Psalm 79-81

New International Version

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

¹O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;^(A)
    they have defiled^(B) your holy temple,
    they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.^(C)
²They have left the dead bodies of your servants
    as food for the birds of the sky,^(D)
    the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.^(E)
³They have poured out blood like water
    all around Jerusalem,
    and there is no one to bury^(F) the dead.^(G)
⁴We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
    of scorn^(H) and derision to those around us.^(I)

⁵How long,^(J) Lord? Will you be angry^(K) forever?
    How long will your jealousy burn like fire?^(L)
⁶Pour out your wrath^(M) on the nations
    that do not acknowledge^(N) you,
on the kingdoms
    that do not call on your name;^(O)
⁷for they have devoured^(P) Jacob
    and devastated his homeland.

⁸Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;^(Q)
    may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
    for we are in desperate need.^(R)
⁹Help us,^(S) God our Savior,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
    for your name’s sake.^(T)
¹⁰Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”^(U)

Before our eyes, make known among the nations
    that you avenge^(V) the outpoured blood^(W) of your servants.
¹¹May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
¹²Pay back into the laps^(X) of our neighbors seven times^(Y)
    the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
¹³Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,^(Z)
    will praise you forever;^(AA)
from generation to generation
    we will proclaim your praise.

Psalm 80^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.

¹Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.^(AB)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,^(AC)
    shine forth ²before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.^(AD)
Awaken^(AE) your might;
    come and save us.^(AF)

³Restore^(AG) us,^(AH) O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.^(AI)

⁴How long,^(AJ) Lord God Almighty,
    will your anger smolder^(AK)
    against the prayers of your people?
⁵You have fed them with the bread of tears;^(AL)
    you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.^(AM)
⁶You have made us an object of derision^[b] to our neighbors,
    and our enemies mock us.^(AN)

⁷Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.^(AO)

⁸You transplanted a vine^(AP) from Egypt;
    you drove out^(AQ) the nations and planted^(AR) it.
⁹You cleared the ground for it,
    and it took root and filled the land.
¹⁰The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches.
¹¹Its branches reached as far as the Sea,^[c]
    its shoots as far as the River.^[d]^(AS)

¹²Why have you broken down its walls^(AT)
    so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
¹³Boars from the forest ravage^(AU) it,
    and insects from the fields feed on it.
¹⁴Return to us, God Almighty!
    Look down from heaven and see!^(AV)
Watch over this vine,
¹⁵    the root your right hand has planted,
    the son^[e] you have raised up for yourself.

¹⁶Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;^(AW)
    at your rebuke^(AX) your people perish.
¹⁷Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
    the son of man^(AY) you have raised up for yourself.
¹⁸Then we will not turn away from you;
    revive^(AZ) us, and we will call on your name.

¹⁹Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.

Psalm 81^[f]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[g] Of Asaph.

¹Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!^(BA)
²Begin the music, strike the timbrel,^(BB)
play the melodious harp^(BC) and lyre.^(BD)

³Sound the ram’s horn^(BE) at the New Moon,^(BF)
    and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
⁴this is a decree for Israel,
    an ordinance of the God of Jacob.^(BG)
⁵When God went out against Egypt,^(BH)
    he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say:^(BI)

⁶“I removed the burden^(BJ) from their shoulders;^(BK)
    their hands were set free from the basket.
⁷In your distress you called^(BL) and I rescued you,
    I answered^(BM) you out of a thundercloud;
    I tested you at the waters of Meribah.^[h]^(BN)
⁸Hear me, my people,^(BO) and I will warn you—
    if you would only listen to me, Israel!
⁹You shall have no foreign god^(BP) among you;
    you shall not worship any god other than me.
¹⁰I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of Egypt.^(BQ)
Open^(BR) wide your mouth and I will fill^(BS) it.

¹¹“But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.^(BT)
¹²So I gave them over^(BU) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.

¹³“If my people would only listen to me,^(BV)
    if Israel would only follow my ways,
¹⁴how quickly I would subdue^(BW) their enemies
    and turn my hand against^(BX) their foes!
¹⁵Those who hate the Lord would cringe^(BY) before him,
    and their punishment would last forever.
¹⁶But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;^(BZ)
    with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Footnotes

Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention
Psalm 80:11 Probably the Mediterranean
Psalm 80:11 That is, the Euphrates
Psalm 80:15 Or branch
Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
Psalm 81:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Romans 8:1-18

New International Version

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation^(A) for those who are in Christ Jesus,^(B) ²because through Christ Jesus^(C) the law of the Spirit who gives life^(D) has set you^[a] free^(E) from the law of sin^(F) and death. ³For what the law was powerless^(G) to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[b]^(H) God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh^(I) to be a sin offering.^[c]^(J) And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement^(K) of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.^(L)

⁵Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;^(M) but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.^(N) ⁶The mind governed by the flesh is death,^(O) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life^(P) and peace. ⁷The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;^(Q) it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸Those who are in the realm of the flesh^(R) cannot please God.

⁹You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh^(S) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.^(T) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,^(U) they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you,^(V) then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[d] because of righteousness. ¹¹And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead^(W) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies^(X) because of^[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

¹²Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.^(Y) ¹³For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;^(Z) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,^(AA) you will live.^(AB)

¹⁴For those who are led by the Spirit of God^(AC) are the children of God.^(AD) ¹⁵The Spirit^(AE) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;^(AF) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.”^(AG) ¹⁶The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit^(AH) that we are God’s children.^(AI) ¹⁷Now if we are children, then we are heirs^(AJ)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings^(AK) in order that we may also share in his glory.^(AL)

Present Suffering and Future Glory

¹⁸I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.^(AM)

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Footnotes

Romans 8:2 The Greek is singular; some manuscripts me
Romans 8:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 4-13.
Romans 8:3 Or flesh, for sin
Romans 8:10 Or you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive
Romans 8:11 Some manuscripts bodies through
Romans 8:15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture; also in verse 23.
Romans 8:15 Aramaic for father