The Daily Audio Bible
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The Punishment of Zion
4 How the gold has grown dim;
how the pure gold is changed!
The sacred stones lie scattered
at the head of every street.
2 The precious children of Zion,
worth their weight in fine gold—
how they are reckoned as earthen pots,
the work of a potter’s hands!(A)
3 Even the jackals offer the breast
and nurse their young,
but my people has become cruel,
like the ostriches in the wilderness.(B)
4 The tongue of the infant sticks
to the roof of its mouth for thirst;
the children beg for food,
but there is nothing for them.(C)
5 Those who feasted on delicacies
perish in the streets;
those who were brought up in purple
cling to ash heaps.
6 For the chastisement of my people has been greater
than the punishment of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment,
though no hand was laid on it.[a](D)
7 Her princes were purer than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than coral,
their form cut like sapphire.[b](E)
8 Now their visage is blacker than soot;
they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become as dry as wood.(F)
9 Happier were those pierced by the sword
than those pierced by hunger,
whose life drains away, deprived
of the produce of the field.(G)
10 The hands of compassionate women
have boiled their own children;
they became their food
in the destruction of my people.(H)
11 The Lord gave full vent to his wrath;
he poured out his hot anger
and kindled a fire in Zion
that consumed its foundations.(I)
12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
nor did any of the inhabitants of the world,
that foe or enemy could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.(J)
13 It was for the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed the blood of the righteous
in her midst.(K)
14 Blindly they wandered through the streets,
so defiled with blood
that no one was able
to touch their garments.(L)
15 “Away! Unclean!” people shouted at them;
“Away! Away! Do not touch!”
So they became fugitives and wanderers;
it was said among the nations,
“They shall stay here no longer.”(M)
16 The Lord himself has scattered them;
he will regard them no more;
no honor was shown to the priests,
no favor to the elders.(N)
17 Our eyes failed, ever watching
vainly for help;
we were watching eagerly
for a nation that could not save.(O)
18 They dogged our steps
so that we could not walk in our streets;
our end drew near; our days were numbered,
for our end had come.(P)
19 Our pursuers were swifter
than the eagles in the heavens;
they chased us on the mountains;
they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.(Q)
20 The Lord’s anointed, the breath of our life,
was taken in their pits—
the one of whom we said, “Under his shadow
we shall live among the nations.”(R)
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter Edom,
you that live in the land of Uz;
but to you also the cup shall pass;
you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.(S)
22 The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter Zion, is accomplished;
he will keep you in exile no longer;
but your iniquity, O daughter Edom, he will punish;
he will uncover your sins.(T)
A Plea for Mercy
5 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us;
look, and see our disgrace!(U)
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to aliens.(V)
3 We have become orphans, fatherless;
our mothers are like widows.
4 We must pay for the water we drink;
the wood we get must be bought.
5 With a yoke[c] on our necks we are hard driven;
we are weary; we are given no rest.(W)
6 We have made a pact with[d] Egypt and Assyria
to get enough bread.(X)
7 Our ancestors sinned; they are no more,
and we bear their iniquities.(Y)
8 Slaves rule over us;
there is no one to deliver us from their hand.(Z)
9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives,
because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin is black as an oven
from the scorching heat of famine.(AA)
11 Women are raped in Zion,
young women in the towns of Judah.(AB)
12 Princes are hung up by their hands;
no respect is shown to the elders.(AC)
13 Young men are compelled to grind,
and boys stagger under loads of wood.(AD)
14 The old men have left the city gate,
the young men their music.
15 The joy of our hearts has ceased;
our dancing has been turned to mourning.(AE)
16 The crown has fallen from our head;
woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Because of this our hearts are sick;
because of these things our eyes have grown dim:(AF)
18 because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate;
jackals prowl over it.
19 But you, O Lord, reign forever;
your throne endures to all generations.(AG)
20 Why have you forgotten us completely?
Why have you forsaken us these many days?(AH)
21 Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored;
renew our days as of old—(AI)
22 unless you have utterly rejected us
and are angry with us beyond measure.(AJ)
Warning to Pay Attention
2 Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message declared through angels proved valid, and every transgression or disobedience received a just penalty,(A) 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? It was declared at first through the Lord, and it was confirmed for us by those who heard him,(B) 4 while God added his testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will.(C)
Exaltation through Abasement
5 Now God[a] did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels.(D) 6 But someone has testified somewhere,
“What are humans that you are mindful of them[b]
or mortals that you care for them?[c](E)
7 You have made them for a little while lower[d] than the angels;
you have crowned them with glory and honor,[e]
8 subjecting all things under their feet.”
Now in subjecting all things to them, God[f] left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them,(F) 9 but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower[g] than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God[h] he might taste death for everyone.(G)
10 It was fitting that God,[i] for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.(H) 11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father.[j] For this reason Jesus[k] is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,(I) 12 saying,
“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”(J)
13 And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again,
“Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”(K)
14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,(L) 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.(M) 16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people.(N) 18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.(O)
Psalm 103
Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness
Of David.
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.(A)
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,(B)
4 who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,(C)
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live[a]
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.(D)
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.(E)
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our iniquities.(F)
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;(G)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.(H)
13 As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.(I)
14 For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.(J)
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass;
they flourish like a flower of the field;(K)
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.(L)
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.(M)
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
obedient to his spoken word.(N)
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers who do his will.(O)
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.