Judgment on Moab

15 The pronouncement concerning (A)Moab:

Certainly in a night (B)Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined;
Certainly in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.
[a]The people have gone up to the [b]temple and to (C)Dibon, to the high places to weep.
Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba;
Everyone’s head is (D)bald and every beard is cut off.
In their streets they have put on (E)sackcloth;
(F)On their housetops and in their public squares
Everyone is wailing, [c](G)overcome with weeping.
(H)Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out,
Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz;
Therefore the [d]armed men of Moab cry aloud;
His soul trembles within him.
My heart cries out for Moab;
His fugitives are as far as (I)Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah,
For they go up the (J)ascent of Luhith weeping;
Indeed, on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress (K)over their collapse.
For the (L)waters of Nimrim are [e]desolate.
Indeed, the grass is withered, the new growth has died,
There is (M)no greenery.
Therefore the (N)abundance which they have acquired and stored up,
They carry it off over the brook of [f]Arabim.
For the cry of distress has gone around the territory of Moab,
Its wailing goes as far as Eglaim and its howling to Beer-elim.
For the waters of Dimon are full of [g]blood;
I will certainly bring added woes upon Dimon,
A (O)lion upon the fugitives of Moab and the remnant of the land.

Prophecy of Moab’s Devastation

16 (P)Send the tribute lamb to the ruler of the land,
From [h](Q)Sela by way of the wilderness to the (R)mountain of the daughter of Zion.
Then, like (S)fluttering birds or scattered nestlings,
The daughters of (T)Moab will be at the crossing places of the (U)Arnon.
[i]Give us advice, make a decision;
[j]Cast your (V)shadow like night [k]at high noon;
(W)Hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitive.
Let the [l]outcasts of Moab stay with you;
Be a hiding place to them from the destroyer.”
For the oppressor has come to an end, destruction has ceased,
(X)Oppressors have been removed from the land.
A (Y)throne will be established in faithfulness,
And a judge will sit on it in trustworthiness in the tent of (Z)David;
Moreover, he will seek justice,
And be prompt in righteousness.

(AA)We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride;
Even of his arrogance, pride, and fury;
(AB)His idle boasts are [m]false.
Therefore Moab will wail; everyone of Moab will wail.
You will moan for the (AC)raisin cakes of (AD)Kir-hareseth
As those who are utterly stricken.
For the fields of (AE)Heshbon have [n]withered, the vines of (AF)Sibmah as well;
The lords of the nations have trampled down its choice clusters
Which reached as far as Jazer and wandered to the deserts;
(AG)Its [o]tendrils spread themselves out and passed over the sea.
Therefore I will (AH)weep bitterly for Jazer, for the vine of Sibmah;
I will drench you with my tears, (AI)Heshbon and Elealeh;
For the shouting over your (AJ)summer fruits and your harvest has fallen away.
10 (AK)Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field;
In the (AL)vineyards also there will be no cries of joy or jubilant shouting,
No (AM)treader treads out wine in the presses,
For I have made the shouting to cease.
11 Therefore my [p](AN)inner being sounds like a harp for Moab.
And my [q]heart for Kir-hareseth.
12 So it will come about when Moab (AO)presents himself,
When he (AP)tires himself upon his (AQ)high place
And comes to his sanctuary to pray,
That he will not prevail.

13 This is the word which the Lord spoke earlier concerning Moab. 14 But now the Lord has spoken, saying, “Within three years, as [r](AR)a hired worker would count them, the glory of (AS)Moab will become contemptible along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and [s]impotent.”

Prophecy about Damascus

17 The (AT)pronouncement concerning (AU)Damascus:

“Behold, Damascus is about to be (AV)removed from being a city
And will become a (AW)fallen ruin.
The cities [t]of (AX)Aroer are abandoned;
They will be for (AY)herds [u]to lie down in,
And there will be (AZ)no one to frighten them.
The [v](BA)fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,
And [w]sovereignty from Damascus
And the remnant of Aram;
They will be like the (BB)glory of the sons of Israel,”
Declares the Lord of armies.

