ISAIAH 14

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Israel’s Taunt  14:1 When the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the LORD as male servants and female servants; and they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors.
    3 And it will be in the day when the LORD gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved, 4 that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,

“How the oppressor has ceased,

And how fury has ceased!

5 “The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,

The scepter of rulers

6 Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes,

Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.

7 “The whole earth is at rest and is quiet;

They break forth into shouts of joy.

8 “Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,

‘Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’

9 “Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come;

It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth;

It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

10 “They will all respond and say to you,

‘Even you have been made weak as we,

You have become like us.

11 ‘Your pomp and the music of your harps

Have been brought down to Sheol;

Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you

And worms are your covering.’

12 “How you have fallen from heaven,

O star of the morning, son of the dawn!

You have been cut down to the earth,

You who have weakened the nations!

13 “But you said in your heart,

‘I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise my throne above the stars of God,

And I will sit on the mount of assembly

In the recesses of the north.

14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.’

15 “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol,

To the recesses of the pit.

16 “Those who see you will gaze at you,

They will ponder over you, saying,

‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,

Who shook kingdoms,

17 Who made the world like a wilderness

And overthrew its cities,

Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’

18 “All the kings of the nations lie in glory,

Each in his own tomb.

19 “But you have been cast out of your tomb

Like a rejected branch,

Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword,

Who go down to the stones of the pit

Like a trampled corpse.

20 “You will not be united with them in burial,

Because you have ruined your country,

You have slain your people.

May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever.

21 “Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter

Because of the iniquity of their fathers.

They must not arise and take possession of the earth

And fill the face of the world with cities.”

22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and posterity,” declares the LORD. 23 “I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts.
Judgment on Assyria24 The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand, 25 to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder. 26 This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. 27 For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”
    28 In the year that King Ahaz died this oracle came:
Judgment on Philistia

29 “Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you,

Because the rod that struck you is broken;

For from the serpent’s root a viper will come out,

And its fruit will be a flying serpent.

30 “Those who are most helpless will eat,

And the needy will lie down in security;

I will destroy your root with famine,

And it will kill off your survivors.

31 “Wail, O gate; cry, O city;

Melt away, O Philistia, all of you;

For smoke comes from the north,

And there is no straggler in his ranks.

32 “How then will one answer the messengers of the nation?

That the LORD has founded Zion,

And the afflicted of His people will seek refuge in it.”

PSALM 59

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Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies.For the choir director; set to Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David, when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.
59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;

Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.

2 Deliver me from those who do iniquity

And save me from men of bloodshed.

3 For behold, they have set an ambush for my life;

Fierce men launch an attack against me,

Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD,

4 For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me.

Arouse Yourself to help me, and see!

5 You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel,

Awake to punish all the nations;

Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah.

6 They return at evening, they howl like a dog,

And go around the city.

7 Behold, they belch forth with their mouth;

Swords are in their lips,

For, they say, “Who hears?”

8 But You, O LORD, laugh at them;

You scoff at all the nations.

9 Because of his strength I will watch for You,

For God is my stronghold.

10 My God in His lovingkindness will meet me;

God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes.

11 Do not slay them, or my people will forget;

Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down,

O Lord, our shield.

12 On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,

Let them even be caught in their pride,

And on account of curses and lies which they utter.

13 Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more;

That men may know that God rules in Jacob

To the ends of the earth. Selah.

14 They return at evening, they howl like a dog,

And go around the city.

15 They wander about for food

And growl if they are not satisfied.

16 But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;

Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,

For You have been my stronghold

And a refuge in the day of my distress.

17 O my strength, I will sing praises to You;

For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

PSALM 60

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Lament over Defeat in Battle, and Prayer for Help.For the choir director; according to Shushan Eduth. A Mikhtam of David, to teach; when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
60:1 O God, You have rejected us. You have broken us;

You have been angry; O, restore us.

2 You have made the land quake, You have split it open;

Heal its breaches, for it totters.

3 You have made Your people experience hardship;

You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger.

4 You have given a banner to those who fear You,

That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

5 That Your beloved may be delivered,

Save with Your right hand, and answer us!

6 God has spoken in His holiness:

“I will exult, I will portion out Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth.

7 “Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;

Ephraim also is the helmet of My head;

Judah is My scepter.

8 “Moab is My washbowl;

Over Edom I shall throw My shoe;

Shout loud, O Philistia, because of Me!”

9 Who will bring me into the besieged city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

10 Have not You Yourself, O God, rejected us?

And will You not go forth with our armies, O God?

11 O give us help against the adversary,

For deliverance by man is in vain.

12 Through God we shall do valiantly,

And it is He who will tread down our adversaries.

PROVERBS 21

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On Life and Conduct21:1 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;

He turns it wherever He wishes.

2 Every man’s way is right in his own eyes,

But the LORD weighs the hearts.

3 To do righteousness and justice

Is desired by the LORD more than sacrifice.

4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,

The lamp of the wicked, is sin.

5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage,

But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

6 The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue

Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death.

7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,

Because they refuse to act with justice.

8 The way of a guilty man is crooked,

But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.

9 It is better to live in a corner of a roof

Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;

His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.

11 When the scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise;

But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

12 The righteous one considers the house of the wicked,

Turning the wicked to ruin.

13 He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor

Will also cry himself and not be answered.

14 A gift in secret subdues anger,

And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.

15 The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous,

But is terror to the workers of iniquity.

16 A man who wanders from the way of understanding

Will rest in the assembly of the dead.

17 He who loves pleasure will become a poor man;

He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.

18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,

And the treacherous is in the place of the upright.

19 It is better to live in a desert land

Than with a contentious and vexing woman.

20 There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise,

But a foolish man swallows it up.

21 He who pursues righteousness and loyalty

Finds life, righteousness and honor.

22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty

And brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue,

Guards his soul from troubles.

24 “Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names,

Who acts with insolent pride.

25 The desire of the sluggard puts him to death,

For his hands refuse to work;

26 All day long he is craving,

While the righteous gives and does not hold back.

27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,

How much more when he brings it with evil intent!

28 A false witness will perish,

But the man who listens to the truth will speak forever.

29 A wicked man displays a bold face,

But as for the upright, he makes his way sure.

30 There is no wisdom and no understanding

And no counsel against the LORD.

31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle,

But victory belongs to the LORD.