text
stringlengths 0
4k
| source
stringclasses 1
value |
|---|---|
Nehemiah's Prayer (Deuteronomy 30:1-10) These are the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Chislev,a in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah. So I questioned them about the remnant of the Jews who had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 And they told me, “The remnan t who sur-vived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusa-lem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire. ” 4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion b with those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6 let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have be-haved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses. 8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scat-ter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to Me and keep and practice My commandments, then even if your exiles have been banished to the farthe st hori-zon,c I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name. ' d 10 They are Your servants and Your peo-ple. You redeemed them by Your great power and mighty hand. 11 O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants e who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. ” (At that time I was the cupbearer to the king. ) Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem Now in the month of Nisan,f in the twen-tieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his 1 2 Nehemiah a 1 Chislev is the ninth month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of November and December. b 5 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as lov-ing devotion ; the range of meaning inc ludes love , goodness , kindness , faithfulness , and mercy , as well as loyalty to a covenant . c 9 Or to the extremity of the heavens d 9 Deuteronomy 30: 1-4 e 11 Literally to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants f 1 Nisan is the first month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occur-ring within the months of March and April. | bsb-book.pdf |
presence, 2 so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? Th is could only be sadness of the heart. ” I was overwhelmed with fear 3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fa-thers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 “Wha t is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven 5 and an-swered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may re-build it. ” 6 Then the king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time. 7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates,a so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citade l to the tem-ple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy. ” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. 9 Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cav-alry with me. 10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and To-biah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites. Nehemiah Inspects the Walls 11 After I had arrived in Jerusalem and had been ther e three days, 12 I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding. 13 So I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Well of the Serpent b and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusa-lem that had been broken down and the gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was no room for the an-imal under me to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials d id not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers. 17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace. ” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to th is good work. 19 But w hen Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridi-culed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. 594 | Nehemiah 2:2 a 7 Hebrew beyond the River ; also in verse 9 b 13 Or Dragon or Jackal | bsb-book.pdf |
We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem. ” The Builders of the Walls At the Sheep Gate, Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests began rebuilding. They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel, they dedicated the wall. 2 The men of Jericho built next to Eli-ashi b, and Zaccur son of Imri built next to them. 3 The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. 4 Next to them, Mere-moth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, made repairs. Next to him, Meshullam son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs; and next to him, Zadok son of Baana made repairs as well. 5 Next to him, the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors. a 6 The Jeshanah Gate b was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. 7 Next to them, re-pairs were made by Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, who w ere under the authority of the governor of the region west of the Euphra-tes. c 8 Next to them, Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs, and next to him, Hananiah son of the perfumer made repairs. They fortified Jer usalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Next to them, Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, made repairs; 10 next to him, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs across from his house; and next to him, Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs. 11 Malchijah son of Harim and Hass hub son of Pahath-moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Ovens. 12 And next to them, Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of the other half-district of Jerusalem, made repairs, with the help of his daughters. 13 The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it, in-stalled its doors, bolts, and bars, and repaired a thousand cubits d of the wall as far as the Dung Gate. 14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malchijah son of Rechab, ru ler of the district of Beth- haccherem. He rebuilt it and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. 15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun e son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofed it, and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah f near the king's gar-den, as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David. 16 Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth-zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Mighty. 17 Next to him, the Levites made repairs under Rehum son of Bani, and next to him, Hashabiah, ruler of a half-district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. 18 Next to him, their countrymen made repairs under Binnui g son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. 19 And next to him, Ezer son of 3 Nehemiah 3:19 | 595 a 5 Or their Lord or the governor b 6 Or The Old City Gate c 7 Hebrew the governor beyond the River d 13 1,000 cubits is approximately 1,500 feet or 457. 2 meters. e 15 Hebrew; Syriac Shallum f 15 Pool of Shelah is another name for the Pool of Siloam. g 18 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac (see also LXX and Nehemiah 3:24); most Hebrew manuscripts Bavvai | bsb-book.pdf |
Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another sec-tion opposite the Ascent to the Armory, near the angle in the wall. 20 Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai diligently repaired another section, from the angle to the doorway of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the doorway of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house. 22 And next to him, the priests from the surrounding area made repairs. 23 Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house, and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 Af-ter him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the angle and the corner, 25 and Palal son of Uzai made repairs opposite the angle and the tower that juts out from the uppe r palace of the king near the courtyard of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh 26 and the tem-ple servants a living on the hill of Ophel made repairs opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the tower that juts out. 27 And next to them, the Tekoites repaired another section, from a point opposite the great tower that juts out to the wall of Ophel. 28 Above the Horse Gate, each of the priests made repairs in front of his own house. 29 Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs op-posite his house, and next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard of the East Gate, made repairs. 30 Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, as well as Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his own quarters. 31 Next to him, Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as f ar as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the upper room above the corner. 32 And between the upper room above the corner and the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs. The Wor k Ridiculed Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews 2 before his associates and the army of Sa-maria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews do-ing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? b Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!” 4 Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be ta ken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders. c 6 So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. 7 When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious, 8 and al l of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance. 4 596 | Nehemiah 3:20 a 26 Hebrew the Nethinim ; also in verse 31 b 2 Or Will they commit themselves to God? c 5 Or have provoked You to anger befor e the builders | bsb-book.pdf |
Discouragement Overcome 9 So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night. 10 Meanwhile, the people of Judah said: a “The strength of the laborer fails, and there is so much rubble that we will never be able to rebuild the wall. ” 11 And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work. ” 12 At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us. ” 13 So I stationed men behind the lowest sec-tions of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. 14 After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes. ” 15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frus-trated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall. 16 And from that day on, half of my servants did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. 18 And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me. 19 Then I said to the noble s, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!” 21 So we continued the w ork, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let every man and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day. ” 23 So neither I nor my brothers nor my ser- vants nor the guards with me changed out of our clothes; each carried his weapon, even to go for water. b Nehemiah Defends the Oppressed About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. 2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive. ” 3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine. ” 4 Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others. ” 6 When I heard their outcry and these com-plaints, I became extremely angry, 7 and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and offi-cials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” 5 Nehemiah 5:7 | 597 a 10 Or Meanwhile, Judah said b 23 Or each carrie d his weapon in his right hand | bsb-book.pdf |
So I called a large assembly against them 8 and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say. 9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies? 10 I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury. 11 Please restore to them immediately their fields, vine-yards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them. ” 12 “We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from th em. We will do as you say. ” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised. 13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God like-wise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have noth-ing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. Nehemiah' s Generosity 14 Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year ( twelve years total), nei-ther I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15 The governors before me had heavily bur-dened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. a Their ser- vants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God. 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land. 17 There were 150 Je ws and officials at my ta-ble, besides the guests from the surrounding nations. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy. 19 Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people. Sanballat's Conspiracy When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left—though to that time I had not yet in-stalled the doors in the gates — 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us mee t together in one of the villages b on the plain c of Ono. ” But they were planning to harm me. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. 5 The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter 6 that read: 6 598 | Nehemiah 5:8 a 15 40 shekels is approximately 1 pound or 453. 6 grams of silver. b 2 Or in Kephirim c 2 Or in the valley | bsb-book.pdf |
“It is reported among the nations —and Geshem a agrees —that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king, 7 and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: 'There is a king in J udah. ' Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together. ” 8 Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind. ” 9 For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished. ” But now, my God, b strengthen my hands. 10 Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was con-fined to h is house. He said: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you — by night they are coming to kill you!” 11 But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me be-cause Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me. 14 O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me. Comp letion of the Wall 15 So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul. c 16 When all our en-emies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God. 17 Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's let-ters came back to them. 18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 19 Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah's good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to in-timidate me. Securin g th e City When the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. 2 Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Je-rusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most. 3 And I told them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem un-til the sun is hot. While the guar ds are on duty, keep the doors shut and securely fastened. And appoint the residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their own homes. ” The List of Returning Exiles (Ezra 2: 1-67) 4 Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5 Then my God put it 7 Nehemiah 7:5 | 599 a 6 Hebrew Gashmu , a variant of Geshem ; see verse 1. b 9 Hebrew But now ; for clarity, my God has been included. c 15 Elul is the sixth month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of August and September. | bsb-book.pdf |
into my heart to assemble the nobles, the offi-cials, and the people to be enrolled by geneal-ogy. I found the genealogical register of those who had first returned, and I found the follow-ing written in it: 6 These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 7 accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. a This is the count of the men of Israel: 8 the descendants of Parosh, 2,172; 9 the descendants of Shephatiah, 372; 10 the descendants of Arah, 652; 11 the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818; 12 the d escendants of Elam, 1,254; 13 the descendants of Zattu, 845; 14 the descendants of Zaccai, 760; 15 the descendants of Binnui,b 648; 16 the descendants of Bebai, 628; 17 the descendants of Azgad, 2,322; 18 the descendants of Adonikam, 667; 19 the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067; 20 the descendants of Adin, 655; 21 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98; 22 the descendants of Hashum, 328; 23 the descendants of Bezai, 324; 24 the descendants of Hariph,c 112; 25 the descendants of Gibeon,d 95; 26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188; 27 the men of Anathoth, 1 28; 28 the men of Beth-azmaveth,e 42; 29 the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743; 30 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621; 31 the men of Michmash, 122; 32 the men of Bethel and Ai, 123; 33 the men of the other Nebo,f 52; 34 the descendants of the other Elam,g 1,254; 35 the descendants of Harim, 320; 36 the men h of Jericho, 345; 37 the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721; 38 and the descendants of Senaah, 3,930. 39 The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973; 40 the descendants of Immer, 1,052; 41 the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247; 42 and the descendants of Harim, 1,017. 43 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kad-miel, through the line of Hodevah i ), 74. 44 The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 148. 600 | Nehemiah 7:6 a 7 Parallel text at Ezra 2:2 accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mis-par, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah b 15 Binnui is a variant of Bani ; see Ezra 2:10. c 24 Hariph is a variant of Jorah ; see Ezra 2:18. d 25 Gibeon is a variant of Gibbar ; see Ezra 2:20. e 28 Beth-azmaveth is a variant of Azmaveth ; see Ezra 2:24. f 33 Or of West Nebo g 34 Or of West Elam h 36 Literally the sons ; here and in verse 37 i 43 Hodevah is a variant of Hodaviah ; see Ezra 2:40. | bsb-book.pdf |
45 The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai, 138 in all. 46 The temple servants: a the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, 47 the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Sia,b the descendants of Padon, 48 the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Shalmai, 49 the descendants of Hanan, the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, 50 the descendants of Reaiah, the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, 51 the descendants of Gazza m, the descendants of Uzza, the descendants of Paseah, 52 the descendants of Besai, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephushesim,c 53 the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, 54 the descendants of Bazlith,d the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha, 55 the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, 56 the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha. 57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida,e 58 the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel, 59 the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the descendants of Amon. f 60 The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all. 61 The follow ing came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon,g and Immer, but could not prove that their families were descended from Israel: 62 the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, Nehemiah 7:62 | 601 a 46 Hebrew The Nethinim ; also in verses 60 and 73 b 47 Sia is a variant of Siaha ; see Ezra 2:44. c 52 Nephushesim is a variant of Nephusim ; see Ezra 2:50. d 54 Bazlith is a variant of Bazluth ; see Ezra 2:52. e 57 Perida is a variant of Peruda ; see Ezra 2:55. f 59 Amon is a variant of Ami ; see Ezra 2:57. g 61 Addon is a variant of Addan ; see Ezra 2:59. | bsb-book.pdf |
and the descendants of Nekoda, 642 in all. 63 And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name). 64 These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 65 The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim. a 66 The whole assembly numbered 42,360, 67 in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 245 male and female singers. 68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,b 69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. Offerings by the Exiles (Exodus 38:2 1-31 ; Ezra 2:68-70) 70 Some of the heads of the families contrib-uted to the project. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold,c 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments. 71 And some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the project 20,000 darics of gold d and 2,200 minas of silver. e 72 The rest of the people gave a total of 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver,f and 67 priestly garments. 73 So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with some of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. And by the seventh month the Israelites had settled in their towns. Ezra Reads the Law (Deuterono my 31: 9-13) At that time all the people gathered to-gether in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. 2 On the first day of the seventh month, Ez ra the priest brought the Law before the assem-bly of men and women and all who could lis-ten and understand. 3 So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. 4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was standing above them all, and as he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD wit h their faces to the ground. 7 The Levites —Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah — instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places. 8 So they read from the Book of 8 602 | Nehemiah 7:63 a 65 Literally Lights and Perfections b 68 Some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ezra 2:66); most Hebrew manu-scripts do not include this verse. c 70 Or 1,000 gold drachmas ; that is, approximately 18. 5 pounds or 8. 4 kilograms of gold coins d 71 Or 20,000 gold drachmas ; that is, approximately 370. 4 pounds or 168 kilograms of gold coins; also in verse 72 e 71 Or 2,200 silver minas ; that is, approximately 1. 38 tons or 1. 25 metric tons of silver f 72 Or 2,000 silver minas ; that is, approximately 1. 26 tons or 1. 14 metric tons of silver | bsb-book.pdf |
the Law of God, explaining it a and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read. 9 Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep. ” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out por-tions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. ” 11 And the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Do not grieve. ” 12 Then all the people began to eat and drink, to send out portions, and to rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that had been made known to them. The Feas t of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:3 3-44 ; Zechariah 14:1 6-21) 13 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law. 14 And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had com-manded through Moses, that the Israelites were to dwell in booths b during the feast of the seventh month. 15 So they proclaimed this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive,c myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written. ” d 16 And the people went out, brought back branches, and made booths on their own roof-tops, in their courtyards, in the court of the house of God, and in the s quares by the Water Gate and by the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The whole assembly who had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua e son of Nun until that day, the Israel-ites had not celebrated like this. A nd there was great rejoicing. 18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. The Israelites kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly, according to the ordinance. The Peopl e Confess Their Sins On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads. 2 Those of Israelite descent sepa-rated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and th e iniquities of their fathers. 3 While they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God. 4 And the Le vites —Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, She-baniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani — stood on the raised platform and cried out in a loud voice to the LORD their God. 5 Then the Levites —Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Petha-hiah —said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. 9 Nehemiah 9:5 | 603 a 8 Or translating it or paragraph by paragraph b 14 Or tabernacles or shelters ; also in verses 15, 16, and 17 c 15 Or pine ; literally oil tree d 15 See Leviticus 23:37-40. e 17 Hebrew Jeshua , a variant of Joshua | bsb-book.pdf |
6 You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You. 7 You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Gi rgashites — to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous. 9 You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea. a 10 You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arr ogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that e ndures to this day. 11 You divided the sea b efore them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths lik e a stone into raging waters. 12 You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in w hich they should travel. 13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and g ood statutes and commandments. 14 You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath and gave them commandments and statutes and laws through Your servant Moses. 15 In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land which You had sworn to give them. 16 But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments. 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. b But You are a forgiving God, gra cious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and Y ou did not forsake them. 18 Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Eg ypt,' and when they committed terrible blasphemies, 604 | Nehemiah 9:6 a 9 Or the Sea of Reeds b 17 LXX and a few Hebrew manuscripts; MT to return them to their bondage in their rebellion | bsb-book.pdf |