Now on that day the (BC)glory of Jacob will [x]fade,
And (BD)the fatness of his flesh will become lean.
It will be (BE)like the [y]reaper gathering the standing grain,
As his arm harvests the ears,
Or it will be like one gleaning ears of grain
In the (BF)Valley of Rephaim.
Yet (BG)gleanings will be left in it like the [z]shaking of an olive tree,
Two or three olives on the topmost branch,
Four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree,
Declares the Lord, the God of Israel.
On that day man will (BH)look to his Maker
And his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel.
And he will not look to the (BI)altars, the work of his hands,
Nor will he look to that which his (BJ)fingers have made,
Even the [aa](BK)Asherim and incense altars.
On that day [ab]their strong cities will be like [ac]abandoned places in the forest,
Or like branches which they abandoned before the sons of Israel;
And [ad]the land will be a desolation.
10 For (BL)you have forgotten the (BM)God of your salvation
And have not remembered the (BN)rock of your refuge.
Therefore you plant delightful plants
And set them with vine shoots of a strange god.
11 On the day that you plant it you carefully fence it in,
And in the (BO)morning you bring your seed to blossom;
But the harvest will (BP)flee
On a day of illness and incurable pain.

12 Oh, the uproar of many peoples
(BQ)Who roar like the roaring of the seas,
And the rumbling of nations
Who rush on like the (BR)rumbling of mighty waters!
13 The (BS)nations rumble on like the rumbling of many waters,
But He will (BT)rebuke them, and they will flee far away,
And be chased (BU)like chaff on the mountains before the wind,
Or like whirling dust before a gale.
14 At evening time, behold, there is terror!
Before morning (BV)they are gone.
This will be the [ae]fate of those who plunder us
And the lot of those who pillage us.

Message to Ethiopia

18 Woe, land of whirring wings
Which lies beyond the rivers of [af](BW)Cush,
Which sends messengers by the sea,
Even in (BX)papyrus vessels on the surface of the waters.
Go, swift messengers, to a nation [ag](BY)tall and smooth,
To a people (BZ)feared [ah]far and wide,
A powerful and oppressive nation
Whose land the rivers divide.
(CA)All you who inhabit the world, and live on earth,
As soon as a flag is raised on the mountains, (CB)you will see it,
And as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear it.

For this is what the Lord has told me:

