Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

¹⁶ “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea^(A) or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen^(B) to you. ¹⁷ Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁸ The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven.^(C) They pour out drink offerings^(D) to other gods to arouse^(E) my anger. ¹⁹ But am I the one they are provoking?^(F) declares the Lord. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?^(G)

²⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign^(H) Lord says: My anger^(I) and my wrath will be poured^(J) out on this place—on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the crops of your land—and it will burn and not be quenched.^(K)

²¹ “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices^(L) and eat^(M) the meat yourselves! ²² For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands^(N) about burnt offerings and sacrifices,^{(O) 23} but I gave them this command:^(P) Obey^(Q) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.^(R) Walk in obedience to all^(S) I command you, that it may go well^(T) with you. ²⁴ But they did not listen^(U) or pay attention;^(V) instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.^(W) They went backward^(X) and not forward. ²⁵ From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again^(Y) I sent you my servants^(Z) the prophets.^{(AA) 26} But they did not listen to me or pay attention.^(AB) They were stiff-necked^(AC) and did more evil than their ancestors.’^(AD)

⁷ You are judging by appearances.^[a](A) If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ,^(B) they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.^{(C) 8} So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us^(D) for building you up rather than tearing you down,^(E) I will not be ashamed of it. ⁹ I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. ¹⁰ For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive^(F) and his speaking amounts to nothing.”^{(G) 11} Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.