Prayer for the punishment of the wicked.

For the Chief Musician; set to Al-tashheth. A Psalm of David. Michtam.

²³ How canst thou say, I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift ^[a]dromedary traversing her ways; ²⁴ a wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind in her desire; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. ²⁵ Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst. But thou saidst, It is in vain; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

²⁶ As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets; ²⁷ who say to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast ^[b]brought ^[c]me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us. ²⁸ But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

²⁹ Wherefore will ye contend with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith Jehovah. ³⁰ In vain have I smitten your children; they received no ^[d]correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. ³¹ O generation, see ye the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? or a land of ^[e]thick darkness? wherefore say my people, We are broken loose; we will come no more unto thee? ³² Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. ³³ How trimmest thou thy way to seek love! therefore even the wicked women hast thou taught thy ways. ³⁴ Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor: ^[f]thou didst not find them breaking in; but it is because of all these things. ³⁵ Yet thou saidst, I am innocent; surely his anger is turned away from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned. ³⁶ Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. ³⁷ From thence also shalt thou go forth, with thy hands upon thy head: for Jehovah hath rejected those in whom thou trustest, and thou shalt not prosper with them.

⁷ Remember them that had the rule over you, men that spake unto you the word of God; and considering the issue of their ^[a]life, imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day, yea and ^[b]for ever. ⁹ Be not carried away by divers and strange teachings: for it is good that the heart be established by grace; not by meats, wherein they that ^[c]occupied themselves were not profited. ¹⁰ We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat that serve the tabernacle. ¹¹ For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the holy place ^[d]by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned without the camp. ¹² Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered without the gate. ¹³ Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. ¹⁴ For we have not here an abiding city, but we seek after the city which is to come. ¹⁵ Through him ^[e]then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name. ¹⁶ But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. ¹⁷ Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with ^[f]grief: for this were unprofitable for you.

¹⁸ Pray for us: for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things. ¹⁹ And I exhort you the more exceedingly to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

²⁰ Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep ^[g]with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus, ²¹ make you perfect in every good ^[h]thing to do his will, working in ^[i]us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory ^[j]for ever and ever. Amen.

ט Teth.

12 And it came to pass, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of Jehovah, and all Israel with him. ² And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had trespassed against Jehovah, ³ with twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen. And the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. ⁴ And he took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and came unto Jerusalem. ⁵ Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, Ye have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak. ⁶ Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, Jehovah is righteous. ⁷ And when Jehovah saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves: I will not destroy them; but I will grant them ^[a]some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. ⁸ Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

⁹ So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king’s house: he took all away: he took away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. ¹⁰ And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the ^[b]guard, that kept the door of the king’s house. ¹¹ And it was so, that, as oft as the king entered into the house of Jehovah, the guard came and bare them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber. ¹² And when he humbled himself, the wrath of Jehovah turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether: and moreover in Judah there were good things found.

⁷ Remember them that had the rule over you, men that spake unto you the word of God; and considering the issue of their ^[a]life, imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day, yea and ^[b]for ever. ⁹ Be not carried away by divers and strange teachings: for it is good that the heart be established by grace; not by meats, wherein they that ^[c]occupied themselves were not profited. ¹⁰ We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat that serve the tabernacle. ¹¹ For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the holy place ^[d]by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned without the camp. ¹² Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered without the gate. ¹³ Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. ¹⁴ For we have not here an abiding city, but we seek after the city which is to come. ¹⁵ Through him ^[e]then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name. ¹⁶ But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. ¹⁷ Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with ^[f]grief: for this were unprofitable for you.

¹⁸ Pray for us: for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things. ¹⁹ And I exhort you the more exceedingly to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

²⁰ Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep ^[g]with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus, ²¹ make you perfect in every good ^[h]thing to do his will, working in ^[i]us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory ^[j]for ever and ever. Amen.