19 You in Your great compassion did not forsake them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud never turned awa y from gu iding them on their path; and by the night the pillar of fire ill uminated the way they should go. 20 You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst. 21 For for ty years You sustained them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and t heir feet did not swell. 22 You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner of the land. So they took the land of Sihon a king of Heshbon and of Og king of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had told their fathers to enter and possess. 24 So their descendants went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You delivered into their hands the kings and pe oples of the land, to do with them as they wished. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vine yards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness. 26 But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who h ad admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies. 27 So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and i n Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies. 28 But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the hands of thei r enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Y our compassion. 29 You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by w hich a man will live if he practices them. They stubbornly shrugged their shoulders; they stiffened thei r necks and would not obey. 30 You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Nehemiah 9:30 | 605 a 22 One Hebrew manuscript and LXX; most Hebrew manuscripts Sihon, the country of the | bsb-book.pdf |
Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. a 31 But in Your great compassion, You did not put an end to them; nor did You forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God. 32 So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that h as come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. 33 You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly. 34 Our kings and leaders and priests and fathers did not obey Your law or listen to Your c omm andments and warnings that You gave them. 35 For even while they were in their kingdom, with the abundant goodness that You had given them, and in the spacious and fertile land that Y ou had set before them, they would not serve You or t urn from their wicked ways. 36 So here we are today as slaves in the land You gave our fathers to enjoy its fruit and goodness — here we are as slaves! 37 Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us because of our sins. And they rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress. 38 In view of all this, we make a binding agree-ment, putting it in writing and sealing it with the names of b our leaders, Levites, and prie sts. ” Signers of the Covenant Now these were the ones who sealed the document: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, and also Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai,c and Shemaiah. These were the priests. 9 The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, 10 and their associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu. 14 And the leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 10 606 | Nehemiah 9:31 a 30 Literally into the hands of the peoples of the lands b 38 Hebrew does not include the names of . c 8 Bilgai is a variant of Bilgah ; see Nehemiah 12:5. | bsb-book.pdf |
16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah. The Vows of the Covenant 28 “The rest of the people —the priests, Le-vites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants,a and all who had separated themselves from the people of the land to obey the Law of God —along with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand, 29 hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to fol-low the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the command-ments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord. 30 We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons. 31 When the people of the land bring merchan-dise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on a Sabbath or holy day. Every seventh year we will let the fields lie fallow, and will cancel every debt. 32 We also place ourselves under the obliga-tion to contribute a third of a shekel b yearly for the service of the house of our God: 33 for the showbread, for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings, for the Sabbath offerings, for the New Moons and appointed feasts, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement f or Israel, and for all the duties of the house of our God. 34 We have cast lots among the priests, Le-vites, and people for the donation of wood by our families at the appointed times each year. They are to bring it to the house of our God to burn on the a ltar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. 35 We will also bring the firstfruits of our land and of every fruit tree to the house of the LORD year by year. 36 And we will bring the firstborn of our sons and our livestock, as it is written in t he Law, and will bring the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God. 37 Moreover, we will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God the firstfruits of our dough, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees, and of our new wine and oil. A tenth of our produce belongs to the Levites, so that they shall receive tithes in all the towns where we labor. 38 A priest of Aaron's line is to accompany the Levites wh en they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of these tithes to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God. 39 For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers stay. Thus we will not neglect the house of our God. ” Nehemiah 10: 39 | 607 a 28 Hebrew Nethinim b 32 A third of a shekel is approximately 0. 13 ounces or 3. 8 grams, probably of silver. | bsb-book.pdf |
Jerusalem's New Settler s Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the peo-ple cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine a were to dwell in their own towns. 2 And the people blessed all the men who volun-teered to live in Jerusalem. 3 These are the heads of the provinces who settled in Jerusalem. (In the villages of Judah, however, each lived on his own prop-erty in their towns —the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants,b and descendants of Solomon's servants — 4 while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem. ) From the descendants of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zecha-riah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a de-scendant of Perez; 5 and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah. c 6 The descendants of Perez who settled in Jerusalem totaled 468 men of valor. 7 From the descendants of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah; 8 and his followers Gabbai and Sallai—928 men. 9 Joel son of Zichri was the officer over them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the Second District of the city. d 10 From the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib; e Jachin; 11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of A hitub, the chief official of the house of God; 12 and their associates who did the work at the temple —822 men; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; 13 and his associates, the leaders of fami-lies—242 men; Amashai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Im-mer; 14 and his associates f —128 mighty men of valor. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was their overseer. 15 From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; 16 Shabbethai and Jozabad, two leaders of the Levites, who supervised the work outside the house of God; 17 Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son o f Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. 18 The Levites in the holy city totaled 284. 19 And the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their associates, who kept watch at the gates —172 men. Resident s Outside Jerusalem 20 The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the villages of Judah, 11 608 | Nehemiah 11:1 a 1 Hebrew nine hands b 3 Hebrew Nethinim ; also in verse 21 c 5 Or of the Shilonite d 9 Or was over the Second Quarter of the city , a newer section of Jerusalem; or was second in command of the city e 10 Or Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; f 14 Most LXX manuscripts; Hebrew their associates | bsb-book.pdf |
each on his own inheritance. 21 The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, with Ziha and Gishpa over them. 22 Now the overseer of the Levites in Jerusa-lem wa s Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hasha-biah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. a He was one of Asaph's descendants, who were the singers in charge of the service of the house of God. 23 For there was a command from the king concerning the singers, an ordinance regulating their daily activities. 24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a desce ndant of Zerah son of Judah, was the king's agent b in every matter concerning the people. 25 As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba, Dibon, Jekabzeel, and their villages; 26 in Jesh ua, Moladah, and Beth-pelet; 27 in Hazar-shual; in Beersheba and its villages; 28 in Ziklag; in Meconah and its villages; 29 in En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, 30 Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in Lachish and its fields; and in Azekah and its villages. So they settled from Beersheba all the way to the Valley of Hinnom. 31 The descendants of Benjamin from Geba lived in Michmash, Aija, and Bethel with its vil-lages; 32 in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35 Lod, and Ono; and in the Valley of the Craftsmen. c 36 And some divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin. The Priests and Levites Who Returned Now these are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch,d Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Rehum,e Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethon,f Abijah, 5 Mijamin,g Maadiah,h Bilgah,i 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua. 8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his associates, led the songs of thanksgiving. 9 Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services. 10 Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiak im was the father of Eliashib, Eliashib was the father of Joiada, 11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan,j and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua. 12 In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 14 of Malluchi,k Jonathan; of Shebaniah,l Joseph; 15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth,m Helkai; 12Nehemiah 12: 15 | 609 a 22 Mica is a variant of Micaiah ; see Nehemiah 12:35. b 24 Hebrew hand c 35 Hebrew in Ge-harashim d 2 Malluch is a variant of Malluchi ; see verse 14. e 3 Rehum is a variant of Harim ; see verse 15, Nehemiah 7:42, and Ezra 2:39. f 4 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also verse 16); most MT manuscripts Ginnethoi g 5 Mijamin is a var-iant of Miniamin ; see verse 17. h 5 Maadiah is a variant of Moadiah ; see verse 17. i 5 Bilgah is a variant of Bilgai ; also in verse 18; see Nehemiah 10:8. j 11 Jonathan is a variant of Johanan ; see verse 22. k 14 Malluchi is a variant of Malluch ; see verse 2. l 14 Shebaniah is a variant of Shecaniah ; see verse 3; see also Syriac and some Hebrew and LXX manuscripts. m 15 Meraioth is a variant of Meremoth ; see verse 3 and also some LXX manuscripts. | bsb-book.pdf |
16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; 17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin and of Moadiah,a Piltai; 18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jonathan; 19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 20 of Sallai,b Kallai; of Amok, Eber; 21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel. 22 In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan,c and Jaddua, during the reign of Darius the Persian, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded. 23 As for the descendants of Levi, the family heads up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles. d 24 The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel,e along with their associa tes, who stood across from them to give praise and thanksgiving as one section alternated with the other, as pre-scribed by David the man of God. 25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. 26 They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak,f and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe. The Dedication of the Wall 27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for they had built villages for themselves around J eru-salem. 30 After the priests and Levites had pu-rified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall. 31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiv-ing choirs. One was to proceed along the top o f the wall g to the right, toward the Dung Gate. 32 Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah fol-lowed, 33 along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 and some of the priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah,h the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 36 and his associates —Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilala i, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani —with the musical instruments pre-scribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession. 37 At the Fountain Gate they climbed the steps of the City of Da-vid on the ascent to the wall and passed above the hou se of David to the Water Gate on the east. 38 The second thanksgiving choir proceeded to the left, and I followed it with half the peo-ple along the top of the wall, past the Tower of 610 | Nehemiah 12:16 a 17 Moadiah is a variant of Maadiah ; see verse 5. b 20 Sallai is a variant of Sallu ; see verse 7. c 22 Johanan is a vari-ant of Jonathan ; see verse 11. d 23 Or the Book of the Annals or the Book of the Historical Events e 24 Or Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel f 26 Jozadak is a variant of Jehozadak ; see 1 Chronicles 6:14. g 31 Or alongside the wall ; also in verse 38 h 35 Micaiah is a variant of Mica ; see Nehemiah 11:22. | bsb-book.pdf |
the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 39 over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate,a the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of the Guard. 40 The two thanksgiving choirs then stood in the house of G od, as did I, along with the half of the officials accompanying me, 41 as well as the priests with their trumpets —Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah — 42 and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah. 43 On that day they offered great sacrifices, re-joicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar. Provisions for Temple Worship 44 And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, con-tributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Le-vites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, beca use Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving. 45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had prescribed. 46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were direc-tors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside daily portions for the Levites, and the Levites set aside daily portions for the descendants of Aaron. Foreigners Exc luded At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the peo-ple, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever en-ter the assembly of God, b 2 because they had not met the Israelit es with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing). 3 As soon as the people heard this law, they ex-cluded from Israel all of foreign descent. The Temple Cleansed 4 Now be fore this, Eliashib the priest, a rela-tive of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God 5 and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests. 6 While all this was happening, I was not in Je-rusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon c in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king 7 to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God. 8 And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah's household goods out of the room. 9 Then I ord ered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God 13 a 39 Or the Old City Gate b 1 See Deuteronomy 23:3-6. c 6 Artaxerxes king of Persia is identified here as the king of Babylon because Persia had conquered the Babylonian Empire. Nehemiah 13: 9 | 611 | bsb-book.pdf |
restored to them, along with the grain offer-ings and frankincense. Tithes Restored (Leviticus 27:3 0-34 ; Deuteronomy 14:2 2-29 ; Deuteronomy 26:1-15 ) 10 I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for perform-ing the service had gone back to their own fields. 11 So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers to-gether and stationed them at their posts, 12 and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms. 13 I ap-pointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distribut ing the supplies to their fellow Levites. 14 Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services. The Sabbath Restored (Jeremiah 17:1 9-27) 15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day. 16 Addition ally, men of Tyre who lived there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sab-bath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem. 17 Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing — profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!” 19 When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day. 20 Once or twice, the merchants a nd those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusa-lem, 21 but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you. ” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath. 22 Then I instructed the Le vites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sab-bath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according to Your abundant loving devotion. Intermarriage Forbidden (Ezra 9:1-4) 23 In those days I also saw J ews who had mar-ried women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah. 25 I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! 26 Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like 612 | Nehemiah 13:10 | bsb-book.pdf |
this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel —yet for-eign women drew him into sin. 27 Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terri-ble evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?” 28 Even one of the sons of Jehoiada son of Eli-ashib the high priest had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I drove him away from me. 29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites. 30 Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific du-ties to each of the priests and Levites. 31 I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor. Nehemiah 13: 31 | 613 | bsb-book.pdf |
Xerxes' Roy al Feast This is what happened in the days of Xerxes,a who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush. b 2 In those days King Xerxes sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa. 3 In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and servants. The military leaders of Persia and Media were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces. 4 And for a full 180 days he dis-played the glorious riches of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of h is greatness. 5 At the end of this time, in the garden court of the royal palace, the king held a seven-day feast for all the people in the citadel of Susa, from the least to the greatest. 6 Hangings of white and blue linen were fastened with cords of fin e white and purple material to silver rings on the marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones. 7 Beverages were served in an array of goblets of gold, each with a different design, and the royal wine flowed freely, according to the king's bounty. 8 By order of the king, no limit was placed on the drinking, and every official of his household was to serve each man what-ever he desired. Queen Vashti's Refusal 9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes. 10 On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him —Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Car-kas— 11 to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown, to display her beauty to the people and officials. For she was beautiful to behold. 12 Queen Vashti, however, refused to come at the king's command brought by his eunuchs. And the king became furious, and his anger burned within him. Queen Vashti Deposed 13 Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times, for it was customary for him to confer with the experts in law and justice. 14 His closest advisors were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom. 15 “According to law,” he asked, “what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey the com mand of King Xerxes delivered by the eunuchs?” 16 And in the presence of the king and his princes, Memucan replied, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the princes and the peoples in all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands c and say, 'King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come. ' 1 Esther a 1 Hebrew Ahasuerus ; here and throughout Esther b 1 That is, the upper Nile region c 17 Or to disdain their hus-bands in their eyes | bsb-book.pdf |
18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen's conduct will say the same thing to all the king's officials, resulting in much contempt and wrath. 19 So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she. 20 The edict the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom —and so all women, from the least to the greatest, will honor their husbands. ” 21 The king and his princes were pleased with this counsel; so the king did as Memucan had advised. 22 He sent letters to all the provinces of the kin gdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own lan-guage, proclaiming a that every man should be master of his own household. Seeking Vashti's Successor Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king's attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king, 3 and let the king appoint commis-sioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti. ” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly. Esther Finds Favor 5 Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe o f Benjamin named Mor-decai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish. 6 He had been carried into exile from Je-rusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah b king of Judah. 7 And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, be-cause she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appear-ance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter. 8 When the king's command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gath-ered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women. 9 And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther did not reveal her people or her lin-eage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so. 11 And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther's welfare and what was happening to her. 12 In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treat-ments with oil of myrrh for six months, and 2 Esther 2:12 | 615 a 22 Literally proclaiming in the language of his own people b 6 Jeconiah is a variant of Jehoiachin ; see 2 Kings 24:12. | bsb-book.pdf |
then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months. 13 When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. 14 She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem a under the care of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name. 15 Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king's trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth,b in the seventh year of his reign. Esther Becomes Queen 17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18 Then the king held a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king's bounty. 19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. c 20 Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai's command, as she had done under his care. Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy 21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigtha n d and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22 When Mordecai learned of the plot, he re-ported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai's b ehalf. 23 After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gal-lows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles e in the presence of the king. Haman's Plot agains t the Jews After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him. 2 All the royal servants at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay hom-age. 3 Then the royal servants at the king's gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the command of the king?” 4 Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they rep orted it to Haman to see whether Mordecai's behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or pay him homage, he was filled with rage. 6 And when he learned the identity of Mordecai's pe ople, he scorned the notion of f laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes. 3616 | Esther 2:13 a 14 Or to another part of the harem b 16 Tebeth is the tenth month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occur-ring within the months of December and January. c 19 Or Mordecai had become a palace official d 21 Bigthan is a variant of Bigthana ; see Esther 6:2. e 23 Or the Book of the Annals or the Book of the Historical Events f 6 Hebrew he disdained in his eyes | bsb-book.pdf |
