Study Desk

Truly against me his hand has been turned again and again all the day.

With his bow bent, he has made me the mark for his arrows.

He has let loose his arrows into the inmost parts of my body.

It is through the Lord's love that we have not come to destruction, because his mercies have no limit.

Let him put his mouth in the dust, if by chance there may be hope.

Let his face be turned to him who gives him blows; let him be full of shame.

For though he sends grief, still he will have pity in the full measure of his love.

In a man's crushing under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,

In his turning away the right of a man before the face of the Most High.

In his doing wrong to a man in his cause, the Lord has no pleasure.

What protest may a living man make, even a man about the punishment of his sin?

The tongue of the child at the breast is fixed to the roof of his mouth for need of drink: the young children are crying out for bread, and no man gives it to them.

The Lord has given full effect to his passion, he has let loose his burning wrath; he has made a fire in Zion, causing the destruction of its bases.

Our breath of life, he on whom the holy oil was put, was taken in their holes; of whom we said, Under his shade we will be living among the nations.

And I saw it coloured like electrum, with the look of fire in it and round it, going up from what seemed to be the middle of his body; and going down from what seemed to be the middle of his body I saw what was like fire, and there was a bright light shining round him.

And at his words the spirit came into me and put me on my feet; and his voice came to my ears.

Then I was lifted up by the wind, and at my back the sound of a great rushing came to my ears when the glory of the Lord was lifted up from his place.

When I say to the evil-doer, Death will certainly be your fate; and you give him no word of it and say nothing to make clear to the evil-doer the danger of his evil way, so that he may be safe; that same evil man will come to death in his evil-doing; but I will make you responsible for his blood.

But if you give the evil-doer word of his danger, and he is not turned from his sin or from his evil way, death will overtake him in his evil-doing; but your life will be safe.

Again, when an upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, and I put a cause of falling in his way, death will overtake him: because you have given him no word of his danger, death will overtake him in his evil-doing, and there will be no memory of the upright acts which he has done; but I will make you responsible for his blood.