A Psalm of Solomon: For the chief Musician.

1 Distress and the sound of war hath my ear heard, the sound of a trumpet proclaiming slaughter and destruction!

2 It is the sound of a mighty people as of an exceeding mighty wind! It is as the tempest of a mighty fire rushing through the wilderness.

3 And I said in my heart, Surely God will judge us.

4 I heard a sound in Jerusalem, the city of the sanctuary.

5 My loins were broken at the hearing thereof; my knees were loosed;

6 My heart was afraid; my bones were shaken like flax.

7 I said, Surely they direct their paths in righteousness. I considered the judgements of God from the creation of the heaven and the earth; I justified God in His judgements which have been of old.

8 God laid bare their sins in the sight of the sun; all the earth hath learned the righteous judgements of God.

9 In secret places beneath the earth were their iniquities that provoked Him to anger:

10 The son with the mother, and the father with the daughter wrought confusion;

11 They committed adultery each one with his neighbour's wife; they covenanted thereto with oaths one with another;

12 The holy things of God they took for spoil; and there was no inheritor to deliver out of their hand.

13 They went up to the altar of the Lord when they were full of all uncleanness; yea, even in their separation they polluted the sacrifices, eating them like profane meats.

14 They left not a sin undone, wherein they offended not above the heathen.

15 For this cause did God mingle for them a spirit of error; He made them to drink of the cup of unmixed wine until they were drunken.

16 He brought him that is from the utmost part of the earth, whose stroke is mighty;

17 He decreed war against Jerusalem and her land.

18 The princes of the land met him with joy; they said unto him, Blessed is thy path! come ye, enter in with peace.

19 They made the rough paths even before their entering in, they opened the gates that led unto Jerusalem; her walls they crowned with garlands.

20 He entered in, as a father entereth into his sons' house, in peace. He established his feet and made them very firm.

21 He occupied her strongholds, yea, and the wall of Jerusalem;

22 For God led him in safety, because of their blindness.

23 He cut off their princes and every wise councillor; he poured out the blood of the dwellers in Jerusalem like the water of uncleanness.

24 He carried away their sons and their daughters whom they had begotten in their defilement.

25 They had done according to their uncleanness, even as their fathers did,

26 They polluted Jerusalem and the things that had been dedicated unto the name of God.

27 God hath been justified in His judgements upon the nations of the earth,

28 And the saints of God are as innocent lambs in their midst.

29 The Lord is worthy to be praised that judgeth all the earth in His righteousness.

30 Behold now, O God, Thou hast shown to us Thy judgement in Thy righteousness.

31 Our eyes have seen Thy judgements, O God; we have justified Thy name that is honoured for evermore.

32 For Thou art the righteous God, that judgeth Israel with chastening.

33 O God, turn Thy mercy upon us and have compassion upon us.

34 Gather together the dispersed of Israel with mercy and loving-kindness.

35 For Thy faithfulness is with us; and when we stiffen our neck, Thou dost chasten us.

36 Forsake us not, O our God, lest the heathen should swallow us up, and there be none to deliver.

37 And Thou art our God from the beginning, and upon Thee have we set our hope, O Lord.

38 And we will not depart from Thee, for Thy judgements are gracious towards us.

39 Upon us and upon our children be Thy good pleasure for ever, O Lord our Saviour, that we be not moved again for ever.

40 The Lord is worthy to be praised in the mouth of His saints for the sake of His judgements,

41 And blessed art Thou of the Lord, O Israel, for evermore.