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Distress of the Siege Described
4 How (A)dark the gold has become,
How the pure gold has changed!
The sacred stones are poured out
At the [a]corner of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion,
Weighed against fine gold,
How they are regarded as (B)earthen jars,
The work of a potter’s hands!
3 Even (C)jackals offer the breast,
They nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people has become (D)cruel
Like (E)ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The (F)tongue of the infant cleaves
To the roof of its mouth because of (G)thirst;
The little ones (H)ask for bread,
But no one breaks it for them.
5 Those who ate (I)delicacies
Are desolate in the streets;
Those [b]reared in purple
Embrace ash pits.
6 For the [c]iniquity of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the [d](J)sin of Sodom,
Which was (K)overthrown as in a moment,
And no hands were [e]turned toward her.
7 Her [f]consecrated ones were (L)purer than snow,
They were whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in [g]body than corals,
Their polishing was like [h](M)lapis lazuli.
8 Their appearance is (N)blacker than soot,
They are not recognized in the streets;
Their (O)skin is shriveled on their bones,
It is withered, it has become like wood.
9 Better are those [i](P)slain with the sword
Than those [j]slain with hunger;
For they [k](Q)pine away, being stricken
For lack of the fruits of [l]the field.
10 The hands of compassionate women
(R)Boiled their own children;
They became (S)food for them
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord has (T)accomplished His wrath,
He has poured out His fierce anger;
And He has (U)kindled a fire in Zion
Which has consumed its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor did any of (V)the inhabitants of the world,
That the adversary and the enemy
Could (W)enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Because of the sins of her (X)prophets
And the iniquities of her priests,
Who have shed in her midst
The (Y)blood of the righteous;
14 They wandered, (Z)blind, in the streets;
They were defiled with (AA)blood
So that no one could touch their (AB)garments.
15 “Depart! (AC)Unclean!” [m]they cried of themselves.
“Depart, depart, do not touch!”
So they (AD)fled and wandered;
Men among the nations said,
“They shall not continue to dwell with us.”
16 The presence of the Lord has scattered them,
He will not continue to regard them;
They did not [n](AE)honor the priests,
They did not favor the elders.
17 Yet our eyes failed,
Looking for [o]help was (AF)useless;
In our watching we have watched
For a (AG)nation that could not save.
18 They (AH)hunted our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets;
Our (AI)end drew near,
Our days were [p]finished
For our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were (AJ)swifter
Than the eagles of the sky;
They chased us on the mountains,
They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.
20 The (AK)breath of our nostrils, the (AL)Lord’s anointed,
Was (AM)captured in their pits,
Of whom we had said, “Under his (AN)shadow
We shall live among the nations.”
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of (AO)Edom,
Who dwells in the land of Uz;
But the (AP)cup will come around to you as well,
You will become drunk and make yourself naked.
22 The punishment of your iniquity has been (AQ)completed, O daughter of Zion;
He will exile you no longer.
But He (AR)will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom;
He will expose your sins!
A Prayer for Mercy
5 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us;
Look, and see our (AS)reproach!
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to (AT)strangers,
Our (AU)houses to aliens.
3 We have become orphans (AV)without a father,
Our mothers are like widows.
4 [q]We have to pay for our drinking (AW)water,
Our wood comes to us at a price.
5 [r]Our pursuers are at our necks;
We are worn out, there is (AX)no rest for us.
6 We have [s]submitted to (AY)Egypt and Assyria [t]to get enough bread.
7 Our (AZ)fathers sinned, and are no more;
It is we who have borne their iniquities.
8 (BA)Slaves rule over us;
There is (BB)no one to deliver us from their hand.
9 We get our bread [u]at the (BC)risk of our lives
[v]Because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin has become as (BD)hot as an oven,
Because of [w]the burning heat of famine.
11 They ravished the (BE)women in Zion,
The virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes were hung by their hands;
[x](BF)Elders were not respected.
13 Young men [y](BG)worked at the grinding mill,
And youths (BH)stumbled under loads of wood.
