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.

Job

21 Then Job replied:

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21 But Job answered and said,

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17 “Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?(A)
    How often does calamity(B) come upon them,
    the fate God allots in his anger?(C)
18 How often are they like straw before the wind,
    like chaff(D) swept away(E) by a gale?(F)
19 It is said, ‘God stores up the punishment of the wicked for their children.’(G)
    Let him repay the wicked, so that they themselves will experience it!(H)
20 Let their own eyes see their destruction;(I)
    let them drink(J) the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.(K)
21 For what do they care about the families they leave behind(L)
    when their allotted months(M) come to an end?(N)

22 “Can anyone teach knowledge to God,(O)
    since he judges even the highest?(P)
23 One person dies in full vigor,(Q)
    completely secure and at ease,(R)
24 well nourished(S) in body,[a]
    bones(T) rich with marrow.(U)
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul,(V)
    never having enjoyed anything good.
26 Side by side they lie in the dust,(W)
    and worms(X) cover them both.(Y)

27 “I know full well what you are thinking,
    the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 You say, ‘Where now is the house of the great,(Z)
    the tents where the wicked lived?’(AA)
29 Have you never questioned those who travel?
    Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
30 that the wicked are spared from the day of calamity,(AB)
    that they are delivered from[b] the day of wrath?(AC)
31 Who denounces their conduct to their face?
    Who repays them for what they have done?(AD)
32 They are carried to the grave,
    and watch is kept over their tombs.(AE)
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to them;(AF)
    everyone follows after them,
    and a countless throng goes[c] before them.(AG)

34 “So how can you console me(AH) with your nonsense?
    Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”(AI)

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Footnotes

  1. Job 21:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. Job 21:30 Or wicked are reserved for the day of calamity, / that they are brought forth to
  3. Job 21:33 Or them, / as a countless throng went

17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.

18 They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

19 God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.

20 His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?

22 Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

23 One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

24 His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.

26 They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.

27 Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

28 For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?

29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

30 That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

31 Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?

32 Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.

33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

34 How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?

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The elder,(A)

To the lady chosen by God(B) and to her children, whom I love in the truth(C)—and not I only, but also all who know the truth(D) because of the truth,(E) which lives in us(F) and will be with us forever:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ,(G) the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth,(H) just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning.(I) I ask that we love one another. And this is love:(J) that we walk in obedience to his commands.(K) As you have heard from the beginning,(L) his command is that you walk in love.

I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ(M) as coming in the flesh,(N) have gone out into the world.(O) Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.(P) Watch out that you do not lose what we[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.(Q) Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ(R) does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.(S) 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.(T) 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares(U) in their wicked work.

12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face,(V) so that our joy may be complete.(W)

13 The children of your sister, who is chosen by God,(X) send their greetings.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 John 1:8 Some manuscripts you

The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.

Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.

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