Trust in God’s Love

52 Why do you take pride in wrong-doing, O powerful man? The loving-kindness of God lasts all day long. ² Your tongue makes plans to destroy like a sharp knife, you who lie. ³ You love what is bad more than what is good, and you speak lies more than you speak the truth. ⁴ You love all words that destroy, O lying tongue.

⁵ But God will destroy you forever. He will pick you up and pull you away from your tent. He will pull up your roots from the land of the living. ⁶ And those who are right will see and be afraid. They will laugh at him, saying, ⁷ “Look, the man who would not make God his safe place, but trusted in his many riches and was strong in his sinful desire.”

⁸ But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the loving-kindness of God forever and ever. ⁹ I will give You thanks forever because of what You have done. And I will hope in Your name, for it is good to be where those who belong to You are.

Israel to Be Destroyed

6 It is bad for those who are taking it easy in Zion, and for those who feel safe on the mountain of Samaria, you great men of the most important nation, to whom the people of Israel come! ² Go over to Calneh and look. And go from there to great Hamath. Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these nations? Is their land better than yours? ³ You put off the day of trouble, and bring near the seat of anger.

⁴ How bad it will be for you who lie on beds of ivory and spread out upon your long seats! You eat lambs from the flock and calves from the cattle-house. ⁵ You sing songs to the sound of the harp. Like David you write songs for yourselves. ⁶ You drink wine from the holy dishes, and pour the best oil on yourselves. Yet you are not filled with sorrow because Joseph has been destroyed! ⁷ You will be among the first to be taken away as prisoners to a strange land, and your happy times of rest will pass away.

⁸ The Lord God has promised by Himself. The Lord God of All has said, “I hate the pride of Jacob, and I hate his strong-places, so I will give up the city and everything in it.” ⁹ If ten men are left in one house, they will die. ¹⁰ The dead man’s brother, who is to take care of the body, will lift him up to carry his bones from the house. And he will say to the one inside the house, “Is anyone else with you?” That one will say, “No.” Then he will say, “Keep quiet! For the name of the Lord must not be spoken.” ¹¹ For the Lord is going to say that the great house must be broken apart and the small house into pieces.

¹² Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow them with oxen? Yet you have turned what is fair into poison. You have turned what is right and good into something bitter. ¹³ You who have joy in Lo-debar, and say, “Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?” ¹⁴ The Lord God of All says, “I am going to raise up a nation against you, O people of Israel. And they will bring much suffering upon you from the gate of Hamath to the river of the Arabah.”

The Picture-Story of the Man Who Planted Seed ^(A)

⁴ Many people came together from every town to Jesus. He told them a picture-story.

⁵ “A man went out to plant seed. As he planted the seed, some fell by the side of the road. It was walked on and birds came and ate it. ⁶ Some seed fell between rocks. As soon as it started to grow, it dried up because it had no water. ⁷ Some seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew and did not give the seed room to grow. ⁸ Some seed fell on good ground. It grew and gave one hundred times as much grain.” When Jesus had finished saying this, He cried out, “You have ears, then listen!”

⁹ His followers asked Him what this picture-story meant. ¹⁰ Jesus said, “You were given the secrets about the holy nation of God. Others are told picture-stories. As they look, they do not see. As they hear, they do not understand.

Good Men

15 O Lord, who may live in Your tent? Who may live on Your holy hill? ² He who walks without blame and does what is right and good, and speaks the truth in his heart. ³ He does not hurt others with his tongue, or do wrong to his neighbor, or bring shame to his friend. ⁴ He looks down upon a sinful person, but honors those who fear the Lord. He keeps his promises even if it may hurt him. ⁵ He gives money to be used without being paid for its use. And he does not take money to hurt those who are not guilty. He who does these things will never be shaken.

14 It was in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, ² that they made war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ³ All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ⁴ They had been ruled by Chedorlaomer for twelve years. But in the thirteenth year they went against him. ⁵ Then in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and won a war against the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shavehkiriathaim, ⁶ and the Horites in their Mount Seir as far as El-paran near the desert. ⁷ Then they turned around and came to Enmishpat (that is, Kadesh). There they won a war against all the country of the Amalekites and the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar. ⁸ Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined in war against them in the valley of Siddim. ⁹ They fought against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Siddim valley was full of deep holes with tar. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah turned and ran, and some fell there. But the others ran away into the hill country. ¹¹ Then those who won the war took all that belonged to Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and left. ¹² They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who lived in Sodom, and all that belonged to him, and left.

¹³ Then one who had run for his life came and told Abram the Hebrew. Abram was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and Aner, who were friends of Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that one of his family had been taken away, he led 318 men who had been born in his house and whom he had taught to fight. They went after them as far as Dan. ¹⁵ Abram divided his army against them by night, he and his servants. They won the war against them, and followed them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. ¹⁶ Then Abram returned with all the things they had taken. He also returned with his brother’s son Lot and all that belonged to him, and the women and the people.

The Picture-Story of the Man Who Planted Seed ^(A)

⁴ Many people came together from every town to Jesus. He told them a picture-story.

⁵ “A man went out to plant seed. As he planted the seed, some fell by the side of the road. It was walked on and birds came and ate it. ⁶ Some seed fell between rocks. As soon as it started to grow, it dried up because it had no water. ⁷ Some seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew and did not give the seed room to grow. ⁸ Some seed fell on good ground. It grew and gave one hundred times as much grain.” When Jesus had finished saying this, He cried out, “You have ears, then listen!”

⁹ His followers asked Him what this picture-story meant. ¹⁰ Jesus said, “You were given the secrets about the holy nation of God. Others are told picture-stories. As they look, they do not see. As they hear, they do not understand.