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Lamentations 4-5:22 (Contemporary English Version)
Lamentations 4
The Punishment of Jerusalem
The Prophet Speaks:
1The purest gold is ruined
and has lost its shine;
jewels from the temple
lie scattered in the streets.
2These are Zion's people,
worth more than purest gold;
yet they are counted worthless
like dishes of clay.
3Even jackals [a]
nurse their young,
but my people are like ostriches
that abandon their own.
4Babies are so thirsty
that their tongues
are stuck
to the roof of the mouth.
Children go begging for food,
but no one gives them any.
5All who ate expensive foods
lie starving in the streets;
those who grew up in luxury
now sit on trash heaps.
6My nation was punished worse
than the people of Sodom,
whose city was destroyed
in a flash
without the help
of human hands. [b]
7The leaders of Jerusalem
were purer than snow
and whiter than milk;
their bodies were healthy
and glowed like jewels. [c]
8Now they are blacker than tar,
and no one recognizes them;
their skin clings to their bones
and is drier than firewood.
9Being killed with a sword
is better
than slowly
starving to death.
10Life in the city is so bad
that loving mothers
have boiled
and eaten their own children.
11The LORD was so fiercely angry
that he burned the city of Zion
to the ground.
12Not a king on this earth
or the people of any nation
believed enemies could break
through her gates.
13Jerusalem was punished because
her prophets and her priests
had sinned and caused the death
of innocent victims.
14Yes, her prophets and priests
were covered with blood;
no one would come near them,
as they wandered
from street to street.
15Instead, everyone shouted,
"Go away! Don't touch us!
You're filthy and unfit
to belong to God's people!"
So they had to leave
and become refugees.
But foreign nations told them,
"You can't stay here!" [d]
16The LORD is the one
who sent them scattering,
and he has forgotten them.
No respect or kindness
will be shown
to the priests or leaders.
17Our eyes became weary,
hopelessly looking
for help
from a nation [e] that could not save us.
18Enemies hunted us down
on every public street.
Our time was up;
our doom was near.
19They swooped down faster
than eagles from the sky.
They hunted for us in the hills
and set traps to catch us
out in the desert.
20The LORD's chosen leader [f]
was our hope for survival!
We thought he would keep us safe
somewhere among the nations,
but even he was caught
in one of their traps.
21You people of Edom
can celebrate now!
But your time will come
to suffer
and stagger
around naked.
22The people of Zion
have paid for their sins,
and the Lord will soon
let them return home.
But, people of Edom,
you will be punished,
and your sins exposed.
Lamentations 5
A Prayer for Mercy
The People of Jerusalem Pray: [g]
1Our LORD, don't forget
how we have suffered
and been disgraced.
2Foreigners and strangers
have taken our land
and our homes.
3We are like children
whose mothers are widows.
4The water we drink
and the wood we burn
cost far too much.
5We are terribly mistreated; [h]
we are worn out
and can find no rest.
6We had to surrender
to [i] Egypt and Assyria because we were hungry.
7Our ancestors sinned,
but they are dead,
and we are left to pay
for their sins.
8Slaves are now our rulers,
and there is no one
to set us free.
9We are in danger
from brutal desert tribes;
we must risk our lives
just to bring in our crops. [j]
10Our skin is scorched
from fever and hunger.
11On Zion and everywhere in Judah
our wives and daughters
are being raped.
12Our rulers are strung up
by their arms,
and our nation's advisors
are treated shamefully.
13Young men are forced
to do the work of slaves;
boys must carry
heavy loads of wood.
14Our leaders are not allowed
to decide cases in court,
and young people
no longer play music.
15Our hearts are sad;
instead of dancing,
we mourn.
16Zion's glory has disappeared!
And we are doomed
because of our sins.
17We feel sick all over
and can't even see straight;
18our city is in ruins,
overrun by wild dogs.
19You will rule forever, LORD!
You are King for all time.
20Why have you forgotten us
for so long?
21Bring us back to you!
Give us a fresh start.
22Or do you despise us so much
that you don't want us?
Footnotes:
Lamentations 4:3 jackals: Desert animals related to wolves, but smaller.
Lamentations 4:6 hands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 6.
Lamentations 4:7 jewels: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 7.
