Lamentations 4-5

New American Standard Bible

Distress of the Siege Described

4 How ^(A)dark the gold has become,
How the pure gold has changed!
The sacred stones are spilled out
At the ^[a]corner of every street.
²The precious sons of Zion,
Weighed against pure gold,
How they are regarded as ^(B)earthenware jars,
The work of a potter’s hands!
³Even ^(C)jackals offer the breast,
They nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people has proved herself ^(D)cruel,
Like ^(E)ostriches in the wilderness.
⁴The ^(F)tongue of the infant clings
To the roof of its mouth because of ^(G)thirst;
The children ^(H)ask for bread,
But no one breaks it for them.
⁵Those who used to eat ^(I)delicacies
Are made to tremble in the streets;
Those who were raised in crimson clothing
Embrace garbage heaps.
⁶For the ^[b]wrongdoing of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the ^[c]^(J)sin of Sodom,
Which was ^(K)overthrown as in a moment,
^[d]And no hands were turned toward her.
⁷Her ^[e]consecrated ones were ^(L)purer than snow,
They shined more than milk;
They were more ruddy in ^[f]body than pearls of coral,
Their form was like ^[g]^(M)lapis lazuli.
⁸Their appearance is ^(N)darker than soot,
They are not recognized in the streets;
Their ^(O)skin is shriveled on their bones,
It is dry, it has become like wood.
⁹Better off are those ^(P)killed by the sword
Than those killed by hunger;
For they ^[h]^(Q)waste away, ^[i]stricken
By the lack of the produce of the field.
¹⁰The hands of compassionate women
^(R)Boiled their own children;
They became ^(S)food for them
Due to the destruction of the daughter of my people.
¹¹The Lord has ^(T)expended His wrath,
He has poured out His fierce anger;
And He has ^(U)kindled a fire in Zion,
And it has consumed its foundations.
¹²The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor did any of ^(V)the inhabitants of the world,
That the adversary and the enemy
Would ^(W)enter the gates of Jerusalem.
¹³Because of the sins of her ^(X)prophets
And the wrongdoings of her priests,
Who have shed in her midst
The ^(Y)blood of the righteous,
¹⁴They wandered, ^(Z)blind, in the streets;
They were defiled with ^(AA)blood,
Such that no one could touch their ^(AB)garments.
¹⁵“Keep away! ^(AC)Unclean!” ^[j]they cried out of themselves.
“Keep away, keep away, do not touch!”
For they ^(AD)distanced themselves as well as wandered;
People among the nations said,
“They shall not continue to reside with us.”
¹⁶The presence of the Lord has scattered them,
He will not continue to look at them;
They did not ^[k]^(AE)honor the priests,
They did not favor the elders.
¹⁷Yet our eyes failed,
Looking for ^[l]help was ^(AF)useless;
At our observation point we have watched
For a ^(AG)nation that could not save.
¹⁸They ^(AH)hunted our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets;
Our ^(AI)end drew near,
Our days were ^[m]finished
For our end had come.
¹⁹Our pursuers were ^(AJ)swifter
Than the eagles of the sky;
They chased us on the mountains,
They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.
²⁰The ^(AK)breath of our nostrils, the ^(AL)Lord’s anointed,
Was ^(AM)captured in their pits,
Of whom we had said, “^[n]In his ^(AN)shadow
We shall live among the nations.”
²¹Rejoice and be joyful, daughter of ^(AO)Edom,
Who lives in the land of Uz;
But the ^(AP)cup will pass to you as well,
You will become drunk and expose yourself.
²²The punishment of your wrongdoing has been ^(AQ)completed, daughter of Zion;
He will no longer exile you.
But He ^(AR)will punish your wrongdoing, daughter of Edom;
He will expose your sins!