“I will quietly look [ai]from My (CC)dwelling place
Like dazzling heat in the [aj](CD)sunshine,
Like a cloud of (CE)dew in the heat of harvest.”
For (CF)before the harvest, as soon as the bud [ak]blossoms
And the flower becomes a ripening grape,
He will cut off the shoots with pruning knives,
And remove and tear away the spreading branches.
They will be left together for mountain birds (CG)of prey,
And for the animals of the earth;
And the birds of prey will spend the summer feeding on them,
And all the animals of the earth will spend harvest time on them.
At that time a gift of tribute will be brought to the Lord of armies
[al]From a (CH)people [am]tall and smooth,
From a people feared [an]far and wide,
A powerful and oppressive nation,
Whose land the rivers divide—
To the (CI)place of the name of the Lord of armies, to Mount Zion.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 15:2 Lit He has gone; i.e., Moab, meaning the people of Moab
  2. Isaiah 15:2 Lit house
  3. Isaiah 15:3 Lit going down in weeping
  4. Isaiah 15:4 Another reading is the loins of
  5. Isaiah 15:6 Lit desolations
  6. Isaiah 15:7 Or the poplars
  7. Isaiah 15:9 Heb dam (a wordplay)
  8. Isaiah 16:1 I.e., Petra in Edom
  9. Isaiah 16:3 Lit Bring
  10. Isaiah 16:3 Lit Set
  11. Isaiah 16:3 Lit in the midst of the noon
  12. Isaiah 16:4 As in most ancient versions; MT My outcasts, as for Moab
  13. Isaiah 16:6 Lit not so
  14. Isaiah 16:8 Or dried out
  15. Isaiah 16:8 I.e., parts of a climbing plant that attach to its support
  16. Isaiah 16:11 Lit entrails murmur
  17. Isaiah 16:11 Lit inward parts
  18. Isaiah 16:14 Lit the years of a hired
  19. Isaiah 16:14 Lit not mighty
  20. Isaiah 17:2 LXX forever and ever
  21. Isaiah 17:2 Lit and they will lie down
  22. Isaiah 17:3 Or fortification
  23. Isaiah 17:3 Or royal power
  24. Isaiah 17:4 Lit become little
  25. Isaiah 17:5 Lit gathering of the harvest, the standing grain
  26. Isaiah 17:6 Lit striking
  27. Isaiah 17:8 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
  28. Isaiah 17:9 Lit his; i.e., mankind’s
  29. Isaiah 17:9 LXX the deserted places of the Amorites and the Hivites which they abandoned
  30. Isaiah 17:9 Lit it
  31. Isaiah 17:14 Lit portion
  32. Isaiah 18:1 Or Ethiopia
  33. Isaiah 18:2 Lit drawn out
  34. Isaiah 18:2 Lit from it and beyond
  35. Isaiah 18:4 Lit in
  36. Isaiah 18:4 Lit light
  37. Isaiah 18:5 Lit is finished
  38. Isaiah 18:7 Some ancient versions and DSS; MT implies Consisting of a people
  39. Isaiah 18:7 Lit drawn out
  40. Isaiah 18:7 Lit from it and beyond

A Prophecy Against Moab(A)

15 A prophecy(B) against Moab:(C)

Ar(D) in Moab is ruined,(E)
    destroyed in a night!
Kir(F) in Moab is ruined,
    destroyed in a night!
Dibon(G) goes up to its temple,
    to its high places(H) to weep;
    Moab wails(I) over Nebo(J) and Medeba.
Every head is shaved(K)
    and every beard cut off.(L)
In the streets they wear sackcloth;(M)
    on the roofs(N) and in the public squares(O)
they all wail,(P)
    prostrate with weeping.(Q)
Heshbon(R) and Elealeh(S) cry out,
    their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz.(T)
Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out,
    and their hearts are faint.

My heart cries out(U) over Moab;(V)
    her fugitives(W) flee as far as Zoar,(X)
    as far as Eglath Shelishiyah.
They go up the hill to Luhith,
    weeping as they go;
on the road to Horonaim(Y)
    they lament their destruction.(Z)
The waters of Nimrim are dried up(AA)
    and the grass is withered;(AB)
the vegetation is gone(AC)
    and nothing green is left.(AD)
So the wealth they have acquired(AE) and stored up
    they carry away over the Ravine of the Poplars.
Their outcry echoes along the border of Moab;
    their wailing reaches as far as Eglaim,
    their lamentation as far as Beer(AF) Elim.
The waters of Dimon[a] are full of blood,
    but I will bring still more upon Dimon[b]
a lion(AG) upon the fugitives of Moab(AH)
    and upon those who remain in the land.

16 Send lambs(AI) as tribute(AJ)
    to the ruler of the land,
from Sela,(AK) across the desert,
    to the mount of Daughter Zion.(AL)
Like fluttering birds
    pushed from the nest,(AM)
so are the women of Moab(AN)
    at the fords(AO) of the Arnon.(AP)

“Make up your mind,” Moab says.
    “Render a decision.
Make your shadow like night—
    at high noon.
Hide the fugitives,(AQ)
    do not betray the refugees.
Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you;
    be their shelter(AR) from the destroyer.”

The oppressor(AS) will come to an end,
    and destruction will cease;(AT)
    the aggressor will vanish from the land.
In love a throne(AU) will be established;(AV)
    in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
    one from the house[c] of David(AW)
one who in judging seeks justice(AX)
    and speeds the cause of righteousness.

