Psalm 68^[a]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

Solomon Asks for Wisdom^(A)

3 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married^(B) his daughter.^(C) He brought her to the City of David^(D) until he finished building his palace^(E) and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. ² The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places,^(F) because a temple had not yet been built for the Name^(G) of the Lord. ³ Solomon showed his love^(H) for the Lord by walking^(I) according to the instructions^(J) given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.^(K)

⁴ The king went to Gibeon^(L) to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵ At Gibeon the Lord appeared^(M) to Solomon during the night in a dream,^(N) and God said, “Ask^(O) for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁶ Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful^(P) to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son^(Q) to sit on his throne this very day.

⁷ “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child^(R) and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen,^(S) a great people, too numerous to count or number.^{(T) 9} So give your servant a discerning^(U) heart to govern your people and to distinguish^(V) between right and wrong. For who is able^(W) to govern this great people of yours?”

¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked^(X) for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment^(Y) in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked.^(Z) I will give you a wise^(AA) and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. ¹³ Moreover, I will give you what you have not^(AB) asked for—both wealth and honor^(AC)—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal^(AD) among kings. ¹⁴ And if you walk^(AE) in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”^{(AF) 15} Then Solomon awoke^(AG)—and he realized it had been a dream.^(AH)

He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings^(AI) and fellowship offerings.^(AJ) Then he gave a feast^(AK) for all his court.

A Wise Ruling

¹⁶ Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. ¹⁷ One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. ¹⁸ The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

¹⁹ “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. ²⁰ So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. ²¹ The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

²² The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”

But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

²³ The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

²⁴ Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. ²⁵ He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

²⁶ The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved^(AL) out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

²⁷ Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

²⁸ When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom^(AM) from God to administer justice.

A Prophecy Against Egypt

Judgment on Pharaoh

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(A) 2} “Son of man, set your face against^(B) Pharaoh king of Egypt^(C) and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.^{(D) 3} Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

⁶ Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.

“‘You have been a staff of reed^(L) for the people of Israel. ⁷ When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered^(M) and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.^[a](N)

⁸ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast.^{(O) 9} Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“‘Because you said, “The Nile^(P) is mine; I made it,^(Q)” ¹⁰ therefore I am against you^(R) and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt^(S) a ruin and a desolate waste^(T) from Migdol^(U) to Aswan,^(V) as far as the border of Cush.^{[b](W) 11} The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.^{(X) 12} I will make the land of Egypt desolate^(Y) among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.^(Z)

¹³ “‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. ¹⁴ I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt,^(AA) the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly^(AB) kingdom.^{(AC) 15} It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations.^(AD) I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. ¹⁶ Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence^(AE) for the people of Israel but will be a reminder^(AF) of their sin in turning to her for help.^(AG) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.^(AH)’”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Reward

¹⁷ In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(AI) 18} “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar^(AJ) king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare^(AK) and every shoulder made raw.^(AL) Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. ¹⁹ Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king^(AM) of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder^(AN) the land as pay for his army.^{(AO) 20} I have given him Egypt^(AP) as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AQ)

²¹ “On that day I will make a horn^[c](AR) grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth^(AS) among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(AT)”

A Lament Over Egypt

30 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

⁵ Cush and Libya,^(BA) Lydia and all Arabia,^(BB) Kub and the people^(BC) of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.^(BD)

⁶ “‘This is what the Lord says:

⁹ “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush^(BI) out of her complacency. Anguish^(BJ) will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.^(BK)

¹⁰ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

I the Lord have spoken.

¹³ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken

²⁰ In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(CF) 21} “Son of man, I have broken the arm^(CG) of Pharaoh^(CH) king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed^(CI) or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. ²² Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt.^(CJ) I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.^{(CK) 23} I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.^{(CL) 24} I will strengthen^(CM) the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword^(CN) in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan^(CO) before him like a mortally wounded man. ²⁵ I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword^(CP) into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.^{(CQ) 26} I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(CR)”

No One Is Righteous

⁹ What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?^(A) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.^{(B) 10} As it is written:

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says,^(I) it says to those who are under the law,^(J) so that every mouth may be silenced^(K) and the whole world held accountable to God.^{(L) 20} Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;^(M) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.^(N)