Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned(A) in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord(B) our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant,
    of contempt from the proud.

123 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

27 “When you tell(A) them all this, they will not listen(B) to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.(C) 28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction.(D) Truth(E) has perished; it has vanished from their lips.

29 “‘Cut off(F) your hair and throw it away; take up a lament(G) on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned(H) this generation that is under his wrath.

The Valley of Slaughter

30 “‘The people of Judah have done evil(I) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols(J) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled(K) it. 31 They have built the high places of Topheth(L) in the Valley of Ben Hinnom(M) to burn their sons and daughters(N) in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.(O) 32 So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter,(P) for they will bury(Q) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. 33 Then the carcasses(R) of this people will become food(S) for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.(T) 34 I will bring an end to the sounds(U) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom(V) in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem,(W) for the land will become desolate.(X)

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27 Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.

28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.

29 Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.

30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.

31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.

33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.

34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.

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The Cost of Following Jesus(A)

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.(B) 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man(C) has no place to lay his head.”

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me,(D) and let the dead bury their own dead.”

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18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.

19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

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