We have heard of Moab’s(AY) pride(AZ)
    how great is her arrogance!—
of her conceit, her pride and her insolence;
    but her boasts are empty.
Therefore the Moabites wail,(BA)
    they wail together for Moab.
Lament and grieve
    for the raisin cakes(BB) of Kir Hareseth.(BC)
The fields of Heshbon(BD) wither,(BE)
    the vines of Sibmah(BF) also.
The rulers of the nations
    have trampled down the choicest vines,(BG)
which once reached Jazer(BH)
    and spread toward the desert.
Their shoots spread out(BI)
    and went as far as the sea.[d](BJ)
So I weep,(BK) as Jazer weeps,
    for the vines of Sibmah.
Heshbon and Elealeh,(BL)
    I drench you with tears!(BM)
The shouts of joy(BN) over your ripened fruit
    and over your harvests(BO) have been stilled.
10 Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards;(BP)
    no one sings or shouts(BQ) in the vineyards;
no one treads(BR) out wine at the presses,(BS)
    for I have put an end to the shouting.
11 My heart laments for Moab(BT) like a harp,(BU)
    my inmost being(BV) for Kir Hareseth.
12 When Moab appears at her high place,(BW)
    she only wears herself out;
when she goes to her shrine(BX) to pray,
    it is to no avail.(BY)

13 This is the word the Lord has already spoken concerning Moab. 14 But now the Lord says: “Within three years,(BZ) as a servant bound by contract(CA) would count them,(CB) Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised,(CC) and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”(CD)

A Prophecy Against Damascus

17 A prophecy(CE) against Damascus:(CF)

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
    but will become a heap of ruins.(CG)
The cities of Aroer(CH) will be deserted
    and left to flocks,(CI) which will lie down,(CJ)
    with no one to make them afraid.(CK)
The fortified(CL) city will disappear from Ephraim,
    and royal power from Damascus;
the remnant of Aram will be
    like the glory(CM) of the Israelites,”(CN)
declares the Lord Almighty.

“In that day(CO) the glory(CP) of Jacob will fade;
    the fat of his body will waste(CQ) away.
It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain,
    gathering(CR) the grain in their arms—
as when someone gleans heads of grain(CS)
    in the Valley of Rephaim.(CT)
Yet some gleanings will remain,(CU)
    as when an olive tree is beaten,(CV)
leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches,
    four or five on the fruitful boughs,”
declares the Lord, the God of Israel.

In that day(CW) people will look(CX) to their Maker(CY)
    and turn their eyes to the Holy One(CZ) of Israel.
They will not look to the altars,(DA)
    the work of their hands,(DB)
and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles[e](DC)
    and the incense altars their fingers(DD) have made.

In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth.(DE) And all will be desolation.

10 You have forgotten(DF) God your Savior;(DG)
    you have not remembered the Rock,(DH) your fortress.(DI)
Therefore, though you set out the finest plants
    and plant imported vines,(DJ)
11 though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,
    and on the morning(DK) when you plant them, you bring them to bud,
yet the harvest(DL) will be as nothing(DM)
    in the day of disease and incurable(DN) pain.(DO)

12 Woe to the many nations that rage(DP)
    they rage like the raging sea!(DQ)
Woe to the peoples who roar(DR)
    they roar like the roaring of great waters!(DS)
13 Although the peoples roar(DT) like the roar of surging waters,
    when he rebukes(DU) them they flee(DV) far away,
driven before the wind like chaff(DW) on the hills,
    like tumbleweed before a gale.(DX)
14 In the evening, sudden(DY) terror!(DZ)
    Before the morning, they are gone!(EA)
This is the portion of those who loot us,
    the lot of those who plunder us.

A Prophecy Against Cush

18 Woe(EB) to the land of whirring wings[f]
    along the rivers of Cush,[g](EC)
which sends envoys(ED) by sea
    in papyrus(EE) boats over the water.

