God Is the Judge

501 The God of gods—Jehovah—hath spoken, And He calleth to the earth From the rising of the sun unto its going in. 2 From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shone. 3 Our God cometh, and is not silent, Fire before Him doth devour, And round about him it hath been very tempestuous. 4 He doth call unto the heavens from above, And unto the earth, to judge His people. 5 Gather ye to Me My saints, Making covenant with Me over a sacrifice. 6 And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself 'is' judge. Selah.

7 Hear, O My people, and I speak, O Israel, and I testify against thee, God, thy God 'am' I. 8 Not for thy sacrifices do I reprove thee, Yea, thy burnt-offerings 'Are' before Me continually. 9 I take not from thy house a bullock, From thy folds he goats. 10 For Mine 'is' every beast of the forest, The cattle on the hills of oxen. 11 I have known every fowl of the mountains, And the wild beast of the field 'is' with Me. 12 If I am hungry I tell not to thee, For Mine 'is' the world and its fulness. 13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls, And drink the blood of he-goats? 14 Sacrifice to God confession, And complete to the Most High thy vows. 15 And call Me in a day of adversity, I deliver thee, and thou honourest Me.

16 And to the wicked hath God said: What to thee—to recount My statutes? That thou liftest up My covenant on thy mouth? 17 Yea, thou hast hated instruction, And dost cast My words behind thee. 18 If thou hast seen a thief, Then thou art pleased with him, And with adulterers 'is' thy portion. 19 Thy mouth thou hast sent forth with evil, And thy tongue joineth deceit together, 20 Thou sittest, against thy brother thou speakest, Against a son of thy mother givest slander. 21 These thou didst, and I kept silent, Thou hast thought that I am like thee, I reprove thee, and set in array before thine eyes. 22 Understand this, I pray you, Ye who are forgetting God, Lest I tear, and there is no deliverer. 23 He who is sacrificing praise honoureth Me, As to him who maketh a way, I cause him to look on the salvation of God!

The Folly and Wickedness of Men

531 To the Overseer.—'On a disease.'—An instruction, by David. A fool said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They have done corruptly, Yea, they have done abominable iniquity, There is none doing good. 2 God from the heavens looked on the sons of men, To see if there be an understanding one, 'One' seeking God. 3 Every one went back, together they became filthy, There is none doing good—not even one. 4 Have not workers of iniquity known, Those eating my people have eaten bread, God they have not called. 5 There they feared a fear—there was no fear, For God hath scattered the bones of him Who is encamping against thee, Thou hast put to shame, For God hath despised them. 6 Who doth give from Zion the salvation of Israel? When God turneth back 'to' a captivity of His people, Jacob doth rejoice—Israel is glad!

A Prayer for Help against the Foe

601 To the Overseer.—'Concerning the Lily of Testimony,' a secret treasure of David, to teach, in his striving with Aram-Naharaim, and with Aram-Zobah, and Joab turneth back and smiteth Edom in the valley of Salt—twelve thousand. O God, Thou hadst cast us off, Thou hadst broken us—hadst been angry!—Thou dost turn back to us. 2 Thou hast caused the land to tremble, Thou hast broken it, Heal its breaches, for it hath moved. 3 Thou hast shewn Thy people a hard thing, Thou hast caused us to drink wine of trembling. 4 Thou hast given to those fearing thee an ensign. To be lifted up as an ensign Because of truth. Selah. 5 That Thy beloved ones may be drawn out, Save 'with' Thy right hand, and answer us.

6 God hath spoken in His holiness: I exult—I apportion Shechem, And the valley of Succoth I measure, 7 Mine 'is' Gilead, and mine 'is' Manasseh, And Ephraim 'is' the strength of my head, Judah 'is' my lawgiver, 8 Moab 'is' my pot for washing, over Edom I cast my shoe, Shout, concerning me, O Philistia. 9 Who doth bring me 'to' a city of bulwarks? Who hath led me unto Edom? 10 Is it not Thou, O God? hast Thou cast us off? And dost Thou not go forth, O God, with our hosts! 11 Give to us help from adversity, And vain 'is' the deliverance of man. 12 In God we do mightily, And He treadeth down our adversaries!

God Abases the Wicked and Exalts the Righteous

751 We have given thanks to Thee, O God, We have given thanks, and near 'is' Thy name, They have recounted Thy wonders. 2 When I receive an appointment, I—I do judge uprightly. 3 Melted is the earth and all its inhabitants, I—I have pondered its pillars. Selah. 4 I have said to the boastful, 'Be not boastful,' And to the wicked, 'Raise not up a horn.' 5 Raise not up on high your horn, (Ye speak with a stiff neck.)

6 For not from the east, or from the west, Nor from the wilderness—'is' elevation. 7 But God 'is' judge, This He maketh low—and this He lifteth up. 8 For a cup 'is' in the hand of Jehovah, And the wine hath foamed, It is full of mixture, and He poureth out of it, Only its dregs wring out, and drink, Do all the wicked of the earth, 9 And I—I declare 'it' to the age, I sing praise to the God of Jacob. 10 And all horns of the wicked I cut off, Exalted are the horns of the righteous!