A Prayer for Mercy

5 Remember, Lord, what has come upon us;
Look, and see our ^(AS)disgrace!
²Our inheritance has been turned over to ^(AT)strangers,
Our ^(AU)houses to foreigners.
³We have become orphans, ^(AV)without a father;
Our mothers are like widows.
⁴^[o]We have to pay for our drinking ^(AW)water,
Our wood comes to us at a price.
⁵^[p]Our pursuers are at our necks;
We are worn out, we are given ^(AX)no rest.
⁶We have ^[q]submitted to ^(AY)Egypt and Assyria ^[r]to get enough bread.
⁷Our ^(AZ)fathers sinned, and are gone;
It is we who have been burdened with the punishment for their wrongdoings.
⁸^(BA)Slaves rule over us;
There is ^(BB)no one to rescue us from their hand.
⁹We get our bread ^[s]at the ^(BC)risk of our lives
Because of the sword in the wilderness.
¹⁰Our skin has become as ^(BD)hot as an oven,
Because of the ravages of hunger.
¹¹They violated the ^(BE)women in Zion,
The virgins in the cities of Judah.
¹²Leaders were hung by their hands;
^[t]^(BF)Elders were not respected.
¹³Young men ^[u]^(BG)worked at the grinding mill,
And youths ^(BH)staggered under loads of wood.
¹⁴Elders are absent from the gate,
Young men from their ^(BI)music.
¹⁵The joy of our hearts has ^(BJ)ended;
Our dancing has been turned into mourning.
¹⁶The ^(BK)crown has fallen from our head;
^(BL)Woe to us, for we have sinned!
¹⁷Because of this our ^(BM)heart is faint,
Because of these things our ^(BN)eyes are dim;
¹⁸Because of ^(BO)Mount Zion which lies desolate,
^(BP)Jackals prowl in it.

¹⁹^(BQ)You, Lord, ^[v]rule forever;
Your ^(BR)throne is from generation to generation.
²⁰Why will You ^(BS)forget us forever?
Why do You abandon us for ^[w]so long?
²¹^(BT)Restore us to You, Lord, so that we may be restored;
Renew ^(BU)our days as of old,
²²Unless ^(BV)You have utterly rejected us
And are exceedingly ^(BW)angry with us.

Footnotes

Lamentations 4:1 Lit head
Lamentations 4:6 Or punishment for wrongdoing
Lamentations 4:6 Or punishment for sin
Lamentations 4:6 I.e., without human intervention
Lamentations 4:7 Or Nazirites
Lamentations 4:7 Lit bones
Lamentations 4:7 Heb sappir
Lamentations 4:9 Lit flow away
Lamentations 4:9 Lit pierced through
Lamentations 4:15 Or they (other people) cried to them
Lamentations 4:16 Lit lift up the faces of
Lamentations 4:17 Lit our help
Lamentations 4:18 Lit full
Lamentations 4:20 I.e., under his protection
Lamentations 5:4 Lit We drink our water with silver
Lamentations 5:5 Lit We have been pursued upon
Lamentations 5:6 Lit given Egypt a hand
Lamentations 5:6 Lit to be satisfied with
Lamentations 5:9 Lit with our soul
Lamentations 5:12 Lit The faces of elders
Lamentations 5:13 Lit carried the
Lamentations 5:19 Lit sit
Lamentations 5:20 Lit length of days

Hebrews 2

New American Standard Bible

Pay Attention

2 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to ^[a]what we have heard, so that ^(A)we do not drift away from it. ²For if the word ^(B)spoken through ^(C)angels proved ^[b]unalterable, and ^(D)every violation and act of disobedience received a just ^[c]^(E)punishment, ³^(F)how will we escape if we neglect so great a ^(G)salvation? ^[d]After it was at first ^(H)spoken through the Lord, it was ^(I)confirmed to us by those who heard, ⁴God also testifying with them, both by ^(J)signs and wonders, and by ^(K)various ^[e]miracles and by ^[f]^(L)gifts of the Holy Spirit ^(M)according to His own will.

Earth Subject to Man

⁵For He did not subject to angels ^[g]^(N)the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶But someone has testified ^(O)somewhere, saying,

“^(P)What is man, that You think of him?
Or a son of man, that You are concerned about him?
⁷^(Q)You have made him ^[h]for a little while lower than angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor^[i];
⁸^(R)You have put everything in subjection under his feet.”

For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now ^(S)we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

Jesus Briefly Humbled

⁹But we do see Him who was ^(T)made ^[j]for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, ^(U)because of His suffering death ^(V)crowned with glory and honor, so that ^(W)by the grace of God He might ^(X)taste death ^(Y)for everyone.