14 Elders [z]are gone from the gate,
Young men from their (BI)music.
15 The joy of our hearts has (BJ)ceased;
Our dancing has been turned into mourning.
16 The (BK)crown has fallen from our head;
(BL)Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Because of this our (BM)heart is faint,
Because of these things our (BN)eyes are dim;
18 Because of (BO)Mount Zion which lies desolate,
(BP)Foxes prowl in it.
19 (BQ)You, O Lord, [aa]rule forever;
Your (BR)throne is from generation to generation.
20 Why do You (BS)forget us forever?
Why do You forsake us [ab]so long?
21 (BT)Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored;
Renew (BU)our days as of old,
22 Unless (BV)You have utterly rejected us
And are exceedingly (BW)angry with us.
Give Heed
2 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to [a]what we have heard, so that (A)we do not drift away from it. 2 For if the word (B)spoken through (C)angels proved [b]unalterable, and (D)every transgression and disobedience received a just [c](E)penalty, 3 (F)how will we escape if we neglect so great a (G)salvation? [d]After it was at the first (H)spoken through the Lord, it was (I)confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by (J)signs and wonders and by (K)various [e]miracles and by [f](L)gifts of the Holy Spirit (M)according to His own will.
Earth Subject to Man
5 For He did not subject to angels [g](N)the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. 6 But one has testified (O)somewhere, saying,
“(P)What is man, that You remember him?
Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?
7 “(Q)You have made him [h]for a little while lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
[i]And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
8 (R)You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now (S)we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
Jesus Briefly Humbled
9 But we do see Him who was (T)made [j]for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, (U)because of the suffering of death (V)crowned with glory and honor, so that (W)by the grace of God He might (X)taste death (Y)for everyone.
10 For (Z)it was fitting for Him, (AA)for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to (AB)perfect the [k](AC)author of their salvation through sufferings. 11 For both He who (AD)sanctifies and those who (AE)are [l]sanctified are all (AF)from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them (AG)brethren, 12 saying,
“(AH)I will proclaim Your name to My brethren,
In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
13 And again,
“(AI)I will put My trust in Him.”
And again,
“(AJ)Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
14 Therefore, since the children share in [m](AK)flesh and blood, (AL)He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that (AM)through death He might render powerless (AN)him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through (AO)fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not [n]give help to angels, but He gives help to the [o]descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He [p]had (AP)to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might (AQ)become a merciful and faithful (AR)high priest in (AS)things pertaining to God, to (AT)make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was (AU)tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.
A Psalm of David.
103 (A)Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His (B)holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And (C)forget none of His benefits;
3 Who (D)pardons all your iniquities,
Who (E)heals all your diseases;
4 Who (F)redeems your life from the pit,
Who (G)crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who (H)satisfies your [a]years with good things,
So that your youth is (I)renewed like the eagle.
6 The Lord (J)performs [b]righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are (K)oppressed.
7 He (L)made known His ways to Moses,
His (M)acts to the sons of Israel.
8 The Lord is (N)compassionate and gracious,
(O)Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
9 He (P)will not always strive with us,
Nor will He (Q)keep His anger forever.
10 He has (R)not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high (S)as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [c]fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He (T)removed our transgressions from us.
13 Just (U)as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who [d]fear Him.
14 For (V)He Himself knows [e]our frame;
He (W)is mindful that we are but (X)dust.
15 As for man, his days are (Y)like grass;
As a (Z)flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 When the (AA)wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its (AB)place acknowledges it no longer.
17 But the (AC)lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [f]fear Him,
And His [g]righteousness (AD)to children’s children,
18 To (AE)those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.
19 The Lord has established His (AF)throne in the heavens,
And His [h](AG)sovereignty rules over [i]all.
20 Bless the Lord, you (AH)His angels,
(AI)Mighty in strength, who (AJ)perform His word,
(AK)Obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the Lord, all you (AL)His hosts,
You (AM)who serve Him, doing His will.
22 Bless the Lord, (AN)all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.