Psalm 147

God Restores Jerusalem

Judah’s King Manasseh

33 Manasseh was twelve years old^(A) when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. ² He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, imitating the detestable practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.^{(B) 3} He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down^(C) and reestablished the altars for the Baals. He made Asherah poles, and he bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served them. ⁴ He built altars^(D) in the Lord’s temple, where the Lord had said, “Jerusalem is where my name will remain forever.”^{(E) 5} He built altars to all the stars in the sky in both courtyards^(F) of the Lord’s temple. ⁶ He passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley.^(G) He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists.^(H) He did a huge amount of evil in the Lord’s sight, angering him.

⁷ Manasseh^(I) set up a carved image of the idol, which he had made, in God’s temple^(J) that God had spoken about to David and his son Solomon: “I will establish my name forever^[a](K) in this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.^{(L) 8} I will never again remove the feet of the Israelites from the land where I stationed your^[b](M) ancestors,^(N) if only they will be careful to do all I have commanded them through Moses—all the law, statutes, and judgments.” ⁹ So Manasseh caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to stray so that they did worse evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

Manasseh’s Repentance

¹⁰ The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they didn’t listen.^{(O) 11} So he brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria. They captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.^{(P) 12} When he was in distress, he sought the favor of the Lord his God and earnestly humbled himself^(Q) before the God of his ancestors. ¹³ He prayed to him, and the Lord was receptive to his prayer. He granted his request^(R) and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that the Lord is God.^(S)

¹⁴ After this, he built the outer wall of the city of David from west of Gihon^(T) in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate;^(U) he brought it around Ophel,^(V) and he heightened it considerably. He also placed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.

¹⁵ He removed the foreign gods and the idol^(W) from the Lord’s temple, along with all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the Lord’s temple and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. ¹⁶ He built^[c] the altar of the Lord and offered fellowship and thanksgiving sacrifices on it. Then he told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁷ However, the people still sacrificed at the high places,^(X) but only to the Lord their God.

Manasseh’s Death

¹⁸ The rest of the events^(Y) of Manasseh’s reign, along with his prayer^(Z) to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, are written in the Events of Israel’s Kings. ¹⁹ His prayer and how God was receptive to his prayer, and all his sin and unfaithfulness and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and carved images before he humbled himself, they are written in the Events of Hozai. ²⁰ Manasseh rested with his ancestors, and he was buried in his own house. His son Amon became king in his place.

Judah’s King Amon

²¹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. ²² He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as his father Manasseh had done.^(AA) Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. ²³ But he did not humble himself before the Lord like his father Manasseh humbled himself;^(AB) instead, Amon increased his guilt.

²⁴ So his servants conspired against him and put him to death^(AC) in his own house. ²⁵ The common people^[d] killed all who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.

The Sermon on the Mount

5 When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain,^(A) and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ² Then^[a] he began to teach them, saying:^(B)

The Beatitudes

¹¹ “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. ¹² Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted^(L) the prophets who were before you.^(M)

Believers Are Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty?^[b] It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.^(N)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.^{(O) 15} No one lights a lamp^(P) and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.^{(Q) 16} In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.^(R)

Christ Fulfills the Law

¹⁷ “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.^{(S) 18} For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter^[c] or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.^{(T) 20} For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

Murder Begins in the Heart

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder,^[d](U) and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.^{(V) 22} But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister^[e] will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults^[f] his brother or sister will be subject to the court.^[g] Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.^{[h](W) 23} So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him to the court, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, and the judge to^[i] the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.^{(X) 26} Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.^[j]

Adultery Begins in the Heart

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.^{[k](Y) 28} But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.^{(Z) 29} If your right eye causes you to sin,^(AA) gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.^{(AB) 30} And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Divorce Practices Censured

³¹ “It was also said, Whoever divorces^(AC) his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.^{[l](AD) 32} But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.^(AE)

Tell the Truth

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors,You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.^{[m](AF) 34} But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.^{(AG) 36} Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.^(AH)

Go the Second Mile

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.^{[n](AI) 39} But I tell you, don’t resist^[o] an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.^{(AJ) 40} As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.^(AK)

Love Your Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor^[p](AL) and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies^[q] and pray for those who^[r] persecute you,^{(AM) 45} so that you may be^[s] children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(AN) 46} For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?^[t](AO) Don’t even the Gentiles^[u] do the same? ⁴⁸ Be perfect,^(AP) therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.