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Psalm 79

1  O God, the heathen have come into your heritage; ♦︎
   your holy temple have they defiled
      and made Jerusalem a heap of stones.
2  The dead bodies of your servants they have given
      to be food for the birds of the air, ♦︎
   and the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the field.
3  Their blood have they shed like water
      on every side of Jerusalem, ♦︎
   and there was no one to bury them.
4  We have become the taunt of our neighbours, ♦︎
   the scorn and derision of those that are round about us.
5  Lord, how long will you be angry, for ever? ♦︎
   How long will your jealous fury blaze like fire?
6  Pour out your wrath upon the nations that have not known you, ♦︎
   and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon your name.
7  For they have devoured Jacob ♦︎
   and laid waste his dwelling place.
8  Remember not against us our former sins; ♦︎
   let your compassion make haste to meet us,
      for we are brought very low.
9  Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; ♦︎
   deliver us, and wipe away our sins for your name’s sake.
10  Why should the heathen say, ♦︎
   ‘Where is now their God?’
11  Let vengeance for your servants’ blood that is shed ♦︎
   be known among the nations in our sight.
12  Let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before you, ♦︎
   and by your mighty arm
      preserve those who are condemned to die.
13  May the taunts with which our neighbours taunted you, Lord, ♦︎
   return sevenfold into their bosom.
14  But we that are your people and the sheep of your pasture
      will give you thanks for ever, ♦︎
   and tell of your praise from generation to generation.

Psalm 80

1  Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, ♦︎
   you that led Joseph like a flock;
2  Shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim, ♦︎
   before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
3  Stir up your mighty strength ♦︎
   and come to our salvation.
4  Turn us again, O God; ♦︎
   show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
5  O Lord God of hosts, ♦︎
   how long will you be angry at your people’s prayer?
6  You feed them with the bread of tears; ♦︎
   you give them abundance of tears to drink.
7  You have made us the derision of our neighbours, ♦︎
   and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
8  Turn us again, O God of hosts; ♦︎
   show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
9  You brought a vine out of Egypt; ♦︎
   you drove out the nations and planted it.
10  You made room around it, ♦︎
   and when it had taken root, it filled the land.
11  The hills were covered with its shadow ♦︎
   and the cedars of God by its boughs.
12  It stretched out its branches to the Sea ♦︎
   and its tendrils to the River.
13  Why then have you broken down its wall, ♦︎
   so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?
14  The wild boar out of the wood tears it off, ♦︎
   and all the insects of the field devour it.
15  Turn again, O God of hosts, ♦︎
   look down from heaven and behold;
16  Cherish this vine which your right hand has planted, ♦︎
   and the branch that you made so strong for yourself.
17  Let those who burnt it with fire, who cut it down, ♦︎
   perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
18  Let your hand be upon the man at your right hand, ♦︎
   the son of man you made so strong for yourself.
19  And so will we not go back from you; ♦︎
   give us life, and we shall call upon your name.
20  Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts; ♦︎
   show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

28 When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ ²⁹The city was filled with the confusion; and people^* rushed together to the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s travelling-companions. ³⁰Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him; ³¹even some officials of the province of Asia,^* who were friendly to him, sent him a message urging him not to venture into the theatre. ³²Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³Some of the crowd gave instructions to Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward. And Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defence before the people. ³⁴But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours all of them shouted in unison, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ ³⁵But when the town clerk had quietened the crowd, he said, ‘Citizens of Ephesus, who is there that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple-keeper of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell from heaven?^{* 36}Since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. ³⁷You have brought these men here who are neither temple-robbers nor blasphemers of our^* goddess. ³⁸If therefore Demetrius and the artisans with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges there against one another. ³⁹If there is anything further^* you want to know, it must be settled in the regular assembly. ⁴⁰For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.’ ⁴¹When he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.