7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan,a the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman to determine a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar. b 8 Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from every-one else's, and they do not obey the king's laws. So it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate t hem. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver c into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out. ” 10 So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 “Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are gi ven to you to do with them as you please. ” 12 On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each prov-ince, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring. 13 And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews — young and old, women and children —and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be is-sued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day. 15 The couriers left, spurred on by the king 's command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion. Mordecai Appeals to Esther When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. 2 But he went only as far as the king's gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate. 3 In every province to which the king's command and edict came, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4 When Esther's maidens and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen was overcome with distress. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs appointed to her, and she dis-patched him to Mordecai to learn what was troubling him and why. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king's gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury in order to de-stroy the Jews. 4 Esther 4:7 | 617 a 7 Nisan is the first month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of March and April. b 7 LXX were cast b efor e Haman —a day and month —and the lot fell on the fourteenth of the month of Adar ; Hebrew were cast before Haman a day and mon th—the twelfth, Adar ; the month of Adar (also in verse 13) is the twelfth month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of February and March. c 9 10,000 tal-ents is approximately 377 tons or 342 metric tons of silver. | bsb-book.pdf |
8 Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for the destruc-tion of the Jews, to show and explain to Esther, urging her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead before him for her people. 9 So Hathach went back and relayed Morde-cai's response to Esther. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and in-structed him to tell Mordecai, 11 “All the royal officials and the people of the king's provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned— that he b e put to death. Only if the king extends the gold scepter may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the past thirty days. ” 12 When Esther's words were relayed to Mor-decai, 13 he sent back to her this reply: “Do not imagine that because you are in the king's pal-ace you alone will escape the fate of all the Jews. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And w ho knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish! a ” 17 So Mordecai went and did all that Esther had instructed him. Esther Approaches the King On the third day, Esther put on her royal attire and stood in the inner court of the palace across from the king's quarters. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom, facing the entrance. 2 As soon as the king saw Queen Esther stand-ing in the court, she found favor in his sight. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter. 3 “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half th e kingdom, it will be given to you. ” 4 “If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the ban-quet I have prepared for the king. ” 5 “Hurry,” commanded the king, “and bring Haman, so we can do as Esther has requested. ” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 6 And as they drank their wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled. ” 7 Esther r eplied, “This is my petition and my request: 8 If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king's question. ” Haman's Plot agains t Mordecai 9 That day Haman went out full of joy and glad of heart. At the king's gate, however, he saw Mordecai, who did not rise or tremble in fear at his presence. And Haman was filled with rage toward Mo rdecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. And calling for his friends and his wife Zeresh, 11 Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other official s and servants. 5 618 | Esther 4:8 a 16 Or if I am destroyed, then I will be destroyed! | bsb-book.pdf |
12 “What is more,” Haman added, “Queen Es-ther invited no one but me to join the king at the banquet she prepared, and I am invited back tomorrow along with the king. 13 Yet none of this satisfies me as long as I see Mor-decai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. ” 14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends told him, “Have them build a gallows fifty cubits high,a and ask the king in the morning to have Mor-decai hanged on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and enjoy yourself. ” The advice pleased Haman, and he had the gal-lows constructed. Mordecai Is Honored That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chroni-cles, b to be brought in and read to him. 2 And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana c and Teresh, two of the eu-nuchs who guarded the king's entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 3 The king inquired, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this act?” “Nothing has been done for him,” replied the king's attendants. 4 “Who is in the court?” the king asked. Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him. 5 So the king's attendants answered him, “Haman is there, standing in the court. ” “Bring him in,” ordered the king. 6 Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king be delighted to honor more than me?” 7 And Haman told the king, “For the man whom the king is delighted to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king him-self has ridden —one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Let the robe and the horse be en-trusted to one of the king's most noble princes. Let them array the man the king wants to honor and parade him on the horse through the city square, proclaiming before him, 'This is what is done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor!' ” 10 “Hurry,” said the king to Haman, “and do just as you proposed. Take the robe and the horse to Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king's gate. Do not neglect anything that you have suggested. ” 11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai, and paraded him through the city square, crying ou t before him, “This is what is done for the man whom the king is de-lighted to honor!” 12 Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head cov-ered in grief. 13 Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened. His ad-visers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is Jewish, you will not prevail against him —for surely you will fall before him. ” 14 While they were still speaking with Haman, the king's eunuchs arrived and rushed him to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 6 a 14 50 cubits is approximately 75 feet or 22. 9 meters high. b 1 Or the Book of Memorials, the Annals or the Book of Records of Historica l Events c 2 Bigthana is a variant of Bigthan ; see Esther 2:21. Esther 6:14 | 619 | bsb-book.pdf |
Esthe r Pleads for He r People So the king and Haman went to dine with Esther the queen, 2 and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, “Queen Esther, what is your peti-tion? It will be given to you. What is your re-quest? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled. ” 3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, grant me my life as my petition, and the lives of my people as my request. 4 For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants an d maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such dis-tress would justify burdening the king. ” 5 Then King Xerxes spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise a such a scheme?” 6 Esther replied, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked man —Haman!” And Haman stood in terror before the king and queen. The Hanging of Haman 7 In his fury, the king arose from drinking his wine and went to the palace garden, while Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king was plan-ning a terrible fate for him. 8 Just as the king returned from the palace gar-den to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Wou ld he actually assault the queen while I am in the palace?” As soon as the words had left the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. 9 Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attend-ing the king, said: “There is a gallows fifty cubits high b at Haman's house. He had it built for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king. ” “Hang him on it!” declared the king. 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided. Esther Appeals for t he Jews That same day King Xerxes awarded Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai entered the king's presence because Esther had revealed his relation to her. 2 The king removed the signet ring he had recovered from Haman and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther ap-pointed Mordecai over the estate of Haman. 3 And once again, Esther addressed the king. She fell at his feet weeping and begged him to revoke the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against th e Jews. 4 The king extended the gold scepter toward Esther, and she arose and stood before the king. 5 “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if I have found favor in his sight, and the matter seems proper to the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, m ay an order be written to revoke the letters that the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces. 6 For how could I bear to see the disaster that would befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” The Decre e of Xerxes 7 So King Xerxes said to Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given 7 8 620 | Esth er 7:1 a 5 Hebrew whose heart has fille d him to do b 9 50 cubits is approximately 75 feet or 22. 9 meters high. | bsb-book.pdf |
Haman's estate to Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews. 8 Now you may write in the king's name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked. ” 9 At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan a ), they recorded all of Mordecai's orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush b —writing to each province in its own script, to every peo-ple in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. 10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mares. 11 By these letters the king permitted the Jews in each and every city the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any peo ple or prov-ince hostile to them, including women and children, and to plunder their possessions. 12 The single day appointed throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. c 13 A copy of the text of the edict was to be is-sued in every province and published to all the people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their ene-mies. 14 The couriers rode out in haste on their royal horses, pressed on by th e command of the king. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa. 15 Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 For the Jews it was a time of light and glad-ness, of joy and honor. 17 In every province and every city, wherever the king's edict and decree reached, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many of the people of the land themselves became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them. The Jews Destro y Their Enemies On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, d the king's command and edict were to be executed. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but their plan was over-turned and the Jews overpowered those who hated them. 2 In each of the provinces of King Xerxes, the Jews assembled in their cities to attack those who sought to harm them. No man could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen upon all peoples. 3 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king's admin-istrators helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen upon them. 4 For Morde-cai exercised great power in the palace, and his fame spread throughout the provinces as he became more and more powerful. 5 The Jews put all their enemies to the sword, killing and destroying them, and they d id as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men, 7 including Parshandatha, 9 Esther 9:7 | 621 a 9 Sivan is the third month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of May and June. b 9 That is, to the upper Nile region c 12 Adar is the twelfth month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of February and March. d 1 Adar is the twelfth month of the Hebrew lunar calendar, usually oc-curring within the months of February and March; also in verses 15, 17, 19, and 21. | bsb-book.pdf |
Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizat ha. 10 They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. Haman's Sons Hanged 11 On that day the number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king, 12 who said to Queen Esther, “In the citadel of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, including Haman's ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. And what further do you re-quest? It will be fulfilled. ” 13 Esther replied, “If it pleases the king, may the Jews in Susa also have tomorrow to carry out today's edict, and may the b odies of Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows. ” 14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman. 15 On the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, the Jews in Susa came together again and pu t to death three hundred men there, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. 16 The rest of the Jews in the royal provinces also assembled to defend themselves and rid themselves of their enemies. They killed 75,000 who hated them, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. 17 This was done on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested, making it a day of feasting and joy. The Feast of Purim Instituted 18 The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth days of the month. So they rested on the fifteenth day, making it a day of feasting and joy. 19 This is why the rural Jews, who live in the villages, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting. It is a holiday for sending gifts to one another. 20 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Xerxes, both near and far, 21 to establish among them an annual celebration on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the days on which the Jews gained rest from their enemies and th e month in which their sorrow turned to joy and their mourning into a holiday. He wrote that these were to be days of feasting and joy, of sending gifts to one another and to the poor. 23 So the Jews agreed to continue the custom they had started, as Mord ecai had written to them. 24 For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the Pur (that is, the lot) to crush and destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he comman ded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gal-lows. 26 Therefore these days are called Purim, from the word Pur. Because of all the in structions in this letter, and because of all they had seen and experi-enced, 27 the Jews bound themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should not fail to celebrate these two days at the ap-pointed time each and every year, according to their regulation. 28 These days should be remembered and celebrated by every genera-tion, family, province, and city, so that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, nor should the memory of them fad e from their descendants. 622 | Esther 9:8 | bsb-book.pdf |
29 So Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full author-ity to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters with words of peace and truth to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xe rxes, 31 in order to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established them and had committed themselves and their descendants to the times of fasting and lamentation. 32 So Esther's decree confirmed these regula-tions about Purim, which were written into the record. Tribut e to Xerxes and Mordecai Now King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the land, even to its farthest shores. 2 And all of Mordecai's powerful and magnifi-cent accomplishments, together with the full account of the greatness to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew w as second only to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and highly favored by his many kinsmen, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen. 10Esther 10: 3 | 623 | bsb-book.pdf |
Job's Character and Wealth (James 5:7-12) There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blame-less and upright, fearing God and shunning evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East. 4 Job's sons would take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, ris-ing early in the morning to offer burnt offer-ings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. ” This was Job's regular practice. Satan's First Atta ck 6 One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan a also came with them. 7 “Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it. ” 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you con-sidered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. ” 9 Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his posses-sions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out Your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your f ace. ” 12 “Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “Every-thing he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself. ” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. Job Loses His Children and Possessions 13 One day, while Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger came and re-ported to Job: “While the oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 the Sabeans swooped down and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 16 While he was still speaking, another mes-senger came and reported: “The fire of God fell from heaven. It burned and consumed the sheep and the servants, and I alone have es-caped to tell you!” 17 While he was still speaking, another mes-senger came and repor ted: “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels, and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 1 Job a 6 That is, the Accuser or the Adversary ; here and throughout Job 1 | bsb-book.pdf |
18 While he was still speaking, another mes-senger came and reported: “Your son s and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It col-lapsed on the young people and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, 21 saying: “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. ” 22 In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing. Job Loses His Health On another day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan a also came with them to present himself before Him. 2 “Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it. ” 3 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you con-sidered My servant Jo b? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause. ” 4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face. ” 6 “Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “He is in your hands, but you must spare his life. ” 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes. 9 Then Job's wife said to him, “Do you still re-tain your integrity? Curse b God and die!” 10 “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job's Three Friends 11 Now when Job's three friends —Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite— heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, each of them came from his home, and they met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him. 12 When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense h is suffer-ing was. Job Laments His Birth After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And this is what he said: 3 “May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, 'A boy is conceived. ' 4 If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it. 2 3 Job 3:4 | 625 a 1 That is, the Accuser or the Adversary ; here and throughout Job 2 b 9 Or Bless | bsb-book.pdf |
5 May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it. 6 If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months. 7 Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it. 8 May it be cursed by those who curse the day a — those prepared to rouse Leviathan. 9 May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn. 10 For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes. 11 Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb? 12 Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed? 13 For now I w ould be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest 14 with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins, 15 or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. 16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight? 17 There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest. 18 The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor. 19 Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master. 20 Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul, 21 who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure, 22 who rejoice and greatly exult when they can find the grave? 23 Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? 24 I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water. 25 For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me. 26 I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come. ” Eliphaz: The Innocen t Prosper Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet who can keep from speaking? 3 Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands. 4 Your words have steadied those who stumbled; you have braced the knees that were buckling. 5 But now trouble has come upon you, and you are weary. It strikes you, and you are dismayed. 6 Is your reverence not your confidence, and the uprightness of your ways your hope? 7 Consider now, I plead: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed? 4 626 | Job 3:5 a 8 Or curs e the sea | bsb-book.pdf |
8 As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same. 9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed. 10 The lion may roar, and the fierce lion may growl, yet the teeth of the young lions are broken. 11 The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered. 12 Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it. 13 In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men, 14 fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder. 15 Then a spirit a glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled. 16 It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice: 17 'Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker? 18 If God pu ts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error, 19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth! 20 They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever. 21 Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?' Eliphaz Continues: God Blesses those Who Seek Him “Call out if you please, but who will answer? To which of the holy ones will you turn? 2 For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. 3 I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed. 4 His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender. 5 The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and the thirsty pa nt after his wealth. b 6 For distress does not spring from the dust, and trouble does not sprout from the ground. 7 Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. 8 However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and lay my cause before Him — 9 the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number. 10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields. 11 He sets the lowly on high, so that mourners are lifted to safety. 12 He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success. 13 He catches the wise in their craftiness,c and sweeps away the plans of the cunnin g. 14 They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night. 15 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth and from the clutches of the powerful. 5 Job 5:15 | 627 a 15 Or a wind b 5 Or and a snare snatches his wealth c 13 Cited in 1 Corinthians 3:19 | bsb-book.pdf |
16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth. 17 Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. a 18 For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal. 19 He will rescue you fr om six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven. 20 In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword. 21 You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and will not fear havoc when it comes. 22 You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth. 23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you. 24 You will kn ow that your tent is secure, and find nothing amiss when inspecting your home. 25 You will know that your offspring will be many, your descendants like the grass of the earth. 26 You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season. 27 Indeed, we have investigated, and it is true! So hear it and know for yourself. ” Job Replies: My Complaint Is Just Then Job replied: 2 “If only my grief could be weighed and placed with my calamity on the scales. 3 For then it would outweigh the sand of the seas— no wonder my words have been rash. 4 For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; my spirit drinks in their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me. 5 Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grass, or an ox low over its fodder? 6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg b ? 7 My soul refuses to touch them; they are loathsome food to me. 8 If only my request were granted and God would fulfill my hope: 9 that God would be willing to crush me, to unleash His hand and cut me off! 10 It still brings me comfort, and joy through unrelenting pain, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One. 11 What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What is my future, that I should be patient? 12 Is my strength like that of stone, or my flesh made of bronze? 13 Is there any help within me now that success is driven from me? 14 A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. 15 But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow, 16 darkened because of the ice and the inflow of melting snow, 6 628 | Job 5:16 a 17 Hebrew Shaddai ; here and throughout Job b 6 Or in the sap of the mallow plant | bsb-book.pdf |
