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Terrors of the Besieged City
א Aleph
4 How the gold has become tarnished,
the fine gold become dull!
The stones of the temple[a] lie scattered
at the head of every street.(A)
ב Beth
2 Zion’s precious children—
once worth their weight in pure gold(B)—
how they are regarded as clay jars,
the work of a potter’s hands!
ג Gimel
3 Even jackals offer their breasts
to nurse their young,
but my dear people have become cruel
like ostriches(C) in the wilderness.
ד Daleth
4 The nursing baby’s tongue
clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst.(D)
Infants beg for food,
but no one gives them any.
ה He
5 Those who used to eat delicacies
are destitute in the streets;
those who were reared in purple garments(E)
huddle in trash heaps.
ו Waw
6 The punishment of my dear people
is greater than that of Sodom,(F)
which was overthrown in an instant
without a hand laid on it.
ז Zayin
7 Her dignitaries were brighter than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies[b] were more ruddy than coral,
their appearance like lapis lazuli.
ח Cheth
8 Now they appear darker than soot;(G)
they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become dry like wood.
ט Teth
9 Those slain by the sword are better off
than those slain by hunger,
who waste away, pierced with pain
because the fields lack produce.
י Yod
10 The hands of compassionate women
have cooked their own children;(H)
they became their food
during the destruction of my dear people.(I)
כ Kaph
11 The Lord has exhausted his wrath,
poured out his burning anger;
he has ignited a fire in Zion,
and it has consumed her foundations.(J)
ל Lamed
12 The kings of the earth
and all the world’s inhabitants did not believe
that an enemy or adversary
could enter Jerusalem’s gates.(K)
מ Mem
13 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed the blood of the righteous within her.(L)
נ Nun
14 Blind, they stumbled in the streets,(M)
defiled by this blood,(N)
so that no one dared
to touch their garments.
ס Samek
15 “Stay away! Unclean!” people shouted at them.
“Away, away! Don’t touch us!” (O)
So they wandered aimlessly.(P)
It was said among the nations,
“They can stay here no longer.”
פ Pe
16 The Lord himself has scattered them;
he no longer watches over them.
The priests are not respected;
the elders find no favor.
ע Ayin
17 All the while our eyes were failing
as we looked in vain for help;(Q)
we watched from our towers
for a nation that would not save us.
צ Tsade
18 Our steps were closely followed
so that we could not walk in our streets.
Our end approached;(R) our time ran out.
Our end had come!
ק Qoph
19 Those who chased us were swifter
than eagles in the sky;(S)
they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains
and ambushed us in the wilderness.
ר Resh
20 The Lord’s anointed, the breath of our life,[c](T)
was captured in their traps.
We had said about him,
“We will live under his protection among the nations.”
שׂ Sin
21 So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,(U)
you resident of the land of Uz!(V)
Yet the cup(W) will pass to you as well;
you will get drunk and expose yourself.
ת Taw
22 Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete;
he will not lengthen your exile.[d]
But he will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom,
and will expose your sins.(X)
Prayer for Restoration
5 Lord, remember what has happened to us.
Look, and see our disgrace!(Y)
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our houses to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans, fatherless;
our mothers are widows.
4 We must pay for the water we drink;
our wood comes at a price.
5 We are closely pursued;
we are tired, and no one offers us rest.
6 We made a treaty with[e] Egypt
and with Assyria, to get enough food.(Z)
7 Our ancestors sinned; they no longer exist,
but we bear their punishment.(AA)
8 Slaves rule over us;(AB)
no one rescues us from them.
9 We secure our food at the risk of our lives
because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin is as hot[f] as an oven(AC)
from the ravages of hunger.
11 Women have been raped in Zion,
virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes have been hung up by their hands;
elders are shown no respect.(AD)
13 Young men labor at millstones;(AE)
boys stumble under loads of wood.
14 The elders have left the city gate,
the young men, their music.(AF)
15 Joy has left our hearts;(AG)
our dancing has turned to mourning.
16 The crown has fallen from our head.(AH)
Woe to us, for we have sinned.(AI)
17 Because of this, our heart is sick;
because of these, our eyes grow dim:(AJ)
18 because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate
and has jackals prowling in it.(AK)
19 You, Lord, are enthroned forever;
your throne endures from generation to generation.(AL)
20 Why do you continually forget us,(AM)
abandon us for our entire lives?
21 Lord, bring us back to yourself, so we may return;(AN)
renew our days as in former times,
22 unless you have completely rejected us
and are intensely angry with us.
Warning against Neglect
2 For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.(A) 2 For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding[a](B) and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment,(C) 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?(D) This salvation had its beginning when it was spoken of by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us by those who heard him.(E) 4 At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to his will.(F)
Jesus and Humanity
5 For he has not subjected to angels the world to come that we are talking about. 6 But someone somewhere has testified:
What is man that you remember him,
or the son of man that you care for him?
7 You made him lower than the angels
for a short time;
you crowned him with glory and honor[b]
8 and subjected everything under his feet.[c]
For in subjecting everything to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we do not yet see everything subjected to him.(G) 9 But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace he might taste death(H) for everyone—crowned with glory and honor(I) because he suffered death.(J)
10 For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer[d] of their salvation perfect through sufferings.(K) 11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father.[e] That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,(L) 12 saying:
I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
I will sing hymns to you in the congregation.[f](M)
13 Again, I will trust in him.[g] And again, Here I am with the children God gave me.[h](N)
14 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil(O)— 15 and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.(P) 16 For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring.(Q) 17 Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters[i] pertaining to God, to make atonement[j](R) for the sins of the people.(S) 18 For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
Psalm 103
The Forgiving God
Of David.
1 My soul, bless the Lord,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.(A)
2 My soul, bless the Lord,
and do not forget all his benefits.(B)
3 He forgives all your iniquity;(C)
he heals all your diseases.(D)
4 He redeems your life from the Pit;(E)
he crowns you with faithful love and compassion.(F)
5 He satisfies you[a] with good things;(G)
your youth is renewed like the eagle.(H)
6 The Lord executes acts of righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.(I)
7 He revealed his ways to Moses,(J)
his deeds to the people of Israel.(K)
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.(L)
9 He will not always accuse us
or be angry forever.(M)
10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our iniquities.(N)
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his faithful love
toward those who fear him.(O)
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed
our transgressions from us.(P)
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.(Q)
14 For he knows what we are made of,
remembering that we are dust.(R)
15 As for man, his days are like grass—
he blooms like a flower of the field;(S)
16 when the wind passes over it, it vanishes,
and its place is no longer known.[b](T)
17 But from eternity to eternity
the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear him,
and his righteousness toward the grandchildren(U)
18 of those who keep his covenant,
who remember to observe his precepts.(V)
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.(W)
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