Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned(A) in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord(B) our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant,
    of contempt from the proud.

123 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

16 Then the Lord raised up judges,[a](A) who saved(B) them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted(C) themselves to other gods(D) and worshiped them.(E) They quickly turned(F) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.(G) 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved(H) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented(I) because of their groaning(J) under those who oppressed and afflicted(K) them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt(L) than those of their ancestors,(M) following other gods and serving and worshiping them.(N) They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn(O) ways.

20 Therefore the Lord was very angry(P) with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant(Q) I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21 I will no longer drive out(R) before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 I will use them to test(S) Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.(T)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Judges 2:16 Or leaders; similarly in verses 17-19

16 Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.

18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

20 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:

22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Read full chapter

The fourth angel(A) poured out his bowl on the sun,(B) and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.(C) They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,(D) who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent(E) and glorify him.(F)

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,(G) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.(H) People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed(I) the God of heaven(J) because of their pains and their sores,(K) but they refused to repent of what they had done.(L)

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,(M) and its water was dried up to prepare the way(N) for the kings from the East.(O) 13 Then I saw three impure spirits(P) that looked like frogs;(Q) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,(R) out of the mouth of the beast(S) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(T) 14 They are demonic spirits(U) that perform signs,(V) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,(W) to gather them for the battle(X) on the great day(Y) of God Almighty.

15 “Look, I come like a thief!(Z) Blessed is the one who stays awake(AA) and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”(AB)

16 Then they gathered the kings together(AC) to the place that in Hebrew(AD) is called Armageddon.(AE)

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,(AF) and out of the temple(AG) came a loud voice(AH) from the throne, saying, “It is done!”(AI) 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder(AJ) and a severe earthquake.(AK) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,(AL) so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city(AM) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered(AN) Babylon the Great(AO) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.(AP) 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.(AQ) 21 From the sky huge hailstones,(AR) each weighing about a hundred pounds,[a] fell on people. And they cursed God(AS) on account of the plague of hail,(AT) because the plague was so terrible.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 16:21 Or about 45 kilograms

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Read full chapter