I waited patiently for the LORD's help; then he listened to me and heard my cry.

He taught me to sing a new song, a song of praise to our God. Many who see this will take warning and will put their trust in the LORD.

You have made your people suffer greatly; we stagger around as though we were drunk.

You have put us to the test, God; as silver is purified by fire, so you have tested us.

You let our enemies trample us; we went through fire and flood, but now you have brought us to a place of safety.

You have thrown me into the depths of the tomb, into the darkest and deepest pit.

You have caused my friends to abandon me; you have made me repulsive to them. I am closed in and cannot escape;

Do you perform miracles for the dead? Do they rise up and praise you?

Are your miracles seen in that place of darkness or your goodness in the land of the forgotten?

Why do you reject me, LORD? Why do you turn away from me?

Your furious anger crushes me; your terrible attacks destroy me.

You have made even my closest friends abandon me, and darkness is my only companion.

When I am surrounded by troubles, you keep me safe. You oppose my angry enemies and save me by your power.

I swear to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble on you. You will see it when I take your wives from you and give them to another man; and he will have intercourse with them in broad daylight.

He took Peter, James, and John with him. Distress and anguish came over him,

and he said to them, "The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch."

At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why did you abandon me?"

Are they Christ's servants? I sound like a madman---but I am a better servant than they are! I have worked much harder, I have been in prison more times, I have been whipped much more, and I have been near death more often.

three times I was whipped by the Romans; and once I was stoned. I have been in three shipwrecks, and once I spent twenty-four hours in the water.

There has been work and toil; often I have gone without sleep; I have been hungry and thirsty; I have often been without enough food, shelter, or clothing.

When someone is weak, then I feel weak too; when someone is led into sin, I am filled with distress.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus---blessed be his name forever!---knows that I am not lying.

"I don't know, sir. You do," I answered. He said to me, "These are the people who have come safely through the terrible persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb.

We will never turn away from you again; keep us alive, and we will praise you.

Those of our people who have died will live again! Their bodies will come back to life. All those sleeping in their graves will wake up and sing for joy. As the sparkling dew refreshes the earth, so the LORD will revive those who have long been dead.

The people say, "Let's return to the LORD! He has hurt us, but he will be sure to heal us; he has wounded us, but he will bandage our wounds, won't he?

In two or three days he will revive us, and we will live in his presence.

But God raised him from death, setting him free from its power, because it was impossible that death should hold him prisoner.

God has raised this very Jesus from death, and we are all witnesses to this fact.

For it was not David who went up into heaven; rather he said, 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit here at my right side

because you protect me from the power of death. I have served you faithfully, and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead.

He pulled me out of a dangerous pit, out of the deadly quicksand. He set me safely on a rock and made me secure.

How great is your constant love for me! You have saved me from the grave itself.

My bitterness will turn into peace. You save my life from all danger; You forgive all my sins.

So prophesy to my people Israel and tell them that I, the Sovereign LORD, am going to open their graves. I am going to take them out and bring them back to the land of Israel.

When I open the graves where my people are buried and bring them out, they will know that I am the LORD.

I went down to the very roots of the mountains, into the land whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O LORD my God, brought me back from the depths alive.

Now, what does "he went up" mean? It means that first he came down to the lowest depths of the earth.