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Psalm 83

A song of Asaph.

O True God, do not be quiet any longer.
    Do not stay silent or be still, O God.
Look now, Your enemies are causing a commotion;
    those who hate You are rising up!
They are conniving against Your people,
    conspiring against those You cherish.
They say, “Join us. Let’s wipe the entire nation off the face of the earth
    so no one will remember Israel’s name.”
They are all in it together, thinking as one,
    and making a pact against You:
The people of Edom and Ishmael;
    the Moabites and the Hagrites;
Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
    Philistia with the residents of Tyre.
And the powerful Assyrians have joined the alliance
    to add their strength and support the descendants of Lot: Moab and Ammon.

[pause][a]

Do to these nations what You did to Midian,
    to Sisera and Jabin at the raging waters of Kishon.
10 They were destroyed at En-dor;
    they became like dung, fertilizer for the ground.
11 Make their rulers like Oreb and Zeeb,
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who schemed, “We should own the meadows of the True God,
    let’s take them!”

13 O my God, blow them away like a tumbleweed,
    scatter them like dust in a whirlwind.
14 As a wildfire charges through the forest
    or a flame sprints up the mountainside,
15 Send Your raging winds to chase them, hunt them down,
    and terrify them with Your storm.
16 Redden their faces in shame
    so that they will turn and seek Your holy name, Eternal One.
17 May they face disappointment and anxiety forever;
    may they be ashamed and die.
18 May they know that You and You alone,
    whose name is the Eternal,
    are the Most High, the Supreme Ruler over all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. 83:8 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”

Psalm 83[a]

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

O God, do not remain silent;(A)
    do not turn a deaf ear,
    do not stand aloof, O God.
See how your enemies growl,(B)
    how your foes rear their heads.(C)
With cunning they conspire(D) against your people;
    they plot against those you cherish.(E)
“Come,” they say, “let us destroy(F) them as a nation,(G)
    so that Israel’s name is remembered(H) no more.”

With one mind they plot together;(I)
    they form an alliance against you—
the tents of Edom(J) and the Ishmaelites,
    of Moab(K) and the Hagrites,(L)
Byblos,(M) Ammon(N) and Amalek,(O)
    Philistia,(P) with the people of Tyre.(Q)
Even Assyria(R) has joined them
    to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[b](S)

Do to them as you did to Midian,(T)
    as you did to Sisera(U) and Jabin(V) at the river Kishon,(W)
10 who perished at Endor(X)
    and became like dung(Y) on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(Z)
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(AA)
12 who said, “Let us take possession(AB)
    of the pasturelands of God.”

13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
    like chaff(AC) before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
    or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,(AD)
15 so pursue them with your tempest(AE)
    and terrify them with your storm.(AF)
16 Cover their faces with shame,(AG) Lord,
    so that they will seek your name.

17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;(AH)
    may they perish in disgrace.(AI)
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord(AJ)
    that you alone are the Most High(AK) over all the earth.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.
  2. Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Eternal One: Then I will approach you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the constant sorcerers; the chronic adulterers; the habitual liars; those who continue cheating wages from their hired laborer, a widow, or an orphan; and those who always reject the immigrant, not fearing Me, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies. Because I am the Eternal One, I never change; as a result, you children of Jacob have not been destroyed though your blessing may have been delayed.

From the days when your ancestors served Me, you have turned from and ignored My statutes. Return to Me and I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will return to you. But you shameless people ask, “How will we return? Will someone steal from God?” Yet you are always stealing from Me! But you self-centered people still ask, “How have we stolen from You?” In the tithes and the offerings you have not given Me as the law requires! You are cursed with a curse, for as an entire nation you are stealing from Me. 10 To rectify this situation, you must bring the entire tithe into the storage house in the temple so that there may be food for Me and for the Levites in My house. Feel free to test Me now in this. See whether or not I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will open the windows of heaven to you and pour a blessing down upon you until all needs are satisfied. 11 I will rebuke the swarm of locusts devouring your crops, and the devourer will not cause the produce you have grown in the earth to decay or the vines in the field to drop their grapes. 12 And all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight. I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, promise you this.

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“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers,(A) adulterers(B) and perjurers,(C) against those who defraud laborers of their wages,(D) who oppress the widows(E) and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners(F) among you of justice, but do not fear(G) me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes

“I the Lord do not change.(H) So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.(I) Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away(J) from my decrees and have not kept them. Return(K) to me, and I will return to you,”(L) says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask,(M) ‘How are we to return?’

“Will a mere mortal rob(N) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes(O) and offerings. You are under a curse(P)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe(Q) into the storehouse,(R) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates(S) of heaven and pour out(T) so much blessing(U) that there will not be room enough to store it.(V) 11 I will prevent pests from devouring(W) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,(X)” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed,(Y) for yours will be a delightful land,”(Z) says the Lord Almighty.(AA)

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1-2 Some days later when Jesus came back to Capernaum, people heard that Jesus was back in town and many gathered at the house where He was staying. Soon the crowd overflowed from the house into the streets, and still more people pressed forward to hear Jesus teaching the message of God’s kingdom. Four men tried to bring a crippled friend to Him; but since the crowd prevented their carrying him close enough to get Jesus’ attention, they climbed up onto the roof, opened a hole in it, and lowered the paralyzed man on his mat down to Jesus.

Jesus recognized the faith of these men.

Jesus (to the paralyzed man): Son, your sins are forgiven.

6-7 Some scribes were sitting in the crowd, and they didn’t like what they were hearing.

Scribes (reasoning to themselves): What does this Jesus think He is doing? This kind of talk is blasphemy, an offense against the Most High! Only God can forgive sins.

At once Jesus realized what they were thinking. He turned to them.

Jesus: Why do My words trouble you so? Think about this: is it easier to tell this paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to tell him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk”? 10 Still, I want to show you that the Son of Man has been given the authority on earth to forgive sins. (to the paralytic) 11 Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.

12 The man rose to his feet, immediately rolled up his mat, and walked out into the streets. Everyone in the crowd was amazed. All they could do was shake their heads, thank God for this miracle, and say to each other, “We’ve never seen anything like that!”

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Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man(A)

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers(B) that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man,(C) carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”(D)

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(E)

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man(F) has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God,(G) saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”(H)

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