Psalm 58

English Standard Version

God Who Judges the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to ^(A)Do Not Destroy. A ^(B)Miktam^[a] of David.

58 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?^[b]
Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
²No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
your hands ^(C)deal out violence on earth.

³The wicked are ^(D)estranged from the womb;
    they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
⁴^(E)They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
    like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
⁵so that it ^(F)does not hear the voice of charmers
    or of the cunning enchanter.

⁶O God, ^(G)break the teeth in their mouths;
    tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
⁷Let them ^(H)vanish like water that runs away;
    when he ^(I)aims his arrows, let them be blunted.
⁸Let them be like the snail ^(J)that dissolves into slime,
    like ^(K)the stillborn child who never sees the sun.
⁹Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of ^(L)thorns,
    whether green or ablaze, may he ^(M)sweep them away!^[c]

¹⁰^(N)The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
he will ^(O)bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
¹¹Mankind will say, “Surely there is ^(P)a reward for the righteous;
surely there is a God who ^(Q)judges on earth.”

Footnotes

Psalm 58:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 58:1 Or you mighty lords (by revocalization; Hebrew in silence)
Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain

Jeremiah 2:23-37

English Standard Version

²³^(A)How can you say, ‘I am not unclean,
    I have not gone after the Baals’?
Look at your way ^(B)in the valley;
    know what you have done—
a restless young camel running here and there,
²⁴    ^(C)a wild donkey used to the wilderness,
in her heat sniffing the wind!
    Who can restrain her lust?
None who seek her need weary themselves;
    in her month they will find her.
²⁵Keep ^(D)your feet from going unshod
    and ^(E)your throat from thirst.
But you said, ‘It is hopeless,
    ^(F)for I have loved foreigners,
    and after them I will go.’

²⁶“As a thief is shamed when caught,
    so the house of Israel shall be shamed:
^(G)they, their kings, their officials,
    their priests, and their prophets,
²⁷who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
    and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their back to me,
    and not their face.
But ^(H)in the time of their trouble they say,
    ‘Arise and save us!’
²⁸But ^(I)where are your gods
    that you made for yourself?
Let them arise, ^(J)if they can save you,
    in your time of trouble;
for ^(K)as many as your cities
    are your gods, O Judah.

²⁹“Why do you contend with me?
    You have all transgressed against me,
declares the Lord.
³⁰In vain have I ^(L)struck your children;
    they took no correction;
^(M)your own sword devoured your prophets
    like a ravening lion.
³¹And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
    or a land of thick darkness?
Why then do my people say, ‘We are free,
    we will come no more to you’?
³²^(N)Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
    or a bride her attire?
Yet ^(O)my people have forgotten me
    days without number.

³³“How well you direct your course
    to seek love!
So that even to wicked women
    you have taught your ways.
³⁴Also on your skirts is found
    ^(P)the lifeblood of the guiltless poor;
you did not find them ^(Q)breaking in.
    Yet in spite of all these things
³⁵you say, ‘I am innocent;
    surely his anger has turned from me.’
^(R)Behold, I will bring you to judgment
    for ^(S)saying, ‘I have not sinned.’
³⁶^(T)How much you go about,
    changing your way!
You shall be ^(U)put to shame by Egypt
    as you were put to shame by Assyria.
³⁷From it too you will come away
    with ^(V)your hands on your head,
for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
    and you will not prosper by them.

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Hebrews 13:7-21

English Standard Version

⁷Remember ^(A)your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and ^(B)imitate their faith. ⁸Jesus Christ is ^(C)the same yesterday and today and forever. ⁹Do not be ^(D)led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, ^(E)not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. ¹⁰We have an altar ^(F)from which those who serve the tent^[a] have no right to eat. ¹¹For ^(G)the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned ^(H)outside the camp. ¹²So Jesus also ^(I)suffered ^(J)outside the gate in order to sanctify the people ^(K)through his own blood. ¹³Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear ^(L)the reproach he endured. ¹⁴For ^(M)here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. ¹⁵^(N)Through him then let us continually offer up ^(O)a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^(P)the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ¹⁶Do not neglect to do good and ^(Q)to share what you have, for such ^(R)sacrifices are pleasing to God.