17 but ceasing in the dry season and vanishing from their channels in the heat. 18 Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish. 19 The caravans of Tema look for w ater; the travelers of Sheba hope to find it. 20 They are confounded because they had hoped; their arrival brings disappointment. 21 For now you are of no help; you see terror, and you are afraid. 22 Have I ever said, 'Give me something; offer me a bribe from your wealth; 23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy; redeem me from the grasp of the ruthless'? 24 Teach me, and I will be silent. Help me understand how I have erred. 25 How painful are honest words! But what does your argument prove? 26 Do you intend to correct my words, and treat as wind my cry of despair? 27 You would even cast lots for an orphan and barter away your friend. 28 But now, please look at me. Would I lie to your face? 29 Reconsider; do not be unjust. Reconsider, for my righteousness is at stake. 30 Is there iniquity on my tongue? Can my mouth not discern malice? Job Continues: Life Seems Futile “Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand? 2 Like a slave he longs for shade; like a hireling he waits for his wages. 3 So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed me. 4 When I lie down I think: 'When will I get up?' But the night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn. 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and encrusted with dirt; my skin is cracked and festering. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope. 7 Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness. 8 The eye that beholds me will no longer see me. You will look for me, but I will be no more. 9 As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come back up. 10 He never returns to his house; his place remembers him no more. 11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 12 Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard? 13 When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, 14 then You frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, 15 so that I would prefer strang ling and death over my life in this body. 16 I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. 17 What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him, 18 that You attend to him every morning, and test him every moment? 7 Job 7:18 | 629 | bsb-book.pdf |
19 Will You never look away from me, or leave me alone to swallow my spittle? 20 If I have sinned, what have I done to You, O watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, so t hat I am a burden to You a ? 21 Why do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For soon I will lie down in the dust; You will seek me, but I will be no more. ” Bildad: Job Should Repent Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 2 “How long will you go on saying such things? The words of your mouth are a blustering wind. 3 Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? 4 When your children sinned against Him, He gave them over to their rebellion. 5 But if you would earnestly seek God and ask the Almighty for mercy, 6 if you are pure and upright, even now He will rouse Himself on your behalf and restore your righteous estate. 7 Though your beginnings were modest, your latter days will flourish. 8 Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers. 9 For we were born yesterday and know nothing; our days on earth are but a shadow. 10 Will they not teach you and tell you, and speak from their understanding? 11 Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Do reeds flourish without water? 12 While the shoots are still uncut, they dry up quicker than grass. 13 Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish. 14 His confidence is fragile; his security is in a spider's web. 15 He leans on his web, but it gives way; he holds fast, but it does not endure. 16 He is a well-water ed plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden. 17 His roots wrap around the rock heap; he looks for a home among the stones. 18 If he is uprooted from his place, it will disown him, saying, 'I never saw you. ' 19 Surely this is the joy of his way; yet others will spring from the dust. 20 Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers. 21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with a shout of joy. 22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more. ” Job: How Can I Contend with God? Then Job answered: 2 “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God? 3 If one wished to contend with God,b he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. 4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered? 8 9 630 | Job 7:19 a 20 LXX; Hebrew to myself b 3 Or If God wished to contend with someone | bsb-book.pdf |
5 He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger. 6 He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble. 7 He commands the sun not to shine; a He seals off the stars. 8 He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. 9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. 10 He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number. 11 Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him. 12 If He takes away,b who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, 'Wha t are You doing?' 13 God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him. 14 How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him? 15 For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy. 16 If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice. 17 For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause. 18 He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness. 19 If it is a m atter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him c ? 20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty. d 21 Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life. 22 It is all the same, and so I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked. ' 23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent. 24 The e arth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it? 25 My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good. 26 They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. 27 If I were to say, 'I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,' 28 I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me. 29 Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain? 30 If I should wash myself with snow e and cleanse my hands with lye, 31 then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me. 32 For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court. 33 Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both. 34 Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me. Job 9:34 | 631 a 7 Or rise b 12 Or snatches someone in death c 19 See LXX; Hebrew me d 20 Or He would declar e me guilty e 30 Or soap | bsb-book.pdf |
35 Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own. Job's Plea to God “I loathe my own life; I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say to God: Do not condemn me! Let me know why You prosecute me. 3 Does it please You to oppress me, to reject the work of Your hands and favor the schemes of the wicked? 4 Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees? 5 Are Your days like those of a mortal, or Your years like those of a man, 6 that You should seek my iniquity and search out my sin — 7 though You know that I am not guilty, and there is no deliverance from Your hand? 8 Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me. Would You now turn and destroy me? 9 Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust? 10 Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese? 11 You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. 12 You have granted me life and loving devotion,a and Your care has preserved my spirit. 13 Yet You concealed these things in Your heart, and I know that this was in Your mind: 14 If I sinned, You would take note, and would not acquit me of my iniquity. 15 If I am guilty, woe to me! And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and aware of my affliction. 16 Should I hold my head high, You would hunt me like a lion, and again display Your power against me. 17 You produce new witnesses against me and multiply Your anger toward me. Hardships assault me in w ave after wave. 18 Why then did You bring me from the womb? Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me! 19 If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave. 20 Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort, 21 before I go —never to return — to a land of darkness and gloom, 22 to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness. ” Zophar Rebukes Job Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: 2 “Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated? 3 Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke? 10 11 632 | Job 9:35 a 12 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion ; the range of meaning includes love , goodness , kindness , faithfulness , and mercy , as well as loyalty to a covenant . | bsb-book.pdf |
4 You have said, 'My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight. ' 5 But if only God would speak and open His lips against you, 6 and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves. 7 Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? 8 They are higher than the heavens —what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol —what can you know? 9 Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. 10 If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him? 11 Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note? 12 But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man! a 13 As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him, 14 if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents, 15 then indeed you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and unafraid. 16 For you will forget your misery, recalling it only as waters gone by. 17 Your life will be brighter than noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. 18 You will be secure, because there is hope, and you will look around and lie down in safety. 19 You will lie down without fear, and many will court your favor. 20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath. ” Job Presents His Case Then Job answered: 2 “Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die! 3 But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these? 4 I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock. 5 The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. 6 The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure — those who carry their god in their hands. b 7 But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you. 8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you. 9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? 10 The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind. 11 Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food? 12 Job 12:1 1 | 633 a 12 Or can be born tame b 6 Or though God keeps them in His power | bsb-book.pdf |
12 Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life. 13 Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His. 14 What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released. 15 If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land. 16 True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His. 17 He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges. 18 He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists. 19 He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established. 20 He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders. 21 He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty. 22 He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light. 23 He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them. 24 He deprives the earth's leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. 25 They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards. Job Prepares His Case “Indeed, my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard and understood. 2 What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. 3 Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God. 4 You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians. 5 If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom! 6 Hear now my argument, and listen to the plea of my lips. 7 Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf or speak deceitfully for Him? 8 Would you show H im partiality or argue in His defense? 9 Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him like a man? 10 Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality. 11 Would His majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of Him not fall upon you? 12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. 13 Be silent, and I will speak. Then let come to me what may. 14 Why do I put myself at risk a and take my life in my own hands? 15 Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. b I will still defend my ways to His face. 16 Moreover, this will be my salvation, for no godless man can appear before Him. 17 Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears. 18 Behold, now that I have prepared my case, I know that I will be vindicated. 19 Can anyone indict me? If so, I will be silent and die. 20 Only grant these two things to me, so that I need not hide from You: 21 Withdraw Your hand from me, and do not let Your terror frighten me. 13 634 | Job 12:12 a 14 Literally Why do I take my flesh in my teeth b 15 Or I have no other hope | bsb-book.pdf |
22 Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and You can reply. 23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Reveal to me my transgression and sin. 24 Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy? 25 Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff? 26 For You record bitter accusations against me and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth. 27 You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths; You set a limi t for t he soles of my feet. 28 So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment. Job Laments the Finality of Death “Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. 2 Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure. 3 Do You open Your eyes to one like this? Will You bring him into judgment before You? 4 Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one! 5 Since his days are determined and the number of his months is with You, and since You have set limits that h e cannot exceed, 6 look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his day as a hired hand. 7 For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sp rout again, and its tender shoots will not fail. 8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil, 9 at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling. 10 But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he? 11 As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry, 12 so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are n o mor e, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep. 13 If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and t hen remember me! 14 When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my renewal a comes. 15 You will call, and I will answer; You will desire the work of Your hands. 16 For then You would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin. 17 My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity. 18 But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place, 19 as water we ars away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so You destroy a man's hope. 20 You forever overpower him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away. 21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware. 22 He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself. ” 14 Job 14:2 2 | 635 a 14 Or my change or my relief | bsb-book.pdf |
Eliphaz: Job Does Not Fear God Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 2 “Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind? 3 Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose? 4 But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him. 5 For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty. 6 Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you. 7 Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought f orth before the hills? 8 Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself? 9 What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us? 10 Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side — men much older than y our father. 11 Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you? 12 Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,a 13 as you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth? 14 What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous? 15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes, 16 how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water? 17 Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen, 18 what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers, 19 to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them. 20 A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless. 21 Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him. 22 He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword. 23 He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand. 24 Distress and an guish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack. 25 For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty, 26 rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield. 27 Though his face is covered wi th fat and his waistline bulges with flesh, 28 he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble. 29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land. 30 He will not escape from the darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God's mouth will carry him away. 15 636 | Job 15:1 a 12 Or blink | bsb-book.pdf |
31 Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward. 32 It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish. 33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms. 34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery. 35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit. ” Job Decries His Comforters Then Job answered: 2 “I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all. 3 Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provokes you to continue testifying? 4 I could also speak like you if you were in my place; I could heap up words against yo u and shake my head at you. 5 But I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief. 6 Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away? 7 Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family. 8 You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me. 9 His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes. 10 They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me. 11 God has delivered me to unjust men; He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked. 12 I was at ease, bu t He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target; 13 His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground. 14 He breaks me with wound upon wound; He rushes me like a mighty warrior. 15 I have sewn sackcloth over my skin; I have buried my horn in the dust. 16 My face is red with weeping, and deep shadows ring my eyes; 17 yet my hands are free of violence and my prayer is pure. 18 O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help never be laid to rest. 19 Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high. 20 My friends are my scoffers as my eyes pour out tears to God. 21 Oh, that a man mig ht plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor! 22 For when only a few years are past I will go the way of no return. Job Prepares for Death “My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me. 16 17 Job 17: 1 | 637 | bsb-book.pdf |
2 Surely mockers surround me, and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion. 3 Give me, I pray, the pledge You demand. Who else will be my guarantor? 4 You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore You will not exalt them. 5 If a man denounces his friends for a price, the eyes of his children will fail. 6 He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit. 7 My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow. 8 The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent are stirred against the godless. 9 Yet a righteous one holds to his way, and the one with clean hands grows stronger. 10 But come back and try again, all of you. For I will not find a wise man among you. 11 My days have passed; my plans are broken off— even the desires of my heart. 12 They have turned night into day, making light seem near in the face of darkness. 13 If I look for Sheol as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness, 14 and say to corruption, 'You are my father,' and to the worm, 'My mother,' or 'My sister,' 15 where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me? 16 Will it go down to the gates of Sheol? Will we go down together into the dust?” Bild ad: God Punishes the Wicked Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 2 “How long until you end these speeches? Show some sense, and then we can talk. 3 Why are we regarded as cattle, as stupid in your sight? 4 You who tear yourself in anger — should the earth be forsaken on your account, or the rocks be moved from their place? 5 Indeed, the lamp of the wicked is extinguished; the flame of his fire does not glow. 6 The light in his tent grows dark, and the lamp beside him goes out. 7 His vigorous stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up. 8 For his own feet lead hi m into a net, and he wanders into its mesh. 9 A trap seizes his heel; a snare grips him. 10 A noose is hidden in the ground, and a trap lies in his path. 11 Terrors frighten him on every side and harass his every step. 12 His strength is depleted, and calamity is ready at his side. 13 It devours patches of his skin; the firstborn of death devours his limbs. 14 He is torn from the shelter of his tent and is marched off to the king of terrors. 15 Fire resides in his ten t; burning sulfur rains down on his dwelling. 16 The roots beneath him dry up, and the branches above him wither away. 18 638 | Job 17:2 | bsb-book.pdf |
17 The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the land. 18 He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world. 19 He has no offspring or posterity among his people, no survivor where he once lived. 20 Those in the west are appalled at his fate, while those in the east tremble in horror. 21 Surely such is the dwelling of the wicked and the place of one who does not know God. ” Job: My Redeemer Lives Then Job answered: 2 “How long will you torment me and crush me with your words? 3 Ten times now you have reproached me; you shamelessly mistreat me. 4 Even if I have truly gone astray, my error concerns me alone. 5 If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my disgrace against me, 6 then understand that it is God who has wronged me and drawn His net around me. 7 Though I cry out, 'Violence!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice. 8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; He has veiled my paths with darkness. 9 He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. 10 He tears me down on every side until I am gone; He uproots my hope like a tree. 11 His anger burns against me, and He counts me among His enemies. 12 His troops advance together; they construct a ramp against me and encamp around my tent. 13 He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me. 14 My kinsmen have failed me, and my friends have forgotten me. 15 My guests and maidservants count me as a stranger; I am a foreigner in their sight. 16 I call for my servant, b ut he does not answer, though I implore him with my own mouth. 17 My breath is repulsive to my wife, and I am loathsome to my own family. 18 Even little boys scorn me; when I appear, they deride me. 19 All my best friends despise me, and those I love have turned against me. 20 My skin and flesh cling to my bones; I have escaped by the skin of my teeth. 21 Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. 22 Why do you perse cute me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? 23 I wish that my words were recorded and inscribed in a book, 24 by an iron stylus on lead, or chiseled in stone forever. 25 But I know that my Redeemer a lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. b 26 Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh c I will see God. 27 I will see Him for myself; my eyes will behold Him, and not as a stranger. How my heart yearns d within me! 19 Job 19:2 7 | 639 a 25 Or Vindicator b 25 Or on my grave c 26 Or without my flesh d 27 Hebrew my kidneys yearn | bsb-book.pdf |
