁰You led your people^(AH) like a flock^(AI)
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.^(AJ)

Footnotes

Psalm 77:1 In Hebrew texts 77:1-20 is numbered 77:2-21.
Psalm 77:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 9 and 15.

Acts 18

New International Version

In Corinth

18 After this, Paul left Athens^(A) and went to Corinth.^(B) ²There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla,^(C) because Claudius^(D) had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.^(E) ⁴Every Sabbath^(F) he reasoned in the synagogue,^(G) trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

⁵When Silas^(H) and Timothy^(I) came from Macedonia,^(J) Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.^(K) ⁶But when they opposed Paul and became abusive,^(L) he shook out his clothes in protest^(M) and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!^(N) I am innocent of it.^(O) From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”^(P)

⁷Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.^(Q) ⁸Crispus,^(R) the synagogue leader,^(S) and his entire household^(T) believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:^(U) “Do not be afraid;^(V) keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰For I am with you,^(W) and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.^(X)

¹²While Gallio was proconsul^(Y) of Achaia,^(Z) the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³“This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law^(AA)—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶So he drove them off. ¹⁷Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes^(AB) the synagogue leader^(AC) and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos

¹⁸Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters^(AD) and sailed for Syria,^(AE) accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.^(AF) Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae^(AG) because of a vow he had taken.^(AH) ¹⁹They arrived at Ephesus,^(AI) where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.”^(AJ) Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²²When he landed at Caesarea,^(AK) he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.^(AL)

²³After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia^(AM) and Phrygia,^(AN) strengthening all the disciples.^(AO)

²⁴Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos,^(AP) a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.^(AQ) He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor^[a]^(AR) and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.^(AS) ²⁶He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila^(AT) heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

²⁷When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia,^(AU) the brothers and sisters^(AV) encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. ²⁸For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures^(AW) that Jesus was the Messiah.^(AX)