Old/New Testament

“We have a strong city.
    God’s saving power surrounds it
    like walls and towers.
² Open its gates
    so that those who do what is right can enter.
    They are the people who remain faithful to God.
³ Lord, you will give perfect peace
    to those who commit themselves to be faithful to you.
    That’s because they trust in you.

⁴ “Trust in the Lord forever.
    The Lord himself is the Rock.
    The Lord will keep us safe forever.
⁵ He brings down those who are proud.
    He pulls down cities that have high walls.
They fall down flat on the ground.
    He throws them down to the dust.
⁶ The feet of those who were treated badly stomp on them.
    Those who were poor walk all over them.”

⁷ The path of godly people is level.
    You are the God who does what is right.
    You make their way smooth.
⁸ Lord, we are living the way your laws command us to live.
    We are waiting for you to act.
We want your honor and fame to be known.
⁹ My heart longs for you at night.
    My spirit longs for you in the morning.
You will come and judge the earth.
    Then the people of the world will learn to do what is right.
¹⁰ Sometimes grace is shown to sinful people.
    But they still don’t learn to do what is right.
They keep on doing evil even in a land where others are honest and fair.
    They don’t have any respect for the majesty of the Lord.
¹¹ Lord, you have raised your hand high to punish them.
    But they don’t even see it.
Let them see how much you love your people.
    Then they will be put to shame.
    Let the fire you are saving for your enemies burn them up.

¹² Lord, you give us peace.
    You are the one who has done everything we’ve accomplished.
¹³ Lord, you are our God.
    Other masters besides you have ruled over us.
    But your name is the only one we honor.
¹⁴ Those other masters are now dead.
    They will never live again.
    Their spirits won’t rise from the dead.
You punished them and destroyed them.
    You wiped out all memory of them.
¹⁵ Lord, you have made our nation grow.
    You have made it larger.
You have gained glory for yourself.
    You have increased the size of our land.

¹⁶ Lord, when your people were suffering, they came to you.
    When you punished them,
    they could barely whisper a prayer.
¹⁷ Lord, you made us like a woman who is about to have a baby.
    She groans and cries out in pain.
¹⁸ We were pregnant and groaned with pain.
    But nothing was born.
We didn’t bring your saving power to the earth.
    And the people of the world have not come to life.

¹⁹ Lord, your people who have died will live again.
    Their bodies will rise from the dead.
Let those who lie in the grave
    wake up and shout for joy.
You give life, Lord, like the dew of the morning.
    So the earth will give up its dead people.

²⁰ My people, go into your houses.
    Shut the doors behind you.
Hide yourselves for a little while.
    Do it until the Lord’s anger is over.
²¹ He is coming from the place where he lives.
    He will punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The blood spilled on the earth will be brought out into the open.
    The ground will no longer hide those who have been killed.

the Lord will punish Leviathan with his sword.
    His great, powerful and deadly sword will punish
the serpent that glides through the sea.
    He will kill that twisting sea monster.

³ “I am the Lord. I watch over my vineyard.
    I water it all the time.
I guard it day and night.
    I do it so no one can harm it.
⁴ I am not angry with my vineyard.
    I wish thorns and bushes would come up in it.
Then I would march out against them in battle.
    I would set all of them on fire.
⁵ So the enemies of my people should come to me for safety.
    They should make peace with me.
I will say it again.
    They should make peace with me.”

⁶ In days to come, Jacob’s people will put down roots like a vine.
    Israel will bud and bloom.
    They will fill the whole world with fruit.

⁷ The Lord struck down those who struck down Israel.
    But he hasn’t punished Israel as much.
The Lord killed those who killed many of his people.
    But he hasn’t punished his people as much.
⁸ The Lord will use war to punish Israel.
    He will make them leave their land.
With a strong blast of his anger he will drive them out.
    It will be as if the east wind were blowing.
⁹ The people of Jacob will have to pay for their sin.
    Here is how they will show that their sin has been removed.
They will make all the altar stones like limestone.
    They will crush them to pieces.
No poles used to worship the female god named Asherah will be left standing.
    No incense altars will be left either.
¹⁰ Cities that have high walls around them will become empty.
    They will be settlements with no one in them.
    They will be like a desert.
Calves will eat and lie down in them.
    They will strip bare the branches of their trees.
¹¹ When their twigs are dry, they will be broken off.
    Then women will come and make fires with them.
The people of Jacob don’t understand the Lord.
    So the God who made them won’t be concerned about them.
    Their Creator won’t be kind to them.

⁶ In his very nature he was God.
    Jesus was equal with God. But Jesus didn’t take advantage of that fact.
⁷ Instead, he made himself nothing.
    He did this by taking on the nature of a servant.
    He was made just like human beings.
⁸ He appeared as a man.
    He was humble and obeyed God completely.
    He did this even though it led to his death.
        Even worse, he died on a cross!

⁹ So God lifted him up to the highest place.
    God gave him the name that is above every name.
¹⁰ When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone will kneel down to worship him.
    Everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will kneel down to worship him.
¹¹ Everyone’s mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord.
    And God the Father will receive the glory.