28 If you say, 'Let us persecute him, since the root of the matter lies with him,a ' 29 then you should fear the sword yourselves, because wrath brings punishment by the sword, so that you may know there is a judgment. ” Zophar: Destruction Awaits the Wicked Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: 2 “So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me. 3 I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply. 4 Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth, 5 the triumph of t he wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary? 6 Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds, 7 he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, 'Where is he?' 8 He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night. 9 The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him. 10 His sons will seek the favor of the poor, for his own hands must return his wealth. 11 The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust. 12 Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue, 13 though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, 14 yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him. 15 He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach. 16 He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him. 17 He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. 18 He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading. 19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has seized houses he did not build. 20 Because his ap petite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure. 21 Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure. 22 In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him. 23 When he h as filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats. 24 Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him. 25 It is drawn out of his back, the gleaming point from his liver. b Terrors come over him. 26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. 27 The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. 28 The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God's wrath. 20 640 | Job 19:28 a 28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts with me b 25 Literally from his gall | bsb-book.pdf |
29 This is the wicked man's portion from God, the inheritance God has appointed him. ” Job: God Will Punish the Wicked Then Job answered: 2 “Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me. 3 Bear with me while I speak; then, after I have spoken, you may go on mocking. 4 Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient? 5 Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth. 6 When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror. 7 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? 8 Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them. 10 Their bulls br eed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry. 11 They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about, 12 singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute. 13 They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace. a 14 Yet they say to God: 'Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways. 15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?' 16 Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked. 17 How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction? 18 Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm? 19 It is said that God lays up one's punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it. 20 Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out? 22 Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high? 23 One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease. 24 His body is well nourished,b and his bones are rich with marrow. 25 Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity. 26 But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both. 27 Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me. 28 For you say, 'Where now is the nobleman's house, 21 Job 21:2 8 | 641 a 13 Or in an instant b 24 Literally His pails are full of milk | bsb-book.pdf |
and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?' 29 Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports? 30 Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath. 31 Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done? 32 He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb. 33 The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number. 34 So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood. ” Eliphaz: Can a Man Be of Use to God? Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 2 “Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him? 3 Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless? 4 Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you? 5 Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless? 6 For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing. 7 You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished, 8 while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it. 9 You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed. 10 Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you; 11 it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you. 12 Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are! 13 Yet you say: 'What does God know ? Does He judge through thick darkness? 14 Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven. a ' 15 Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod? 16 They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood. 17 They said to God, 'Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?' 18 But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the couns el of the wicked. 19 The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them: 20 'Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess. ' 21 Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you. 22 Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart. 23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents 22 642 | Job 21:29 a 14 Or heaven's horizon or the circl e of the sky | bsb-book.pdf |
24 and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines, 25 then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you. 26 Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. 27 You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. 28 Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways. 29 When men are brought low and you say, 'Lift them up!' then He will save the lowly. 30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands. ” Job Longs for God Then Job answered: 2 “Even today my complaint is bitter. His hand is heavy despite my groaning. 3 If only I knew where to find Him, so that I could go to His seat. 4 I would plead my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would learn how He would answer, and consider what He would say. 6 Would He contend with me in His great power? No, He would certainly take note of me. 7 Then an upright man could reason with Him, and I would be delivered forever from my Judge. 8 If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him. 9 When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him. 10 Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. 11 My feet have followed in His tracks; I have kept His way without turning aside. 12 I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread. 13 But He is unchangeable, and who can oppose Him? He does what He desires. 14 For He carries out His decree against me, and He has many such plans. 15 Therefore I am terrified in His presence; when I consider this, I fear Him. 16 God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me. 17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face. Job: Judgment for the Wicked “Why does the Almighty not reserve times for judgment? Why may those who know Him never see His days? 2 Men move boundary stones; they pasture stolen flocks. 3 They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow's ox in pledge. 4 They push the needy off the road and force all the poor of the land into hiding. 5 Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go to work foraging for food; the wasteland is food for their children. 6 They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked. 23 24 Job 24: 6 | 643 | bsb-book.pdf |
7 Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold. 8 Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter. 9 The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt. 10 Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry. 11 They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty. 12 From the city, men groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out, yet God charges no one with wrongdoing. 13 Then there are those who rebel against the light, not knowing its ways or staying on its paths. 14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief. 15 The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, 'No eye will see me,' he covers his face. 16 In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in, never to experience the light. 17 For to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness! 18 They are but foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one turns toward their vineyards. 19 As drought and heat consume the melting snow, so Sheol steals those who have sinned. 20 The womb forgets them; the worm feeds on them; they are remembered no more. So i njustice is like a broken tree. 21 They prey on the barren and childless, and show no kindness to the widow. 22 Yet by His power, God drags away the mighty; though rising up, they have no assurance of life. 23 He gives them a sense of security, but His eyes are on their ways. 24 They are exalted for a moment, then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all o thers; they are cut off like heads of grain. 25 If this is not so, then who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?” Bildad: Man Cann ot Be Righteous Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 2 “Dominion and awe belong to God; He establishes harmony in the heights of heaven. 3 Can His troops be numbered? On whom does His light not rise? 4 How then can a man be just before God? How can one born of woman be pure? 5 If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight, 6 how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!” 25 644 | Job 24:7 | bsb-book.pdf |
Job: Who Can Understand God's Maj esty? Then Job answered: 2 “How you have helped the powerless and saved the arm that is feeble! 3 How you have counseled the unwise and provided fully sound insight! 4 To whom have you uttered these words? And whose spirit spoke through you? 5 The dead tremble — those beneath the waters and those who dwell in them. 6 Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon a has no covering. 7 He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs th e earth upon nothing. 8 He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their own weight. 9 He covers the face of the full moon,b spreading over it His cloud. 10 He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness. 11 The foundations of heaven quake, astounded at His rebuke. 12 By His power He stirred c the sea; by His understanding He shattered Rahab. 13 By His breath the skies were cleared; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent. d 14 Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can u nder stand the thunder of His power?” Job Affirms His Integrity Job continued his discourse: 2 “As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice— the Almighty, who has embittered my soul — 3 as long as my breath is still within me and the breath of God remains in my nostrils, 4 my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will not utter deceit. 5 I will never say that you are right; I will maintain my integrity until I die. 6 I will cling to my righteousness and never let g o. As long as I live, my conscience will not accuse me. The Wicked Man's Portion 7 May my enemy be like the wicked and my opponent like the unjust. 8 For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life? 9 Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him? 10 Will he delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times? 11 I will instruct you in the power of God. I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty. 12 Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves. Why then do you keep up this empty talk? 13 This is the wicked man's portion from God — the heritage the ruthless receive from the Almighty. 26 27 Job 27:1 3 | 645 a 6 Abaddon means Destruction . b 9 Or of His throne c 12 Or stilled d 13 Hebrew nachash ; translated in most cases as snake | bsb-book.pdf |
14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; and his offspring will never have enough food. 15 His survivors will be buried by the plague, and their widows will not weep for them. 16 Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a war drobe like clay, 17 what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent. 18 The house he built is like a moth's cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman. 19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone. 20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night. 21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. 22 It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power. 23 It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place. Where Can Wisdom Be Found? “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. 2 Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. 3 Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness. 4 Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men h e dangles and sways. 5 Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire. 6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold. 7 No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon's eye has seen it. 8 Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it. 9 The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mou ntains at their base. 10 He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure. 11 He stops up a the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light. 12 But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell? 13 No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. 14 The ocean depths say, 'It is not in me,' while the sea declares, 'It is not with me. ' 15 It cannot be bough t with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver. 16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. 17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it. 18 Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. 19 Topaz from Cush b cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. 20 From where then do es wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell? 21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air. 22 Abaddon c and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor about it. ' 23 But God understands its way, and He knows its place. 28 646 | Job 27:14 a 11 Hebrew; LXX and Vulgate He searches b 19 That is, the upper Nile region c 22 Abaddon means Destruction . | bsb-book.pdf |
24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. 25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured ou t the waters, 26 when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt, 27 then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out. 28 And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding. ' ” Job' s Former Blessings And Job continued his discourse: 2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, 3 when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness, 4 when I was in my prime,a when the friendship of God rested on my tent, 5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, 6 when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil! 7 When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square, 8 the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet. 9 The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands. 10 The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths. 11 For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me, 12 because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper. 13 The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow's heart sing for joy. 14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban. 15 I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame. 16 I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger. 17 I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth. 18 So I thought: 'I wi ll die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand. 19 My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches. 20 My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand. ' 21 Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel. 22 After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew. 23 They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers. 24 If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious. 25 I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners. Job's Honor Turned to Contempt “But now they mock me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to entrust with my sheep dogs. 29 30 Job 30: 1 | 647 a 4 Hebrew in the time of my harvest | bsb-book.pdf |
2 What use to me was the strength of their hands, since their vigor had left them? 3 Gaunt from poverty and hunger, they gnawed the dry land, and the desolate wasteland by night. 4 They plucked mallow among the shrubs, and the roots of the broom tree were their food. a 5 They were banished from among men, shouted down like thieves, 6 so that they lived on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground. 7 They cried out among the shrubs and huddled beneath the nettles. 8 A senseless and nameless brood, they were driven off the land. 9 And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. 10 They abhor me and keep far from me; they do not hesitate to spit in my face. 11 Because God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint b in my presence. 12 The rabble arises at my right; they lay snares for my feet and build siege ramps against me. 13 They tear up my path; they profit from my destruction, with no one to restrain them. c 14 They advance as through a wide breach; through the ruins they keep rolling in. Job's Prosperity Becomes Calamity 15 Terrors are turned loose against me; they drive away my dignity as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed like a cloud. 16 And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction grip me. 17 Night pierces my bones, and my gnawing pains never rest. 18 With great force He grasps my garment; d He seizes me by the collar of my tunic. 19 He throws me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes. 20 I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer; when I stand up, You merely look at me. 21 You have ruthlessly turned on me; You oppose me with Your strong hand. 22 You snatch me up into the wind and drive me before it; You toss me about e in the storm. 23 Yes, I know that You will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living. 24 Yet no one stretches out his hand to a ruined man when he cries for help in his distress. 25 Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has my soul not grieved for the needy? 26 But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell. 27 I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me. 28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun. I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. 29 I have become a brother of jackals,f a companion of ostriches. g 30 My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever. 31 My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping. 648 | Job 30:2 a 4 Or their fuel b 11 Hebrew the bridle c 13 Or with no one to assist them d 18 LXX; Hebrew He becomes like a garment to me or my garment is disfigured e 22 Or You dissolve me f 29 Or serpents or dragons g 29 Literally of daughters of an ostrich or of daughters of an owl | bsb-book.pdf |
Job's Fin al Appeal “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin? 2 For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high? 3 Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity? 4 Does He not see my ways and cou nt my every step? 5 If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit, 6 let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity. 7 If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if impurity has st uck to my hands, 8 then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted. 9 If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor's wife, or I have lurked at his door, 10 then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her. 11 For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged. 12 For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; a it would root out my entire harvest. 13 If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, 14 what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? 15 Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb? 16 If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow's eyes to fail, 17 if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless — 18 though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother's womb I guided the widow — 19 if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak, 20 if his heart has not blessed me b for warming him with the fleece of my sheep, 21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate, 22 then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket. 23 For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower. 24 If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security, 25 if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much, 26 if I have beheld the sun c in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, 27 so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, 28 this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high. 29 If I have rejoiced in my enemy's ruin, or exulted when evil befell him — 30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse — 31 Job 31:3 0 | 649 a 12 Abaddon means Destruction . b 20 Hebrew if his loins have not blessed me c 26 Hebrew the light | bsb-book.pdf |
31 if the men of my house have not said, 'Who is there who has not had his fill?' — 32 but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler — 33 if I have covered my transgressions like Adam a by hiding my guilt in my heart, 34 because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and w o uld not go outside — 35 (Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment. 36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown. 37 I wo uld give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince. ) — 38 if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together, 39 if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants, 40 then let briers grow i nstead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley. ” Thus conclude the words of Job. Elihu Rebukes Job's Friends So these three men stopped answer-ing Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God, 3 and he burned with anger against Job's three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had con-demned him. 4 Now Elihu had wa ited to speak to Job be-cause the others were older than he. 5 But when he saw that the three men had no fur-ther reply, his anger was kindled. 6 So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite declared: “I am young in years, while you are old; that is why I was timi d and afraid to tell you what I know. 7 I thought that age should speak, and many years should teach wisdom. 8 But there is a spirit b in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. 9 It is not only the old c who are wise, or the elderly who understand justice. 10 Therefore I say, 'Listen to me; I too will declare what I know. ' 11 Indeed, I waited while you spoke; I listened t o your reasoning; as you searched for words, 12 I paid you full attention. But no one proved Job wrong; not one of you rebutted his arguments. 13 So do not claim, 'We have found wisdom; let God, not man, refute him. ' 14 But Job ha s not directed his words against me, and I will not answer him with your arguments. 15 Job's friends are dismayed, with no more to say; words have escaped them. 16 Must I wait, now that they are silent, now that they stand and no longer reply? 17 I too will answer; yes, I will declare what I know. 32 650 | Job 31:31 a 33 Or like men b 8 Or the Spirit ; also in verse 18 c 9 Or many or great | bsb-book.pdf |
18 For I am full of words, and my spirit within me compels me. 19 Behold, my belly is like unvented wine; it is about to burst li ke a new wineskin. 20 I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and respond. 21 I will be partial to no one, nor will I flatter any man. 22 For I do not know how to flatter, or my Maker would remove me in an instant. Elihu Rebukes Job “But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words. 2 Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue. 3 My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know. 4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. 5 Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me. 6 I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay. 7 Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you. 8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: 9 'I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me. 10 Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy. 11 He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths. ' 12 Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man. 13 Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks? a 14 For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices. 15 In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, 16 He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings 17 to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, 18 to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword. 19 A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones, 20 so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food. 21 His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones pr otrude. 22 He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death. 23 Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, 24 to be gracious to him and say, 'Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have f ound his ransom,' 25 then his flesh is refreshed like a child's; he returns to the days of his youth. 26 He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God's face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to th at man. 27 Then he sings before b men with these words: 'I have sinned and perverted what was right ; yet I did not get what I deserved. 33 Job 33:2 7 | 651 a 13 Or that He answers for none of His actions b 27 Or Then he looks upon | bsb-book.pdf |