¹⁷Obey ^(S)your leaders and submit to them, ^(T)for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to ^(U)give an account. ^(V)Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

¹⁸^(W)Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. ¹⁹I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order ^(X)that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction

²⁰Now ^(Y)may the God of peace ^(Z)who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, ^(AA)the great shepherd of the sheep, by ^(AB)the blood of the eternal covenant, ²¹^(AC)equip you with everything good that you may do his will, ^(AD)working in us^[b] that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, ^(AE)to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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Footnotes

Hebrews 13:10 Or tabernacle
Hebrews 13:21 Some manuscripts you

Psalm 119:65-72

English Standard Version

Teth

⁶⁵You have dealt well with your servant,
    O Lord, ^(A)according to your word.
⁶⁶Teach me ^(B)good judgment and knowledge,
    for I believe in your commandments.
⁶⁷^(C)Before I was afflicted I went astray,
    but now I keep your word.
⁶⁸^(D)You are good and do good;
    ^(E)teach me your statutes.
⁶⁹^(F)The insolent ^(G)smear me with lies,
    but with my whole heart I ^(H)keep your precepts;
⁷⁰their heart is unfeeling ^(I)like fat,
    but I ^(J)delight in your law.
⁷¹It is ^(K)good for me that I was afflicted,
    that I might learn your statutes.
⁷²^(L)The law of your mouth is better to me
    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

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2 Chronicles 12:1-12

English Standard Version

Egypt Plunders Jerusalem

12 ^(A)When the rule of Rehoboam was established ^(B)and he was strong, ^(C)he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. ²^(D)In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, ^(E)Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem ³with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt—^(F)Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. ⁴And he took ^(G)the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. ⁵Then ^(H)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, ^(I)‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.’” ⁶Then the princes of ^(J)Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, ^(K)“The Lord is righteous.” ⁷When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: ^(L)“They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, ^(M)and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. ⁸Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him, ^(N)that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

⁹^(O)So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house. He took away everything. He also took away ^(P)the shields of gold that Solomon had made, ¹⁰and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house. ¹¹And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard came and carried them and brought them back to the guardroom. ¹²And when ^(Q)he humbled himself the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, ^(R)conditions were good^[a] in Judah.

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Footnotes

2 Chronicles 12:12 Hebrew good things were found

Hebrews 13:7-21

English Standard Version

⁷Remember ^(A)your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and ^(B)imitate their faith. ⁸Jesus Christ is ^(C)the same yesterday and today and forever. ⁹Do not be ^(D)led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, ^(E)not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. ¹⁰We have an altar ^(F)from which those who serve the tent^[a] have no right to eat. ¹¹For ^(G)the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned ^(H)outside the camp. ¹²So Jesus also ^(I)suffered ^(J)outside the gate in order to sanctify the people ^(K)through his own blood. ¹³Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear ^(L)the reproach he endured. ¹⁴For ^(M)here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. ¹⁵^(N)Through him then let us continually offer up ^(O)a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^(P)the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ¹⁶Do not neglect to do good and ^(Q)to share what you have, for such ^(R)sacrifices are pleasing to God.

¹⁷Obey ^(S)your leaders and submit to them, ^(T)for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to ^(U)give an account. ^(V)Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

¹⁸^(W)Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. ¹⁹I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order ^(X)that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction

²⁰Now ^(Y)may the God of peace ^(Z)who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, ^(AA)the great shepherd of the sheep, by ^(AB)the blood of the eternal covenant, ²¹^(AC)equip you with everything good that you may do his will, ^(AD)working in us^[b] that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, ^(AE)to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.