Go, swift messengers,
to a people tall and smooth-skinned,(EF)
    to a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive(EG) nation of strange speech,
    whose land is divided by rivers.(EH)

All you people of the world,(EI)
    you who live on the earth,
when a banner(EJ) is raised on the mountains,
    you will see it,
and when a trumpet(EK) sounds,
    you will hear it.
This is what the Lord says to me:
    “I will remain quiet(EL) and will look on from my dwelling place,(EM)
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,(EN)
    like a cloud of dew(EO) in the heat of harvest.”
For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone
    and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he will cut off(EP) the shoots with pruning knives,
    and cut down and take away the spreading branches.(EQ)
They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey(ER)
    and to the wild animals;(ES)
the birds will feed on them all summer,
    the wild animals all winter.

At that time gifts(ET) will be brought to the Lord Almighty

from a people tall and smooth-skinned,(EU)
    from a people feared(EV) far and wide,
an aggressive nation of strange speech,
    whose land is divided by rivers(EW)

the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the Lord Almighty.(EX)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 15:9 Dimon, a wordplay on Dibon (see verse 2), sounds like the Hebrew for blood.
  2. Isaiah 15:9 Dimon, a wordplay on Dibon (see verse 2), sounds like the Hebrew for blood.
  3. Isaiah 16:5 Hebrew tent
  4. Isaiah 16:8 Probably the Dead Sea
  5. Isaiah 17:8 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
  6. Isaiah 18:1 Or of locusts
  7. Isaiah 18:1 That is, the upper Nile region

Introduction

Paul, (A)an apostle ((B)not sent from men nor through human agency, but (C)through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who (D)raised Him from the dead), and all (E)the brothers who are with me,

To (F)the churches of Galatia:

(G)Grace to you and peace from [a]God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who (H)gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from (I)this present evil [b]age, according to the will of (J)our God and Father, (K)to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

Distortion of the Gospel

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting (L)Him who called you [c]by the grace of Christ, for a (M)different gospel, which is not just another account; but there are some who are (N)disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or (O)an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be [d](P)accursed! As we (Q)have said before, even now I say again: (R)if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be [e](S)accursed!

10 For am I now (T)seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a (U)bond-servant of Christ.

Paul Defends His Ministry

11 For (V)I would have you know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel which was preached by me is (W)not [f]of human invention. 12 For (X)I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a (Y)revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of (Z)my former way of life in Judaism, how I (AA)used to persecute (AB)the church of God beyond measure and (AC)tried to destroy it; 14 and I (AD)was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my [g]countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my (AE)ancestral traditions. 15 But when [h]He who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and (AF)called me through His grace was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might (AG)preach Him among the Gentiles, (AH)I did not immediately consult with [i](AI)flesh and blood, 17 (AJ)nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to (AK)Damascus.

18 Then (AL)three years later I went up (AM)to Jerusalem to [j]become acquainted with [k](AN)Cephas, and stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 But I did not see another one of the apostles except [l](AO)James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now in what I am writing to you, [m]I assure you (AP)before God that I am not lying.) 21 Then (AQ)I went into the regions of (AR)Syria and (AS)Cilicia. 22 I was still unknown by [n]sight to (AT)the churches of Judea which are (AU)in Christ; 23 but they only kept hearing, “The man who once persecuted us is now preaching (AV)the faith which he once (AW)tried to destroy.” 24 And they (AX)were glorifying God [o]because of me.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 1:3 One early ms God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ
  2. Galatians 1:4 Or world
  3. Galatians 1:6 Lit in
  4. Galatians 1:8 Gr anathema
  5. Galatians 1:9 Gr anathema
  6. Galatians 1:11 Lit according to man
  7. Galatians 1:14 Lit race
  8. Galatians 1:15 One early ms God who
  9. Galatians 1:16 I.e., people
  10. Galatians 1:18 Or visit
  11. Galatians 1:18 I.e., Peter
  12. Galatians 1:19 Or Jacob
  13. Galatians 1:20 Lit behold before God
  14. Galatians 1:22 Lit face
  15. Galatians 1:24 Lit in me