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light. ' 29 Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times, 30 to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. 31 Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. 32 But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you. 33 But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom. ” Elihu Confirms God's Justice Then Elihu continued: 2 “Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning. 3 For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food. 4 Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. 5 For Job has declared, 'I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice. 6 Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression. ' 7 What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water? 8 He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men. 9 For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God. ' 10 Therefore listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly. 11 For according to a man's deeds He repays him; according to a man's ways He brings consequences. 12 Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice. 13 Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world? 14 If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath, 15 all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust. 16 If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words. 17 Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One, 18 who says to kings, 'You are worthles s!' and to nobles, 'You are wicked,' 19 who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands. 20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the m ighty are removed without human hand. 21 For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step. 22 There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide. 23 For God need not exa mine a man further or have him approach for judgment. 24 He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place. 25 Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed. 26 He strikes them for their wickedness in full view, 27 because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways. 34 652 | Job 33:28 | bsb-book.pdf |
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted. 29 But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation, 30 that godless men should not rule or lay snares for th e people. 31 Suppose someone says to God, 'I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more. 32 Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again. ' 33 Should God repay you on your own terms when you have disavowed His? You must choose, not I; so te ll me what you know. 34 Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say: 35 'Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight. ' 36 If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man. 37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God. ” Elihu Recalls God's Justice And Elihu went on to say: 2 “Do you think this is just? You say, 'I am more righteous than God. ' a 3 For you ask, 'What does it profit me, and what benefit do I gain apart from sin?' 4 I will reply to you and to your friends as well. 5 Look to the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds high above you. 6 If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? If you multiply your transgressions, what do you do to Him? 7 If you are righteous, what do you give Him, or what does He receive from your hand? 8 Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself, and your righteousness only a son of man. 9 Men cry o ut under great oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the mighty. 10 But no one asks, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives us songs in the night, 11 who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air? ' 12 There they cry out, but He does not answer, because of the pride of evil men. 13 Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it. 14 How much less, then, when you say that you do not see Him, that your case is before Him and you must wait for Him, 15 and further, that in His anger He has not punished or taken much notice of folly! 16 So Job opens his mouth in vain and multiplies wo rds without knowledge. ” Elihu Describes God's Power And Elihu continued: 2 “Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you that there is more to be said on God's behalf. 35 36 Job 36: 2 | 653 a 2 Or 'I am righteous before God. ' | bsb-book.pdf |
3 I get my knowledge from afar, and I will ascribe justice to my Maker. 4 For truly my words are free of falsehood; one perfect in knowledge is with you. 5 Indeed, God is mighty, but He despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding. 6 He d oes not keep the wicked alive, but He grants justice to the afflicted. 7 He does not take His eyes off the righteous, but He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever. 8 And if men are bound with chains, caught in cords of affliction, 9 then He tells them their deeds and how arrogantly they have transgressed. 10 He opens their ears to correction and commands that they turn from iniquity. 11 If they obey and serve Him, then they end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness. 12 But if they do not obey, then they perish by the sword a and die without knowledge. 13 The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when He binds them, they do not cry for help. 14 They die in their youth, among the male shrine prostitutes. 15 God rescues the afflicted by their affliction b and opens their ears in oppression. 16 Indeed, He drew you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and broad place, to a table full of richness. 17 But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you. 18 Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large bribe lead you astray. 19 Can your wealth c or all your mighty effort keep you from distress? 20 Do not long for the night, when people vanish from their homes. 21 Be careful not to turn to iniquity, for this you have preferred to affliction. 22 Behold, God is exalted in His power. Who is a teacher like Him? 23 Who has appointed His way for Him, or told Him, 'You have done wrong'? 24 Remember to magnify His work, which men have praised in song. 25 All mankind has seen it; men behold it from afar. 26 Indeed, God is great —beyond our knowledge; the number of His years is unsearchable. 27 For He draws up drops of water which distill the rain from the mist, 28 which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind. 29 Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion? 30 See how He scatters His lightning around Him and covers the depths of the sea. 31 For by these He judges d the nations and provides food in abundance. 32 He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. 33 The thunder declares His presence; even the cattle regard the rising storm. 654 | Job 36:3 a 12 Or they will cross the river of death b 15 Or in their affliction c 19 Or your cry for help d 31 Or governs or nourishes | bsb-book.pdf |
Elihu Proclaims God's Majesty “At this my heart also pounds and leaps from its place. 2 Listen closely to the thunder of His voice and the rumbling that comes from His mouth. 3 He unleashes His lightning beneath the whole sky and sends it to the ends of the earth. 4 Then there comes a roaring sound; He thunders with His majestic voice. He does not restrain the lightning when His voice resounds. 5 God thunders wondrously with His voice; He does great things we cannot comprehend. 6 For He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the gentle rain, 'Pour out a mighty downpour. ' 7 He seals up the hand of every man, so that all men may know His work. 8 The wild animals enter their lairs; they settle down in their dens. 9 The tempest comes from its chamber, and the cold from the driving north winds. 10 By the breath of God the ic e is formed and the watery expanses are frozen. 11 He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them. 12 They swirl about, whirling at His direction, accomplishing all that He commands over the face of all the earth. 13 Whether for punishment or for His land, He accomplishes this in His loving devotion. 14 Listen to this, O Job; stand still and consider the wonders of God. 15 Do you know how God dispatches the clouds or makes the lightning flash? 16 Do you understand how the clouds float, those wonders of Him who is perfect in knowledge? 17 You whose clothes get hot when the land lies hushed under the south wind, 18 can you, like Him, spread out the skies to reflect the heat like a mirror of bronze? 19 Teach us what we should say to Hi m; we cannot draw up our case when our faces are in darkness. 20 Should He be told that I want to speak? Would a man ask to be swallowed up a ? 21 Now no one can gaze at the sun when it is bright in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. 22 Out of the north He comes in golden splendor; awesome majesty surrounds Him. 23 The Almighty is beyond our reach; He is exalted in power! In His justice and great righteousness He d o es not oppress. 24 Therefore, men fear Him, for He is not partial to the wise in heart. ” The LORD Challenges Job Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge? b 3 Now brace yourself c like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me. d 4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? 37 38 Job 38: 4 | 655 a 20 Or speak without being swallowed up b 2 Cited in Job 42:3 c 3 Hebrew gird up your loins d 3 Cited in Job 42:4 | bsb-book.pdf |
Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5 Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone,a 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, 9 when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket, 10 when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors, 11 and I declared: 'You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop'? 12 In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place, 13 that it might spread to the ends of t he earth and shake the wicked out of it? 14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its hills stand out like the folds of a garment. 15 Light is withheld from the wicked, and their upraised arm is broken. 16 Have you journeyed to the vents of the sea or walked in the trenches of the deep? 17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? 18 Have you surveyed the extent of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this. 19 Where is the way to the home of light? Do you know where darkness resides, 20 so you can lead it back to its border? Do you know the paths to its home? 21 Surely you know, for you were already born! And the number of your days is great! 22 Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail, 23 which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle? 24 In which direction is the lightning dispersed, or the east wind scattered over the earth? 25 Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt, 26 to bring rain on a barren land, on a desert where no man lives, 27 to satisfy the parched wasteland and make it sprout with tender grass? 28 Does the rain have a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew? 29 From whose womb does the ice emerge? Who gives birth to the frost from heaven, 30 when the waters become hard as stone and the surface of the deep is frozen? 31 Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion? 32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons b or lead out the Bear c and her cubs? 33 Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth? 34 Can you command the clouds so that a flood of water covers you? 35 Can you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are'? 656 | Job 38:5 a 6 Or who set its core in place b 32 Or bring forth Mazzaroth in its season c 32 Or Leo or Arcturus | bsb-book.pdf |
36 Who has put wisdom in the heart a or given understanding to the mind? 37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of the heavens 38 when the dust hardens into a mass and the clods of earth stick together? 39 Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions 40 when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket? 41 Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food? The LORD Speaks of His Creation “Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn? 2 Can you count the months they are pregnant? Do you know the time they give birth? 3 They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn. 4 Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open f ield; they leave and do not return. 5 Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness? 6 I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling. 7 He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver. 8 He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing. 9 Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? 10 Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you? 11 Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him? 12 Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor? 13 The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions b and feathers of the stork. 14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand. 15 She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them. 16 She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain. 17 For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding. 18 Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider. 19 Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane? 20 Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? 21 He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle. 22 He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword. 23 A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and lance. c 24 Trembling wi th excitement, he devours the distance; he cannot stand still when the ram's horn sounds. 25 At the blast of the horn, he snorts with fervor. d 39 a 36 Or Who has given the ibis wisdom , that is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile b 13 Pinions are the outer parts of a bird's wings, including the flight feathers. c 23 Or javelin d 25 Or he snorts, 'Aha!' Job 39:2 5 | 657 | bsb-book.pdf |
He catches the scent of battle from afar— the shouts of captains and the cry of war. 26 Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south? 27 Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high? 28 He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag. 29 From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar. 30 His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is. ” Job Humbles Himself before the LORD And the LORD said to Job: 2 “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer. ” 3 Then Job answered the LORD: 4 “Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth. 5 I have spoken once, but I have no answe r— twice, but I have nothing to add. ” The LORD Challenges Job Again 6 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 7 “Now brace yourself a like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me. b 8 Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself? 9 Do you have an arm like God's? Can you thunder with a voice like His? 10 Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and clothe yourself with honor and glory. 11 Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low. 12 Look on every proud man and humble him; trample the wicked where they stand. 13 Bury them together in the dust; imprison them in the grave. c 14 Then I will confess to you that your own right hand can save you. 15 Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you. He feeds on grass like an ox. 16 See the strength of his loins and the power in the muscles of his belly. 17 His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. 18 His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are rods of iron. 19 He is the foremost of God's works; d only his Maker can draw the sword against him. 20 The hills yield him their produce, while all the beasts of the field play nearby. 21 He lies under the lotus plants,e hidden among the reeds of the marsh. 22 The lotus plants conceal him in their shade; the willows f of the brook surround him. 23 Though the river rages, Behemoth is unafraid; he remains secure, though the Jordan surges to his mou th. 40 658 | Job 39:26 a 7 Hebrew gird up your loins b 7 Cited in Job 42:4 c 13 Or in the hidden place d 19 Hebrew ways e 21 Or bramble bushes ; also in verse 22 f 22 Or poplars | bsb-book.pdf |
24 Can anyone capture him as he looks on, or pierce his nose with a snare? The LORD's Power Shown in Leviathan “Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope? 2 Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? 3 Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly? 4 Will he make a covenant with you to take him as a slave for life? 5 Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens? 6 Will traders barter for him or divide him among the merchants? 7 Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? 8 If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it! 9 Surely hope of overcoming him is false. Is not the sight of him overwhelming? 10 No one is so fierce as to rouse Leviathan. Then who is able to stand against Me? 11 Who has given to Me that I should repay him? a Everything under heaven is Mine. 12 I cannot keep silent about his limbs, his power and graceful form. 13 Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can approach him with a bridle? b 14 Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth? 15 His rows of scales are his pride, tightly sealed together. 16 One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them. 17 They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated. 18 His snorting flashes with light, and his eyes are like the rays of dawn. 19 Firebrands stream from his mouth; fiery sparks shoot forth! 20 Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds. 21 His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour from his mouth. 22 Strength resides in his neck, and dismay lea ps before him. 23 The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable. 24 His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone! 25 When Leviathan rises up, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw before his thrashing. 26 The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or dart or arrow. 27 He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood. 28 No arrow can make him flee; slingstones become like chaff to him. 29 A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance. c 30 His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge. 31 He makes the depths seethe like a cauldron; he makes the sea like a jar of ointment. 32 He leaves a glistening wake behind him; one would think the deep had white hair! 33 Nothing on earth is his equal — a creature devoid of fear! 34 He looks down on a ll the haughty; he is king over all the proud. ” 41 Job 41:3 4 | 659 a 11 Cited in Romans 11:35 b 13 Or Who can come within his double mail? c 29 Or javelin | bsb-book.pdf |
Job Submits Himself to the LORD Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 “I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, 'Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?' a Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak. I will question you, and you shall inform Me. ' b 5 My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You. 6 Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes. ” The LOR D Rebukes Job's Friends 7 After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me ac-curately, as My servant Job has. 8 So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for your-selves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has. ” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD had told them; and the LORD ac-cepted Job's request. The LORD Blesses Job 10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions. 11 All his brothers and sis-ters and prior acquaintances came and dined with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver c and a gold ring. 12 So the LORD blessed Job's latter days more than his first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named his first daugh-ter Jemimah, his second Keziah, and his third Keren-happuch. 15 No women as beautiful as Job's daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived 140 years and saw his children and their children to the fourth gen-eration. 17 And so Job died, old and full of years. 42 660 | Job 42:1 a 3 Job 38:2 b 4 Job 38:3 and Job 40:7 c 11 Hebrew a kesitah ; the value or weight of the kesitah is no longer known. | bsb-book.pdf |
Psalm 1 The Two Paths (Matthew 5:3-12 ; Luke 6:20-23) 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does. 4 Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 2 The Triumphant Messiah (Acts 4:23-31) 1 Why do the nations rage a and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One: b 3 “Let us break Their chains and cast away Their cords. ” 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them. 5 Then He rebukes them in His anger, and terrifies them in His fury: 6 “I have installed My King on Zion, upon My holy mountain. ” 7 I will proclaim the decree spoken to Me by the L ORD: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father. c 8 Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession. 9 You will break them d with an iron scepter; You will shatter them like pottery. e ” Psalms BOOK I Psalms 1-41 a 1 Or noisily assemble ; see Revelation 11:18. b 2 Cited in Acts 4:25-26 c 7 Literally today I have begotten You ; cited in Acts 13:33, Hebrews 1:5, and Hebrews 5:5 d 9 LXX You will rule them or You will shepherd them e 9 Cited in Revelation 2:27; see also Revelation 12:5 and Revelation 19:15. | bsb-book.pdf |
10 Therefore be wise, O kings; be admonished, O judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your rebellion, when His wrath ignites in an instant. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. Psalm 3 Deliver Me, O LORD! (2 Samuel 15:1 3-29) A Psalm of David, when he f led from his son Absalom. 1 O LORD, how my foes have increased! How many rise up against me! 2 Many say of me, “God will not deliver him. ” Selah a 3 But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me. 6 I will not fear the myriads set against me on every side. 7 Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah Psalm 4 Answer Me When I Call! For the choirmaster. With stringed ins truments. A Psalm of David. 1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved my distress; show me grace and hear my prayer. 2 How long, O men, will my honor be maligned? How long will you love vanity and seek after lies b ? Selah 3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him. 4 Be angry, yet do not sin; c on your bed, search your heart and be still. Selah 5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in th e LORD. 6 Many ask, “Who can show us the good?” Shine the light of Your face upon us, O LORD. 7 You have filled my heart with more joy than when grain and new wine abound. 8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 5 Give Ear to My Words For the choirmaster, to be accompanied by f lutes. A Psalm of David. 1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. 662 | Psalm 2:10 a 2 Selah or Interlude is probably a musical or literary term; here and throughout the Psalms. b 2 Or false gods c 4 Or In your anger do not sin or Tremble and do not sin ; cited in Ephesians 4:26 | bsb-book.pdf |
2 Attend to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation. 4 For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You. 5 The boastful cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. 7 But I will enter Your house by the abundance of Your loving devotion; a in reverence I will bow down toward Your holy temple. 8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make straight Your way before me. 9 For no t a word they speak can be trusted; destruction lies within them. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. b 10 Declare them guilty, O God; let them fall by their own devices. Drive them out for their many transgressions, for they have rebelled against You. 11 But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever shout for joy. May You shelter them, that t hose who love Your name may rejoice in You. 12 For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with the shield of Your favor. Psalm 6 Do Not Rebuke Me in Your Anger (Psalm 38:1-22) For the choirmaster. With stringed inst ruments, according to Sheminith. c A Psalm of David. 1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath. 2 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am frail; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are in agony. 3 My soul is deeply distressed. How long, O LORD, how long? 4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver my soul; save me because of Your loving devotion. 5 For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol? 6 I am weary from groaning; all night I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. 7 My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes. 8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the LORD has heard my weeping. 9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. a 7 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion ; the range of meaning includes love , goodness , kindness , faithfulness , and mercy , as well as loyalty to a covenant . b 9 Or flattery ; cited in Romans 3:13 c 1 Sheminith is probably a musical term; here and in 1 Chronicles 15:21 and Psalm 12:1. Psalm 6:9 | 663 | bsb-book.pdf |
10 All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace. Psalm 7 I Take Refuge in You A Shiggaion a of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. 1 O LORD my God, I take refuge in You; save me and deliver me from all my pursuers, 2 or they will shred my soul like a lion and tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me. 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands, 4 if I have rewarded my ally b with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause, 5 then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah 6 Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; rise up against the fury of my enemies. Awake, my God, and ordain judgment. 7 Let the assembled peoples gather around You; take Your seat over them on high. 8 The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity. 9 Put an end to the evil of the wicked, but establish the righteous, O righteous God who searches hearts and minds. c 10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation each day. 12 If one does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has bent and strung His bow. 13 He has prepared His deadly weapons; He ordains His arrows with fire. 14 Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood. 15 He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen i nto a pit of his own making. 16 His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head. 17 I will thank the LORD for His righteousness and sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. Psalm 8 How Majestic Is Your Name! For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. d A Psalm of David. 1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. 2 From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise e on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger. a 1 Shiggaion is probably a musical or liturgical term. b 4 Hebrew the one at peac e with me c 9 Hebrew heart s and kidneys d 1 Gittith is probably a musical or liturgical term; here and in Psalm s 81 and 84. e 2 Literally You have ordained strength ; LXX You hav e prepared praise ; cited in Matthew 21:16 664 | Psalm 6:10 | bsb-book.pdf |
