Menof lowdegreeare onlyvanityand menof rankare a lie;In the balancesthey goup; They are togetherlighter thanbreath.
Now someone toldDavid,saying,"Ahithophelis among the conspiratorswith Absalom."And Davidsaid,"O LORD,I pray,makethe counselof Ahithophelfoolishness."
In thismannerAbsalomdealtwith allIsraelwhocameto the kingfor judgment;so Absalomstoleawaythe heartsof the menof Israel.
Then Hezekiahtookthe letterfrom the handof the messengersand readit, and he wentup to the houseof the LORDand spreadit out beforethe LORD.
I saidin my alarm,"Allmenare liars."
It is betterto takerefugein the LORDThanto trustin princes.
When my spiritwas overwhelmedwithinme, You knewmy path.In the waywhereI walkThey have hiddena trapfor me.
"With reproofsYou chastena manfor iniquity;You consumeas a mothwhat is preciousto him; Surelyeverymanis a merebreath.Selah.
"Behold,You have mademy days[as] handbreadths,And my lifetimeas nothingin Your sight;Surelyeverymanat his bestis a merebreath.Selah.
Thereforewe will not fear,though the earthshould changeAnd though the mountainsslipinto the heartof the sea;
I have becomea marvelto many,For You are my strongrefuge.
"Trustin the LORDforever,For in GODthe LORD,[we have] an everlastingRock.
Behold,the nationsare like a dropfrom a bucket,And are regardedas a speckof duston the scales;Behold,He liftsup the islandslike finedust.
Allthe nationsare as nothingbeforeHim, They are regardedby Him as lessthannothingand meaningless.
"'TEKEL--you have been weighedon the scalesand founddeficient.
The crowdsgoing aheadof Him, and thosewho followed,were shouting,"Hosannato the Sonof David;BLESSEDIS HE WHO COMESIN THE NAMEOF THE LORD;Hosannain the highest!"
Sothey criedout, "Awaywith [Him], awaywith [Him], crucifyHim!" Pilatesaidto them, "Shall I crucifyyour King?"The chief priestsanswered,"We havenokingbut Caesar."
May it neverbe! Rather,let Godbe foundtrue,thougheveryman[be found] a liar,as it is written,"THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIEDIN YOUR WORDS,AND PREVAILWHENYOU ARE JUDGED."
But Hannahreplied,"No,my lord,I am a womanoppressedin spirit;I have drunkneitherwinenorstrongdrink,but I have pouredout my soulbeforethe LORD.
So Davidwentout whereverSaulsenthim, [and] prospered;and Saulsethim overthe menof war.And it was pleasingin the sightof allthe peopleand alsoin the sightof Saul'sservants.
The womensangas they played,and said,"Saulhas slainhis thousands,And Davidhis tenthousands."
Then Davidsaid,"Will the menof Keilahsurrenderme and my meninto the handof Saul?"And the LORDsaid,"They will surrenderyou."
