Through the Bible – Day 211

Bible text(s)

Psalms 79

(A psalm by Asaph.)

Have pity on Jerusalem

1Our God, foreign nations

have taken your land,

disgraced your temple,

and left Jerusalem in ruins.

2They have fed the bodies

of your servants

to flesh-eating birds;

your loyal people are food

for savage animals.

3All Jerusalem is covered

with their blood,

and there is no one left

to bury them.

4Every nation around us

sneers and makes fun.

5Our LORD, will you keep on

being angry?

Will your angry feelings

keep flaming up like fire?

6Get angry with those nations

that don't know you

and won't worship you!

7They have gobbled up

Jacob's descendants

and left the land in ruins.

8Don't make us pay for the sins

of our ancestors.

Have pity and come quickly!

We are completely helpless.

9Our God, you keep us safe.

Now help us! Rescue us.

Forgive our sins

and bring honour to yourself.

10Why should nations ask us,

“Where is your God?”

Let us and the other nations

see you take revenge

for your servants who died

a violent death.

11Listen to the prisoners groan!

Let your mighty power save all

who are sentenced to die.

12Each of those nations sneered

at you, our Lord.

Now let others sneer at them,

seven times as much.

13Then we, your people,

will always thank you.

We are like sheep

with you as our shepherd,

and all generations

will hear us praise you.

Psalms 80

(A psalm by Asaph for the music leader. To the tune “Lilies of the Agreement”.)

Help our nation

1Shepherd of Israel, you lead

the descendants of Joseph,

and you sit on your throne

above the winged creatures.

Listen to our prayer

and let your light shine

2for the tribes of Ephraim,

Benjamin, and Manasseh.

Save us by your power.

3Our God, make us strong again!

Smile on us and save us.

4LORD God All-Powerful,

how much longer

will the prayers of your people

make you angry?

5You gave us tears for food,

and you made us drink them

by the bowlful.

6Because of you,

our enemies who live nearby

laugh and joke about us.

7But if you smile on us,

we will be saved.

8We were like a grapevine

you brought out of Egypt.

You chased other nations away

and planted us here.

9Then you cleared the ground,

and we put our roots deep,

spreading over the land.

10Shade from this vine covered

the mountains.

Its branches climbed

the mighty cedars

11and stretched to the sea;

its new growth reached

to the river.

12Our Lord, why have you

torn down the wall

from around the vineyard?

You let everyone who walks by

pick the grapes.

13Now the vine is gobbled up

by pigs from the forest

and other wild animals.

14God All-Powerful,

please do something!

Look down from heaven

and see what's happening

to this vine.

15With your own hands

you planted its roots,

and you raised it

as your very own.

16Enemies chopped the vine down

and set it on fire.

Now show your anger

and destroy them.

17But help the one who sits

at your right side,

the one you raised

to be your own.

18Then we will never turn away.

Put new life into us,

and we will worship you.

19LORD God All-Powerful,

make us strong again!

Smile on us and save us.

Psalms 79:1-80:19CEVOpen in Bible reader

Acts 28

Paul in Rome

16We arrived in Rome, and Paul was allowed to live in a house by himself with a soldier to guard him.

17Three days after we got there, Paul called together some of the Jewish leaders and said:

My friends, I have never done anything to hurt our people, and I have never gone against the customs of our ancestors. But in Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. 18They looked into the charges against me and wanted to release me. They found that I had not done anything deserving death. 19The Jewish leaders disagreed, so I asked to be tried by the Emperor.

But I don't have anything to say against my own nation. 20I am bound by these chains because of what we people of Israel hope for. That's why I have called you here to talk about this hope of ours.

21The leaders replied, “No one from Judea has written us a letter about you. And not one of them has come here to report on you or to say anything against you. 22But we would like to hear what you have to say. We understand that people everywhere are against this new group.”

23They agreed on a time to meet with Paul, and many of them came to his house. From early morning until late in the afternoon, Paul talked to them about God's kingdom. He used the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets to try to win them over to Jesus.

24Some of the leaders agreed with what Paul said, but others did not. 25Since they could not agree among themselves, they started leaving. But Paul said, “The Holy Spirit said the right thing when he sent Isaiah the prophet 26to tell our ancestors,

‘Go to these people

and tell them:

You will listen and listen,

but never understand.

You will look and look,

but never see.

27All of you

have stubborn hearts.

Your ears are stopped up,

and your eyes are covered.

You cannot see or hear

or understand.

If you could,

you would turn to me,

and I would heal you.’ ”

28-29Paul said, “You may be sure that God wants to save the Gentiles! And they will listen.”

30For two years Paul stayed in a rented house and welcomed everyone who came to see him. 31He bravely preached about God's kingdom and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him.

Acts 28:16-16:31CEVOpen in Bible reader
Canadian Bible Societyv.4.24.4
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