3 When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place— 4 what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the angels; a You crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler of the works of Your hands; You have placed everything under his feet: b 7 all sheep and oxen, and even the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air and the fish of t he sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! Psalm 9 I Will Give Thanks to the LORD For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Death of t he Son. ” A Psalm of David. c 1I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will recount all Your wonders. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. 3 When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before Y ou. 4 For You have upheld my just cause; You sit on Your throne judging righteously. 5 You have rebuked the nations; You have destroyed the wicked; You have erased their name forever and ever. 6 The enemy has come to eternal ruin, and You have uprooted their cities; the very memory of them has vanished. 7 But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment. 8 He judges the world with justice; He governs the people with equity. 9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10 Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. 11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; proclaim His deeds among the nations. 12 For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers; He does not i gnore the cry of the afflicted. 13 Be merciful to me, O LORD; see how my enemies afflict me! Lift me up from the gates of death, 14 that I may declare all Your praises — that within the gates of Daughter Zion I ma y rejoice in Your salvation. 15 The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. 16 The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion Selah d Psalm 9:16 | 665 a 5 Or than God or than the heavenl y beings ; see also LXX. b 6 Cited in 1 Corinthians 15:27 and Hebrews 2: 6-8 c 1 Psalms 9 and 10 together follow an acrostic pattern, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the LXX they form one psalm. d 16 Higgaion Selah or quiet interlude is probably a musical or liturgical term. | bsb-book.pdf |
17 The wicked will return to Sheol — all the nations who forget God. 18 For the needy will not always be forgotten; nor the hope of the oppressed forever dashed. 19 Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence. 20 Lay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah Psalm 10 The Perils of the Pilgrim 1 Why, O LORD, do You stand far off? Why do You hide in times of trouble? 2 In pride the wicked pursue the needy; let them be caught in the schemes they devise. 3 For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. 4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God. 5 He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes. 6 He says to himself, “I will not be moved; from age to age I am free of distress. ” 7 His mouth is full of cursing, deceit,a and violence; trouble and malice are under his tongue. 8 He lies in wait near the villages; in ambush he slays the innocent; his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless. 9 He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net. 10 They are crushed and beaten down; b the hapless fall prey to his strength. 11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees. ” 12 Arise, O LORD! Lift up Your hand, O God! Do not forget the helpless. 13 Why has the wicked man renounced God? He says to himself, “You will never call me to account. ” 14 But You have regarded trouble and grief; You see to repay it by Your hand. The victim entrusts himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call him to account for his wickedness until none is left to be found. 16 The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish from His land. 17 You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear, 18 to vindicate the fatherless and oppressed, that the men of the earth may strike terror no more. Psalm 11 In the LORD I Take Refuge (Habakku k 1:1 2-17) For the choirmaster. Of David. 1 In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain! 2 For behold, the wicked bend their bows. 666 | Psalm 9:17 a 7 LXX bitterness ; cited in Romans 3:14 b 10 Or He crouches and lies low | bsb-book.pdf |
They set their arrow on the string to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men. 5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked; His soul hates the lover of violence. 6 On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion. 7 For the LORD is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face. Psalm 12 The Godly Are No More For the choirmaster. According to Sheminith. a A Psalm of David. 1 Help, O LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. 2 They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart. 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue. 4 They say, “With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips —who can be our master?” 5 “For the cause of the oppressed and for the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will bring safety to him who yearns. ” 6 The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold. b 7 You, O LORD, will keep us; You will forever guard us from this generation. 8 The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men. Psalm 13 How Long, O LORD? For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle in my soul, with sorrow in my heart each day? How long will my enemy dominate me? 3 Consider me and respond, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death, 4 lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes rejoice when I fall. 5 But I have trusted in Your loving devotion; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to me. Psalm 14 The Fool Says There Is No God (Psalm 53:1-6 ; Isaiah 59:1-17 ; Rom ans 3:9-20) For the choirmaster. Of David. 1 The fool c says in his heart, “There is no God. ” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good. Psalm 14: 1 | 667 a 1 Sheminith is probably a musical term; here and in 1 Chronicles 15:21 and Psalm 6:1. b 6 Probable reading; MT like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified sevenfold c 1 The Hebrew words rendered fool throughout the Psalms denote one who is morally deficient. | bsb-book.pdf |
2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God. 3 All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; a there is no one who does good, not even one. b 4 Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call u pon the LORD. 5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is in the company of the righteous. 6 You sinners frustrate the plans of the oppressed, yet the LORD is their shelter. 7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad! Psalm 15 Who May Dwell on Your Holy Mountain? A Psalm of David. 1 O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain? 2 He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart, 3 who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend, 4 who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath, 5 who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. Psalm 16 The Presence of the LORD (Acts 2:14-36) A Miktam c of David. 1 Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge. 2 I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing. ” 3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides. 4 Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips. 5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. 6 The li nes of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places; surely my inheritance is delightful. 7 I will bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night my conscience instructs me. d 8 I have set e the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell securely. f 668 | Psalm 14:2 a 3 LXX worthless b 3 Cited in Romans 3:1 0-12 c 1 Miktam is probably a musical or liturgical term; used for Psalm 16 and Psalms 5 6-60. d 7 Or my heart instructs me ; Hebrew my kidneys instruct me e 8 LXX I foresaw f 9 LXX will dwell in hope | bsb-book.pdf |
10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. a 11 You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence,b with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalm 17 Hear My Righteous Plea A prayer of David. 1 Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer — it comes from lips free of deceit. 2 May my vindication come from Your presence; may Your eyes see what is right. 3 You have tried my heart; You have visited me in the night. You have tested me and found no evil; I have resolved not to sin with my mouth. 4 As for the deeds of men — by th e word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not slipped. 6 I call on You, O God, for You will answer me. Incline Your ear to me; hear my words. 7 Show the wonders of Your loving devotion, You who save by Your right hand those who seek refuge from their foes. 8 Keep me as the apple of c Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings 9 from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. 10 They have closed their callous hearts; their mouths speak with arrogance. 11 They have tracked us down, and now surround us; their eyes are set to cast us to the ground, 12 like a lion greedy for prey, like a young lion lurking in ambush. 13 Arise, O LORD, confront them! Bring them to their knees; deliver me from the wicked by Your sword, 14 from such men, O LORD, by Your hand — from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones d and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children. 15 As for me, I will behold Your face i n righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence. Psalm 18 The LORD Is My Rock (2 Samuel 22: 1-51) For the choirmaster. Of David the servan t of t he LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivere d him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: 1 I love You, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. Psalm 18: 2 | 669 a 10 Cited in Acts 13:35 b 11 Cited in Acts 2:2 5-28 c 8 Literally as the pupil, the daughter of d 14 Or May what You hav e stored up for the wicked fill their bellies | bsb-book.pdf |
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be sav ed from my enemies. 4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears. 7 Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger. 8 Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consumin g fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth. 9 He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet. 10 He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clo uds a canopy around Him. 12 From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced — hailstones and coals of fire. a 13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded — hailstones and coals of fire. b 14 He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them. 15 The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, O LORD, at th e blast of the breath of Your nostrils. 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me. 18 They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support. 19 He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me. 20 The LORD has rewarded me acc ording to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands. 21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes. 23 And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity. 24 So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. 25 To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You sh ow Yourself blameless; 26 to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd. 27 For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes. 670 | Psalm 18:3 a 12 Or bolts of lightning ; also in verse 13 b 13 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and LXX do not include —hailstones and coals of fire ; see 2 Samuel 22:14. | bsb-book.pdf |
28 For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness. 29 For in You I can charge an army, and with my God I can scale a wall. 30 As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. 31 For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear. 33 He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights. 34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me. a 36 You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way. 37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed. 38 I crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet. 39 You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me. 40 You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me. 41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them — to the LORD, but He di d not answer. 42 I ground them as dust in the face of the wind; I trampled them b like mud in the streets. 43 You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me. 44 When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me. 45 Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds. 46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may the God of my salvation be exalted— 47 the God who avenges me and subdues nations beneath me, 48 who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You r e scue me from violent men. 49 Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name. c 50 Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever. Psalm 19 The Heavens Declare the Glory of God For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. Psalm 19: 2 | 671 a 35 Or and Your help exalts me or and You stoop dow n to make me great b 42 Some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Syriac (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); MT I poured them out c 49 Cited in Romans 15:9 | bsb-book.pdf |
3 Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard,a 4 their voice b has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. c In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 Like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course, 6 it rises at one end of the heavens and runs its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. 7 The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward. 12 Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. 13 Keep Your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless and c leansed of great transgression. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LO RD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 20 The Day of Trouble For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. 2 May He send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion. 3 May He remember all your gifts and look favor ably on your burnt offerings. Selah 4 May He give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5 May we shout for joy at your victory and raise a banner in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. 8 They collapse and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. 9 O LORD, save d the king. Answer us on the day we call. 672 | Psalm 19:3 a 3 Or Ther e is no speech or languag e wher e their voic e is not heard b 4 LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; Hebrew their measuring line c 4 Cited in Romans 10:18 d 9 Or give victory to | bsb-book.pdf |
Psalm 21 After the Battle (Proverbs 21:1-31) For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 O LORD, the king rejoices in Your strength. How greatly he exults in Your salvation! 2 You have granted his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah 3 For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold. 4 He asked You for life, and You granted it — length of days, forever and ever. 5 Great is his glory in Your s alvation; You bestow on him splendor and majesty. 6 For You grant him blessings forever; You cheer him with joy in Your presence. 7 For the king trusts in the LORD; through the loving devotion of the Most High, he will not be shaken. 8 Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies; Your right hand will seize those who hate You. 9 You will place them in a fiery furnace at the time of Your appearing. In His wrath the LORD will engulf them, and the fire will consume them. 10 You will wipe their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from the sons of men. 11 Though they intend You harm, the schemes they devise will not prevail. 12 For You will put them to flight when Your bow is trained upon them. 13 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your power. Psalm 22 The Psalm of the Cross (Matthew 27:32-56 ; Mark 15:2 1-41 ; Luk e 23:26-43 ; John 19:1 6-30) For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of t he Dawn. ” A Psalm of David. 1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? a Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? 2 I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest. 3 Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. 5 They cried out to You and were set fre e; they trusted in You and were not disappointed. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads: 8 “He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him. ” b Psalm 22: 8 | 673 a 1 Cited in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 b 8 Cited in Matthew 27:43 | bsb-book.pdf |
9 Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother's breast. 10 From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother's womb You have been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it me lts away within me. 15 My strength a is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of m y mouth. You lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. b 17 I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. c 19 But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs. 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me! 22 I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly. d 23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All offspring of Israel, revere Him! 24 For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help. 25 My praise for You resounds in the great assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will prai se Him. May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations wil l bow down before Him. 28 For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations. 29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him — even those unable to preserve their lives. 30 Posterity will serve Him; they will declare the Lord to a new generatio n. 31 They will come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn — all that He has done. 674 | Psalm 22:9 a 15 MT; or My mouth , a possible reading of the original Hebrew text b 16 DSS, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac; most MT like a lion at my hands and feet c 18 Cited in John 19:24; see also Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, and Luke 23:34 d 22 LXX I will sing Your praise s in the assembly ; cited in Hebrews 2:12. | bsb-book.pdf |
Psalm 25: 4 | 675 Psalm 23 The LORD Is My Shepherd (Ezekiel 34:1 1-24 ; John 10:1-21) A Psa lm of David. 1 The LORD is my shepherd; a I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,b I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. c Psalm 24 The Earth Is the LORD's A Psa lm of David. 1 The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof,d the world and all who dwell therein. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. 3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol e or swear deceitfully. 5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob. f Selah 7 Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter! 8 Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter! 10 Who is He, this King of Glory? The LORD of Hosts— He is the King of Glory. Selah Psalm 25 To You I Lift Up My Soul Of David. g 1 To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul; 2 in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. 3 Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who are faithless without cause will be disgraced. 4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. a 1 See Revelation 7:17. b 4 Or the valley of deep darkness c 6 Literally for a length of days d 1 Cited in 1 Corinthians 10:26 e 4 Or to falsehood or to vanity f 6 LXX, Syriac, and two Hebrew manuscripts; MT who seek your face, O Jacob g 1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. | bsb-book.pdf |
5 Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You. 6 Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and loving devotion, for they are from age to age. 7 Remember not the sins o f my youth, nor my rebellious acts; remember me according to Your loving devotion, because of Your goodness, O LORD. 8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way. 9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. 10 All the LORD's ways are loving and faithful to those who keep His covenant and His decrees. 11 For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, for it is great. 12 Who is the m an who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him. 13 His soul will dwell in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. 14 The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them. 15 My eyes are alwa ys on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh. 16 Turn to me and be gracious, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart increase; free me from my distress. 18 Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins. 19 Consider my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with vicious hatred. 20 Guard my soul and deliver me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in You. 21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me, because I wait for You. a 22 Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress. Psalm 26 Vindicate Me, O LORD Of David. 1 Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. 2 Test me, O LORD, and try me; examine my heart b and mind. 3 For Your loving devotion is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth. 4 I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites. 5 I hate the mob of evildoers, and refuse to sit with the wicked. 6 I wash my hands in innocence that I may go about Your altar, O LORD, 7 to raise my voice in thanksgiving and declare all Your wonderful works. 8 O LORD, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides. 9 Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men o f bloodshed, 10 in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. 11 But I will walk with integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me. 12 My feet stand on level ground; in the congregations I will bless the LORD. 676 | Psalm 25:5 a 21 Or becaus e my hope is in You ; LXX because I wait for You, O Lord b 2 Hebrew my kidneys | bsb-book.pdf |
Psalm 27 The LORD Is My Salvation Of David. 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — whom shall I dread? 2 When the wicked came upon me to devour my flesh, my enemies and foes stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust. 4 One thing I have as ked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under th e cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be held high above my enemies around me. At His tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, my voice when I call; be merciful and answer me. 8 My heart said, “Seek His face. ” Your face, O LORD, I will seek. 9 Hide not Your face from me, nor turn away Your servant in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or forsake m e, O God of my salvation. 10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path, because of my oppressors. 12 Do not hand me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. 13 Still I am certain to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD! Psalm 28 The LORD Is My Strength Of David. 1 To You, O LORD, I call; be not deaf to me, O my Rock. For if You remain silent, I will be like those descending to the Pit. 2 Hear my cry for mercy when I call to You for help, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. a 3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors while malice is in their hearts. 4 Repay them according to their deeds and for their works of evil. Repay them for what their hands have done; bring back on them what they deserve. 5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD or what His hands have done, Psalm 28: 5 | 677 a 2 Or Your innermost sanctuary or Your Most Holy Place | bsb-book.pdf |
He will tear them down and never rebuild them. 6 Blessed be the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I give thanks to Him with my song. 8 The LORD is the strength of His people, a stronghold of salvation for His anointed. 9 Save Your peop le and bless Your inheritance; shepherd them and carry them forever. Psalm 29 Ascribe Glory to the LORD A Psalm of David. 1 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,a ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness. b 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is heard over many waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion c like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the LORD strikes with flames of fire. 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks d and strips the forests bare. And in His temple all cry, “Glory!” 10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. 11 The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD blesses His people with peace. Psalm 30 You Turned My Mourning into Dancing A Psalm. A song for the dedication of th e temple. Of David. 1 I will exalt You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up and have not allowed my foes to rejoice over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. 3 O LORD, You pulled me up from Sheol; You spared me from descending into the Pit. 4 Sing to the LORD, O you His saints, and praise His holy name. e 5 For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning. 6 In prosperity I said, “I will never be shaken. ” 7 O LORD, You favored me; You made my mountain stand strong. When You hid Your fa ce, I was dismayed. 678 | Psalm 28:6 a 1 Or sons of God or sons of might b 2 Or in holy attire c 6 That is, Mount Hermon d 9 Or LORD makes the deer to calve e 4 Or and praise the memorial of His holiness ; see Exodus 3:15. | bsb-book.pdf |