¹⁰For ^(Z)it was fitting for Him, ^(AA)for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to ^(AB)perfect the ^[k]^(AC)originator of their salvation through sufferings. ¹¹For both He who ^(AD)sanctifies and those who ^(AE)are ^[l]sanctified are all ^(AF)from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them ^(AG)brothers and sisters, ¹²saying,

“^(AH)I will proclaim Your name to My brothers,
In the midst of the assembly I will sing Your praise.”

¹³And again,

“^(AI)I will put My trust in Him.”

And again,

“^(AJ)Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”

¹⁴Therefore, since the children share in ^[m]^(AK)flesh and blood, ^(AL)He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that ^(AM)through death He might destroy ^(AN)the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵and free those who through ^(AO)fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. ¹⁶For clearly He does not ^[n]give help to angels, but He gives help to the ^[o]descendants of Abraham. ¹⁷Therefore, in all things He ^[p]had ^(AP)to be made like His brothers so that He might ^(AQ)become a merciful and faithful ^(AR)high priest in ^(AS)things pertaining to God, to ^(AT)make ^[q]propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸For since He Himself was ^[r]^(AU)tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are ^[s]tempted.

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Footnotes

Hebrews 2:1 Lit the things that have been heard
Hebrews 2:2 Or steadfast
Hebrews 2:2 Lit retribution
Hebrews 2:3 Lit Which was
Hebrews 2:4 Or works of power
Hebrews 2:4 Lit distributions
Hebrews 2:5 Lit the inhabited earth
Hebrews 2:7 Or ...him a little lower than...
Hebrews 2:7 One early ms continues, and have appointed him over the works of Your hands
Hebrews 2:9 Or a little lower
Hebrews 2:10 Or leader
Hebrews 2:11 Or being sanctified
Hebrews 2:14 Lit blood and flesh
Hebrews 2:16 Lit take hold of angels, but He takes hold of
Hebrews 2:16 Lit seed
Hebrews 2:17 Lit was obligated to be
Hebrews 2:17 I.e., reconciliation with God by atoning for the sins
Hebrews 2:18 Or tested
Hebrews 2:18 Or tested

Psalm 103

New American Standard Bible

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.

A Psalm of David.

103 ^(A)Bless the Lord, my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His ^(B)holy name.
²Bless the Lord, my soul,
And ^(C)do not forget any of His benefits;
³Who ^(D)pardons all your guilt,
Who ^(E)heals all your diseases;
⁴Who ^(F)redeems your life from the pit,
Who ^(G)crowns you with favor and compassion;
⁵Who ^(H)satisfies your ^[a]years with good things,
So that your youth is ^(I)renewed like the eagle.

⁶The Lord ^(J)performs ^[b]righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are ^(K)oppressed.
⁷He ^(L)made known His ways to Moses,
His ^(M)deeds to the sons of Israel.
⁸The Lord is ^(N)compassionate and gracious,
^(O)Slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
⁹He ^(P)will not always contend with us,
Nor will He ^(Q)keep His anger forever.
¹⁰He has ^(R)not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our guilty deeds.
¹¹For as high ^(S)as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who ^[c]fear Him.
¹²As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He ^(T)removed our wrongdoings from us.
¹³Just ^(U)as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who ^[d]fear Him.
¹⁴For ^(V)He Himself knows ^[e]our form;
He ^(W)is mindful that we are nothing but ^(X)dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are ^(Y)like grass;
Like a ^(Z)flower of the field, so he flourishes.
¹⁶When the ^(AA)wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its ^(AB)place no longer knows about it.
¹⁷But the ^[f]^(AC)mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting for those who ^[g]fear Him,
And His justice ^(AD)to the children’s children,
¹⁸To ^(AE)those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts, so as to do them.

¹⁹The Lord has established His ^(AF)throne in the heavens,
And His ^[h]^(AG)sovereignty rules over ^[i]all.
²⁰Bless the Lord, you ^(AH)His angels,
^(AI)Mighty in strength, who ^(AJ)perform His word,
^(AK)Obeying the voice of His word!
²¹Bless the Lord, all you ^(AL)His ^[j]angels,
You ^(AM)who serve Him, doing His will.
²²Bless the Lord, ^(AN)all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, my soul!