Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

79 (A Mizmor. Of Asaph) O Elohim, the Goyim are come into Thine Nachalah; Thy Heikhal Kodesh have they defiled; they have reduced Yerushalayim to rubble.

² The dead bodies of Thy avadim have they given to be food unto the oph HaShomayim, the basar of Thy Chasidim, unto the beasts of the earth.

³ Their shefach dahm (shedding of blood) is like mayim all around Yerushalayim; and there is none to bury them.

⁴ We are become a reproach to our shekhenim (neighbors), a scorn and derision to them that are around us.

⁵ How long, Hashem? Wilt Thou be angry lanetzach (forever)? Shall Thy kina (jealousy) burn like eish?

⁶ Pour out Thy wrath upon the Goyim that have no da’as of Thee, and upon the mamlachot that have not called upon Thy Shem.

⁷ For they have devoured Ya’akov, and laid waste his naveh (home).

⁸ O remember not against us avonot rishonim (former iniquities); let Thy rachamim speedily come to us; for we are brought very low.

⁹ Help us, O Elohei Yisheinu, (G-d of our salvation), for the kavod of Thy Shem; and deliver us, and make kapporah for our sins, for Thy Name’s sake.

¹⁴ Thus saith Hashem: Concerning all Mine evil shchenim (neighbors), that touch the nachalah which I have caused My people Yisroel to inherit: See, I will uproot them out of their adamah, and uproot the Bais Yehudah from among them.

¹⁵ And it shall come to pass, after that I uproot them I will return, and have rachamim (compassion) on them, and will bring them back again, every ish to his nachalah, and every ish to his eretz.

¹⁶ And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the darkhei Ami (ways of My people [i.e., Israel’s Biblical faith]), to swear in My Shem, As Hashem liveth; even as they taught My people to make avowal in Ba’al; then shall they be built up in the midst of My People.

¹⁷ But if they will not obey, I will utterly uproot and destroy that Goy (Nation), saith Hashem.

13 Thus saith Hashem unto me, Go and buy thee a linen [i.e., priestly] ezor (belt) and put it around thy waist, and put it not in mayim.

² So I bought the ezor (belt) according to the Devar Hashem, and put it around my waist.

³ And the Devar Hashem came unto me the second time, saying,

⁴ Take the ezor that thou hast bought, which is around thy waist, and arise, go to Parah (Josh 18:23 [Hebrew for Euphrates is Perat]), and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

⁵ So I went, and hid it in Parah, as Hashem commanded me.

⁶ And it came to pass at the end of yamim rabbim, that Hashem said unto me, Arise, go to Parah, and take the ezor from there, which I commanded thee to hide there.

⁷ Then I went to Parah, and dug, and took the ezor from the makom where I had hid it; and, hinei, the ezor was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

⁸ Then the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

⁹ Thus saith Hashem, After this manner will I mar the ga’on Yehudah (pride of Judah), and the great ga’on of Yerushalayim.

¹⁰ This evil people, which refuse to listen to My words, which walk in the sherirut (stubbornness) of their lev, and walk after elohim acharim, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this ezor, which is good for nothing.

¹¹ For as the ezor has deveykus with the waist of an ish, so have I caused to have deveykus unto Me kol Bais Yisroel and kol Bais Yehudah, saith Hashem; that they might be unto Me for a People, and for Shem, and for Tehillah, and for Teferet: but they would not hear.

3 What then is the advantage of the Yehudi? Or what is the value of the bris milah?

² Much in every way! For, koidem kol (in the first place), they are entrusted with the Divrei Hashem (the oracles, the words of G-d).

³ So, where does that leave us? If some have disbelieved, has their lack of emunah annulled the ne’emanut (faithfulness, trustworthiness, reliability) of Hashem?

⁴ Chas v’shalom (G-d forbid!) Let G-d be true and KOL HAADAM KOZEV ("every man a liar" TEHILLIM 116:11). Even as it is written, L’MA’AN TITZDAK B’DAVRECHA ("in order that you might be vindicated when you speak" and shall overcome when you judge TEHILLIM 51:6[4]).

⁵ But if our unrighteousness brings out and highlights the Tzedek Olamim, the Tzidkat Hashem (the righteousness of G-d), what shall we say? Rhetorically speaking, is G-d unjust in inflicting Charon Af Hashem (1:18)? (I speak from a human standpoint.)

⁶ Chas v’shalom! (G-d forbid!) For then how could Hashem be HaShofet kol ha’Aretz (BERESHIS 18:25)?

⁷ "But if the Emes Hashem (truth of G-d) has by my sheker overflowed to His kavod (glory), why am I still judged as a rashah (an evildoer)?"

⁸ Why do we not say, as some speakers of lashon hora slanderously report us to say, "Let us do rah that tov might come of it"? The gezar din (verdict) of ashem (guilty) on them is well deserved.