8 To You, O LORD, I called, and I begged my Lord for mercy: 9 “What gain is there in my bloodshed,a in my descent to the Pit? b Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness? 10 Hear me, O LORD, and have mercy; O LORD, be my helper. ” 11 You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 that my heart may sing Your prais es and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks forever. Psalm 31 Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit (Luke 23:4 4-49) For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; save me by Your righteousness. 2 Incline Your ear to me; come quickly to my rescue. Be my rock of refuge, the stronghold of my deliverance. 3 For You are my rock and my fortress; lead me and guide me for the sake of You r name. 4 You free me from the net laid out for me, for You are my refuge. 5 Into Your hands I commit my spirit; c You have redeemed me, O LORD, God of truth. 6 I hate d those who cling to worthless idols, but in the LORD I trust. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your loving devotion, for You have seen my affliction; You have known the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not delivered me to the enemy; You have set my feet in the open. 9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from sorrow, my soul and body as well. 10 For my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning; my iniquity has drained my strength, and my bones are wasting away. 11 Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neigh bors even more. I am dreaded by my friends — they flee when they see me on the street. 12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel. 13 For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side. They conspire against me and pl ot to take my life. 14 But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God. ” 15 My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 16 Make Your face sh ine on Your servant; save me by Your loving devotion. 17 O LORD, let me not be ashamed, for I have called on You. Let the wicked be put to shame; let t hem lie silent in Sheol. 18 May lying lips be silenced — lips that speak with arrogance against the righteous, full of pride and contempt. Psalm 31: 18 | 679 a 9 Or in my destruction b 9 Or to corruption c 5 Cited in Luke 23:46 d 6 MT; one Hebrew manuscript, LXX, and Syriac You hate | bsb-book.pdf |
19 How great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have bestowed before the sons of m en on those who take refuge in You! 20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues. 21 Blessed be the LORD, for He has shown me His loving devotion in a city under siege. 22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from Your sight!” But You heard my plea for mercy when I called to You for help. 23 Love the LORD, all His saints. The LORD preserves the faithful, but fully repays the arrogant. 24 Be strong and courageous, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 32 The Joy of Forgiveness (Romans 4: 1-12) Of David. A Maskil. a 1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. b 2 Blessed is the man whose iniquity the LORD does not count against him,c in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained d as in the summer heat. Selah 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore let all the godly pray to You while You ma y be found. Surely when great waters rise, they will not come near. 7 You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding; they must be controlled with bit and bridle to make them come to you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but loving devotion surrounds him who trusts in the LORD. 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart. 680 | Psalm 31:19 a 1 Maskil is probably a musical or liturgical term; used for Psalms 32, 42, 44-45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88-89, and 142. b 1 LXX Blessed is he whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered ; cited in Romans 4:7 c 2 LXX Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him ; cited in Romans 4:8 d 4 Or my vitality was turned | bsb-book.pdf |
Psalm 33 Praise to the Creator (Psalm 148: 1-14) 1 Rejoice in the LORD, O righteous ones; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all His work is trustworthy. 5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His loving devotion. 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and al l the stars by the breath of His mouth. 7 He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere Him. 9 For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it s tood firm. 10 The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance! 13 The LORD looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. 14 From His dwelling place He gazes on all who inhabit the earth. 15 He shapes the hearts of each; He considers all their works. 16 No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save. 18 Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our hearts rejoice in Him, since we trust in His holy name. 22 May Your loving devotion rest on us, O LORD, as we put our hope in You. Psalm 34 Taste and See That the LORD Is Good (1 Samue l 21: 8-15) Of David, when he pretended to be insane befo re Abimelech,a so that the king drov e him away. b 1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. 2 My soul boasts in the LORD; let the oppressed hear and rejoice. 3 Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34: 4 | 681 a 1 Abimelech is another name for Achish ; see 1 Samuel 2 1-29 and 1 Kings 2:39. b 1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. | bsb-book.pdf |
5 Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them. 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 9 Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. 10 Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 11 Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 Who is the man who delights in life, who desires to see good days? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry. a 16 But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,b to wipe out all memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all. 20 He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken. c 21 Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned. 22 The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned. Psalm 35 Contend with My Opponents, O LORD Of David. 1 Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. 3 Draw the spear and javelin d against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation. ” 4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded. 5 May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away. 6 May th eir path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues. 7 For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul. 8 May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created. 9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation. 682 | Psalm 34:5 a 15 LXX to their prayer b 16 Cited in 1 Peter 3:1 0-12 c 20 Cited in John 19:36 d 3 Or and close the way | bsb-book.pdf |
10 All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the af flic ted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?” 11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about. 12 They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul. 13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but m y prayers returned unanswered. a 14 I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like o ne mourning for his mother. 15 But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slan d ered me without ceasing. 16 Like godless jesters at a feast,b they gnashed their teeth at me. 17 How long, O Lo rd, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. 18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. 19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice. c 20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land. 21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!” 22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me. 23 Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord! 24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me. 25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We h av e swallowed him up!” 26 May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clo thed in shame and reproach. 27 May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who de lights in His servant's well-being. ” 28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Yo ur praises all day long. Psalm 36 The Transgression of the Wicked For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the se rvan t of the LORD. 1 An oracle is in my heart regarding the transgression of the wicked man: There is no fear of God before his eyes. d 2 For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin. 3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and well-doing. Psalm 36: 3 | 683 a 13 Literally returned to my bosom b 16 Or Like a godless circl e of mockers, c 19 See John 15:25. d 1 Cited in Romans 3:18 | bsb-book.pdf |
4 Even on his bed he plots wickedness; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he fails to reject evil. 5 Your loving devotion, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments are like the deepest sea. O LORD, You preserve man and beast. 7 How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings! 8 They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from Your river of delights. 9 For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. 10 Extend Your loving devotion to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upr ight in heart. 11 Let not the foot of the proud come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There the evildoers lie fallen, thrown down and unable to rise. Psalm 37 Delight Yourself in the LORD (1 Kings 2:1-9) Of David. a 1 Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. 2 For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants. 3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm. 9 For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. 10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. 11 But the meek will inherit the land b and delight in abundant prosperity. 12 The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them, 13 but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to sla y those whose ways are upri ght. 684 | Psalm 36:4 a 1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. b 11 Or the earth ; see Matthew 5:5. | bsb-book.pdf |
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. 16 Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. 18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever. 19 In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will b e satisfied. 20 But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away. 21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving. 22 Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed. 23 The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey. 24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand. a 25 I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread. 26 They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing. 27 Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever. 28 For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off. 29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter. 32 Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them, 33 the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment. 34 Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. 35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, 36 yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found. 37 Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace. b 38 But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. 39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble. Psalm 37: 39 | 685 a 24 Or upholds him with His hand b 37 Or for ther e is a futur e for the man of peace | bsb-book.pdf |
40 The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him. Psalm 38 Do Not Rebuke Me in Your Anger (Psalm 6:1-10) A Psalm of David, for remembrance. 1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath. 2 For Your arrows have pierced me deeply, and Your hand has pressed down on me. 3 There is no soundness in my body because of Your anger; there is no rest in my bones because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are a burden too heavy to bear. 5 My wounds are foul and festering because of my sinful folly. 6 I am bent and brought low; all day long I go about mourning. 7 For my loins are full of burning pain, and no soundness remains in my body. 8 I am numb and badly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. 9 O Lord, my every desire is before You; my groaning is not hidden from You. 10 My heart pounds, my strength fails, and even the light of my eyes has faded. 11 My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance. 12 Those who seek my life lay snares; those who wish me harm speak destruction, plotting deceit all day long. 13 But like a deaf man, I do not hear; and like a mute man, I do not open my mouth. 14 I am like a man who cannot hear, whose mouth offers no reply. 15 I wait for You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God. 16 For I said, “Let them not gloat over me — those who taunt me when my foot slips. ” 17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me. 18 Yes, I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. 19 Many are my enemies without cause,a and many hate me without reason. b 20 Those who repay my good with evil attack me for pursuing the good. 21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; be not far from me, O my God. 22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior. Psalm 39 I Will Watch My Ways For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Ps alm of David. 1 I said, “I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mo uth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present. ” 2 I was speechless and still; I remained silent, even from speaking good, and my sorrow was stirred. 3 My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue: 686 | Psalm 37:40 a 19 One DSS manuscript; MT My enemies are vigorous and strong b 19 See John 15:25 | bsb-book.pdf |
4 “Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is. 5 You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah 6 Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away. 7 And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You. 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of fools. 9 I have become mute; I do not open my mouth because of what You have done. 10 Remove Your scourge from me; I am perishing by the force of Your hand. 11 You discipline and correct a man for his iniquity, consuming like a moth what he holds dear; surely each man is but a vapor. Selah 12 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry for help; do not be deaf to m y weeping. For I am a foreigner dwelling with You, a stranger like all my fathers. 13 Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more. ” Psalm 40 I Waited Patiently for the LORD (Psalm 70: 1-5 ; Hebrews 10:1-18) For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, who has not turned to the proud, nor to those wh o lapse into falsehood. a 5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, and the plans You have for us — none can compare to You — if I proclaim and declare them, they are more than I can count. 6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. b Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. 7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come — it is written about me in the scroll: 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; c Your law is within my heart. ” 9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; behold, I do not seal my lips, as You, O LORD, do know. 10 I have not covered up Your righteousness in my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and salvation; Psalm 40: 10 | 687 a 4 Or who turn aside to false gods or who run after lies b 6 Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts but a body You prepared for me c 8 Cited in Hebrews 10:5-7 | bsb-book.pdf |
I have not concealed Your loving devotion and faithfulness from the great assembly. 11 O LORD, do not withhold Your mercy from me; Your loving devotion and faithfulness will always guard me. 12 For evils without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, so that I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed within me. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; hurry, O LORD, to help me. 14 May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be r epel led and humiliated. 15 May those who say to me, “Aha, aha!” be appalled at their own shame. 16 May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation alw ays say, “The LORD be magnified!” 17 But I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my helper and deliverer; O my God, do not delay. Psalm 41 Victory over Betrayal (John 13:1 8-30) For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 Blessed is the one who cares for the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the day of trouble. 2 The LORD will protect and preserve him; He will bless him in the land and refuse to surrender him to t he will of his foes. 3 The LORD will sustain him on his bed of illness and restore him from his bed of sickness. 4 I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against You. ” 5 My enemies say with malice: “When will he die and be forgotten?” 6 My visitor speaks falsehood; he gathers slander in his hear t; he goes out and spreads it abroad. 7 All who hate me whisper against me; they imagine the worst for me: 8 “A vile disease has been poured into him; he will never get up from where he lies!” 9 Even my close friend whom I trusted, the one who share d my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. a 10 But You, O LORD, be gracious to me and raise me up, that I may repay them. 11 By this I know that You delight in me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. 12 In my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever. 13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen. a 9 Cited in John 13:18 688 | Psalm 40:11 | bsb-book.pdf |
Psalm 42 As the Deer Pants for the Water For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. a 1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God's presence? b 3 My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “W here is your God?” 4 These things come to mind as I p our out my soul: how I walked with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God with shouts of joy and praise. 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvati on of His presence. 6 O my God, my soul despairs within me. Therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon — even from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me. 8 The LORD decrees His loving devotion by day, and at night His song is with me as a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy's oppression?” 10 Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “W here is your God?” 11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet pra ise Him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 43 Send Out Your Light 1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; deliver me from deceitful and unjust men. 2 For You are the God of my refuge. Why have You rejected me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy's oppression? 3 Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy mountain, and to the place where You dwell. BOOK II Psalms 42-72 a 1 In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm. Maskil is probably a musical or liturgical term; used for Psalms 32, 42, 44-45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88-89, and 142. b 2 Or and see the face of God? | bsb-book.pdf |
4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God. 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 44 Redeem Us, O God (Romans 8:35-39) For the choirmaster. A Maskil a of the sons of Korah. 1 We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in the days of old. 2 With Your hand You drove out the nations and planted our fathers there; You crushed the peoples and cast them out. 3 For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them. 4 You are my King, O God, who ordains victories for Jacob. 5 Thro ugh You we repel our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies. 6 For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me. b 7 For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame. 8 In God we have boasted all day long, and Your name we will praise forever. Selah 9 But You have rejected and humbled us; You no longer go forth with our armies. 10 You have made us retreat from the foe, and those who hate us have plundered us. 11 You have given us up as sheep to be devoured; You have scattered us among the nations. 12 You sell Your people for nothing; no profit do You gain from their sale. 13 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us. 14 You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock c among the peoples. 15 All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame ha s covered my face, 16 at the voice of the scorner and reviler, because of the enemy, bent on revenge. 17 All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten You or betrayed Your covenant. 18 Our hearts have not turned back; our steps have not strayed from Your path. 19 But You have crushed us in the lair of jackals; d You have covered us with deepest darkness. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 690 | Psalm 43:4 a 1 Maskil is probably a musical or liturgical term; used for Psalms 32, 42, 44-45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88-89, and 142. b 6 Or give me victory ; similarly in verse 7 c 14 Literally a shaking of the head d 19 Or serpents or dragons | bsb-book.pdf |
21 would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart? 22 Yet for Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. a 23 Wake up, O Lord! Why are You sleeping? Arise! Do not reject us forever. 24 Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression? 25 For our soul has sunk to the dust; our bodies cling to the earth. 26 Rise up; be our help! Redeem us on account of Your loving devotion. Psalm 45 My Heart Is Stirred by a Noble Theme (1 Kings 3:1-15 ; 2 Chronicles 1:1-13 ; Psa lm 72:1-20) For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilie s. ” A Maskil b of the sons of Korah. A love song. 1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; c my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. 2 You are the most handsome of men; grace has anointed your lips, since God has blessed you forever. 3 Strap your sword at your side, O mighty warrior; appear in your majesty and splendor. 4 In your splendor ride forth in victory on behalf of truth and humility and justice; may your right hand show your awesome deeds. 5 Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king's foes; the nations fall beneath your feet. 6 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you abov e your companions with the oil of joy. d 8 All your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces of ivory the harps make you glad. 9 The daughters of kings are among your honored women; the queen stands at your right hand, adorned with the gold of Ophir. 10 Listen, O daughter! Consider and incline your ear: Forget your people and your father's house, 11 and the king will desire your beauty; bow to him, for he is your lord. 12 The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; men of wealth will seek your favor. 13 All glorious is the princess in her chamber; her gown is embroidered with gold. 14 In colorful garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions are brought before you. 15 They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king. 16 Your sons will succeed your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. Psalm 45: 16 | 691 a 22 Cited in Romans 8:36 b 1 Maskil is probably a musical or liturgical term; used for Psalms 32, 42, 44-45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88-89, and 142. c 1 Or King ; here and throughout Psalm 45 d 7 Cited in Hebrews 1: 8-9 | bsb-book.pdf |
17 I will commemorate your name through all generatio ns; therefore the nations will praise you forever and ever. Psalm 46 God Is Our Refuge and Strength (2 Kings 18:1 3-16 ; 2 Chronicles 32:1-8) For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. Acco r ding to Alamoth. a A song. 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, 3 though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. 6 Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice. 7 The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields b in the fire. 10 “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the eart h. ” 11 The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Psalm 47 Clap Your Hands, All You Peoples For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of K orah. 1 Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout unto God with a voice of triumph. 2 How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! 3 He subdues nations beneath us, and peoples under our feet. 4 He chooses our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah 5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD with the sound of the horn. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is King of all the earth; sing profound praises to Him. c 8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. 9 The nobles of the nations have assembled as the people of the God of Abraham; for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted. 692 | Psalm 45:17 a 1 Alamoth is probably a musical or liturgical term; here and in 1 Chronicles 15:20. b 9 Or chariots c 7 Or sing a Maskil of praise or sing praises with understanding | bsb-book.pdf |