Lamentations 4:15 here: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 15.
Lamentations 4:17 nation: Egypt, a former ally of Judah.
Lamentations 4:20 chosen leader: Probably Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, taken away to Babylonia in 586 B.C.
Lamentations 5:1 (5.1 The People of Jerusalem Pray: Or "The Prophet Prays.")
Lamentations 5:5 We. . . mistreated: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Lamentations 5:6 surrender to: Or "make treaties with."
Lamentations 5:9 crops: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 9.
Hebrews 2:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)
Hebrews 2
This Great Way of Being Saved
1We must give our full attention to what we were told, so that we won't drift away. 2The message spoken by angels proved to be true, and all who disobeyed or rejected it were punished as they deserved. 3So if we refuse this great way of being saved, how can we hope to escape? The Lord himself was the first to tell about it, and people who heard the message proved to us that it was true. 4God himself showed that his message was true by working all kinds of powerful miracles and wonders. He also gave his Holy Spirit to anyone he chose to.
The One Who Leads Us To Be Saved
5We know that God did not put the future world under the power of angels. 6Somewhere in the Scriptures someone says to God,
"What makes you care
about us humans?
Why are you concerned
for weaklings such as we?
7You made us lower
than the angels
for a while.
Yet you have crowned us
with glory and honor. [a]
8And you have put everything under our power!"
God has put everything under our power and has not left anything out of our power. But we still don't see it all under our power. 9What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels. Because of God's wonderful kindness, Jesus died for everyone. And now that Jesus has suffered and died, he is crowned with glory and honor!
10Everything belongs to God, and all things were created by his power. So God did the right thing when he made Jesus perfect by suffering, as Jesus led many of God's children to be saved and to share in his glory. 11Jesus and the people he makes holy all belong to the same family. That is why he isn't ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12He even said to God,
"I will tell them your name
and sing your praises
when they come together
to worship."
13He also said,
"I will trust God."
Then he said,
"Here I am with the children
God has given me."
14We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. 15But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying. 16Jesus clearly did not come to help angels, but he did come to help Abraham's descendants. 17He had to be one of us, so that he could serve God as our merciful and faithful high priest and sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of our sins. 18And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted.
Footnotes:
Hebrews 2:7 and honor: Some manuscripts add "and you have placed us in charge of all you created."
Psalm 103:1-22 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 103
(By David.)
The LORD's Wonderful Love
1With all my heart
I praise the LORD,
and with all that I am
I praise his holy name!
2With all my heart
I praise the LORD!
I will never forget
how kind he has been.
3The LORD forgives our sins,
heals us when we are sick,
4and protects us from death.
His kindness and love
are a crown on our heads.
5Each day that we live, [a]
he provides for our needs
and gives us the strength
of a young eagle.
6For all who are mistreated,
the LORD brings justice.
7He taught his Law to Moses
and showed all Israel
what he could do.
8The LORD is merciful!
He is kind and patient,
and his love never fails.
9The LORD won't always be angry
and point out our sins;
10he doesn't punish us
as our sins deserve.
11How great is God's love for all
who worship him?
Greater than the distance
between heaven and earth!
12How far has the LORD taken
our sins from us?
Farther than the distance
from east to west!
13Just as parents are kind
to their children,
the LORD is kind
to all who worship him,
14because he knows
we are made of dust.
15We humans are like grass
or wild flowers
that quickly bloom.
16But a scorching wind blows,
and they quickly wither
to be forever forgotten.
17The LORD is always kind
to those who worship him,
and he keeps his promises
to their descendants
18who faithfully obey him.
19God has set up his kingdom
in heaven,
and he rules
the whole creation.
20All of you mighty angels,
who obey God's commands,
come and praise your LORD!
21All of you thousands
who serve and obey God,
come and praise your LORD!
22All of God's creation
and all that he rules,
come and praise your LORD!
With all my heart
I praise the LORD!
Footnotes:
Psalm 103:5 Each. . . live: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Proverbs 26:23 (Contemporary English Version)
23Hiding hateful thoughts
behind smooth [a] talk is like coating a clay pot
with a cheap glaze.
Footnotes:
Proverbs 26:23 smooth: One ancient translation; Hebrew " hateful."
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