Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,(A)
    which cannot be shaken(B) but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,(C)
    so the Lord surrounds(D) his people
    both now and forevermore.

The scepter(E) of the wicked will not remain(F)
    over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
    their hands to do evil.(G)

Lord, do good(H) to those who are good,
    to those who are upright in heart.(I)
But those who turn(J) to crooked ways(K)
    the Lord will banish(L) with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel.(M)

125 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.

The Faithful Remnant

16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.(A) A scroll(B) of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared(C) the Lord and honored his name.

17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my(D) treasured possession.(E) I will spare(F) them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son(G) who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous(H) and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.(I)

Judgment and Covenant Renewal

[a]“Surely the day is coming;(J) it will burn like a furnace.(K) All the arrogant(L) and every evildoer will be stubble,(M) and the day that is coming will set them on fire,(N)” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch(O) will be left to them. But for you who revere my name,(P) the sun of righteousness(Q) will rise with healing(R) in its rays. And you will go out and frolic(S) like well-fed calves. Then you will trample(T) on the wicked; they will be ashes(U) under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

“Remember the law(V) of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb(W) for all Israel.(X)

“See, I will send the prophet Elijah(Y) to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.(Z) He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,(AA) and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike(AB) the land with total destruction.”(AC)

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-6 is numbered 3:19-24.

16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone(A) what they had seen until the Son of Man(B) had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man(C) must suffer much(D) and be rejected?(E) 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come,(F) and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

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And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

12 And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.

13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

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