የዛሬ ንባቦች፡- ጁላይ 24

A Psalm of Asaph.

[1] O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple;
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
[2] They have given the bodies of your servants
to the birds of the heavens for food,
the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.
[3] They have poured out their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
[4] We have become a taunt to our neighbors,
mocked and derided by those around us.


[5] How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
[6] Pour out your anger on the nations
that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
that do not call upon your name!
[7] For they have devoured Jacob
and laid waste his habitation.


[8] Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
for we are brought very low.
[9] Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
for your name’s sake!
[10] Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes!


[11] Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
[12] Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors
the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
[13] But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

[1] The word of the LORD came to me: [2] “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? [3] As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. [4] Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.

[5] “If a man is righteous and does what is just and right—[6] if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, [7] does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, [8] does not lend at interest or take any profit, withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man, [9] walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord GOD.

[10] “If he fathers a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things [11] (though he himself did none of these things), who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor’s wife, [12] oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, [13] lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.

[14] “Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: [15] he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, [16] does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, [17] withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live. [18] As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity.

[19] “Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. [20] The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

[21] “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. [22] None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. [23] Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? [24] But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

[25] “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? [26] When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. [27] Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. [28] Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. [29] Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

[30] “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. [31] Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? [32] For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”

[1] And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, [2] and say:

What was your mother? A lioness!
Among lions she crouched;
in the midst of young lions
she reared her cubs.
[3] And she brought up one of her cubs;
he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
he devoured men.
[4] The nations heard about him;
he was caught in their pit,
and they brought him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.
[5] When she saw that she waited in vain,
that her hope was lost,
she took another of her cubs
and made him a young lion.
[6] He prowled among the lions;
he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
he devoured men,
[7] and seized their widows.
He laid waste their cities,
and the land was appalled and all who were in it
at the sound of his roaring.
[8] Then the nations set against him
from provinces on every side;
they spread their net over him;
he was taken in their pit.
[9] With hooks they put him in a cage
and brought him to the king of Babylon;
they brought him into custody,
that his voice should no more be heard
on the mountains of Israel.


[10] Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard
planted by the water,
fruitful and full of branches
by reason of abundant water.
[11] Its strong stems became
rulers’ scepters;
it towered aloft
among the thick boughs;
it was seen in its height
with the mass of its branches.
[12] But the vine was plucked up in fury,
cast down to the ground;
the east wind dried up its fruit;
they were stripped off and withered.
As for its strong stem,
fire consumed it.
[13] Now it is planted in the wilderness,
in a dry and thirsty land.
[14] And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots,
has consumed its fruit,
so that there remains in it no strong stem,
no scepter for ruling.


This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.

[1] Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife.
[2] A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully
and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
[3] The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and the LORD tests hearts.
[4] An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
[5] Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker;
he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
[6] Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers.
[7] Fine speech is not becoming to a fool;
still less is false speech to a prince.
[8] A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.
[9] Whoever covers an offense seeks love,
but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.
[10] A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
than a hundred blows into a fool.
[11] An evil man seeks only rebellion,
and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
[12] Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs
rather than a fool in his folly.
[13] If anyone returns evil for good,
evil will not depart from his house.
[14] The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
[15] He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
[16] Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom
when he has no sense?
[17] A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
[18] One who lacks sense gives a pledge
and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
[19] Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who makes his door high seeks destruction.
[20] A man of crooked heart does not discover good,
and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
[21] He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
and the father of a fool has no joy.
[22] A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
[23] The wicked accepts a bribe in secret
to pervert the ways of justice.
[24] The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
[25] A foolish son is a grief to his father
and bitterness to her who bore him.
[26] To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
[27] Whoever restrains his words has knowledge,
and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
[28] Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

[1] This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. [2] Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. [3] But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. [4] For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. [5] Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

[6] I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. [7] For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

[8] Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! [9] For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. [10] We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. [11] To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, [12] and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; [13] when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

[14] I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. [15] For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. [16] I urge you, then, be imitators of me. [17] That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. [18] Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. [19] But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. [20] For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. [21] What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?