Paul, an apostle(A)—sent not from men nor by a man,(B) but by Jesus Christ(C) and God the Father,(D) who raised him from the dead(E) and all the brothers and sisters[a] with me,(F)

To the churches in Galatia:(G)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,(H) who gave himself for our sins(I) to rescue us from the present evil age,(J) according to the will of our God and Father,(K) to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(L)

No Other Gospel

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called(M) you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel(N) which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion(O) and are trying to pervert(P) the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you,(Q) let them be under God’s curse!(R) As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted,(S) let them be under God’s curse!

10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?(T) If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul Called by God

11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters,(U) that the gospel I preached(V) is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man,(W) nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation(X) from Jesus Christ.(Y)

13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism,(Z) how intensely I persecuted the church of God(AA) and tried to destroy it.(AB) 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous(AC) for the traditions of my fathers.(AD) 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb(AE) and called me(AF) by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,(AG) my immediate response was not to consult any human being.(AH) 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.(AI)

18 Then after three years,(AJ) I went up to Jerusalem(AK) to get acquainted with Cephas[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James,(AL) the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God(AM) that what I am writing you is no lie.(AN)

21 Then I went to Syria(AO) and Cilicia.(AP) 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea(AQ) that are in Christ.(AR) 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith(AS) he once tried to destroy.”(AT) 24 And they praised God(AU) because of me.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15; 4:12, 28, 31; 5:11, 13; 6:1, 18.
  2. Galatians 1:18 That is, Peter

Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.

For the music director; set to [a]Al-tashheth. A [b]Mikhtam of David.

58 Do you indeed [c]speak righteousness, you [d]gods?
Do you (A)judge [e]fairly, you sons of mankind?
No, in heart you (B)practice injustice;
On earth you (C)clear a way for the violence of your hands.
The wicked have turned away (D)from the womb;
These who speak lies (E)go astray from [f]birth.
They have venom like the (F)venom of a serpent;
Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
So that it (G)does not hear the voice of [g](H)charmers,
Or a skillful caster of spells.

God, (I)shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, Lord.
May they (J)flow away like water that runs off;
When he [h](K)aims his arrows, may they be as [i]headless shafts.
May they be like a snail which goes along in slime,
Like the (L)miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.
Before your (M)pots can feel the fire of thorns
He will (N)sweep them away with a whirlwind, the [j]green and the burning alike.

10 The (O)righteous will rejoice when he (P)sees vengeance;
He will (Q)wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And people will say, “There certainly is [k](R)a reward for the righteous;
There certainly is a God who (S)judges on the earth!”

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 58 Title Lit Do Not Destroy
  2. Psalm 58 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
  3. Psalm 58:1 Another reading is speak righteousness in silence
  4. Psalm 58:1 Or mighty ones; or judges
  5. Psalm 58:1 Or mankind fairly?
  6. Psalm 58:3 Lit the womb
  7. Psalm 58:5 Or whisperers
  8. Psalm 58:7 Lit bends
  9. Psalm 58:7 Lit though they were cut off
  10. Psalm 58:9 Lit living
  11. Psalm 58:11 Lit fruit

Psalm 58[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
    Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
    and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)

Even from birth the wicked go astray;
    from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(D)
    like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
that will not heed(E) the tune of the charmer,(F)
    however skillful the enchanter may be.

Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
    like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.

Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(M)
    whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c](N)
10 The righteous will be glad(O) when they are avenged,(P)
    when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(Q)
11 Then people will say,
    “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(R)
    surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(S)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
  2. Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

12 Apply your heart to discipline,
And your ears to words of knowledge.

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Saying 12

12 Apply your heart to instruction(A)
    and your ears to words of knowledge.

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