Psalm 135

The Lord Is Great

Fatherly Discipline

³ For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.^{(A) 4} In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵ And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons:

⁷ Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? ⁸ But if you are without discipline—which all receive^[b]—then you are illegitimate children and not sons.^{(C) 9} Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live?^{(D) 10} For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness.^{(E) 11} No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit^(F) of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.^(G)

¹² Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees,^{(H) 13} and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated^[c] but healed instead.^(I)

Warnings from Israel’s Past

10 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors^(A) were all under the cloud,^(B) all passed through the sea,^{(C) 2} and all were baptized^(D) into Moses^(E) in the cloud and in the sea. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food,^{(F) 4} and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock^(G) that followed them, and that rock was Christ.^{(H) 5} Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness.^(I)

⁶ Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire^(J) evil things as they did.^{[a](K) 7} Don’t become idolaters^(L) as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.^{[b][c](M) 8} Let us not commit sexual immorality^(N) as some of them did,^[d] and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died.^{(O) 9} Let us not test Christ as some of them did^[e] and were destroyed by snakes.^{(P) 10} And don’t grumble^(Q) as some of them did,^[f](R) and were killed by the destroyer.^{[g](S) 11} These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction,^(T) on whom the ends of the ages^[h](U) have come.^{(V) 12} So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.^{(W) 13} No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful;^(X) he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out^(Y) so that you may be able to bear it.