“People listened to me and waited silently; they kept silent for my advice.

י (Yod) Let a person sit alone in silence, when the Lord is disciplining him.

My heart is in turmoil unceasingly; the days of my affliction confront me.

Patiently wait for God alone, my soul! For he is the one who gives me confidence.

Lament, you residents of the coast, you merchants of Sidon who travel over the sea, whose agents sail over

Their peaceful dwelling places will be laid waste by the fierce anger of the Lord.

He watches over his holy ones, but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness, for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.

because I was terrified of the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I remained silent and would not go outdoors –

Tremble with fear and do not sin! Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! (Selah)

So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent; O Lord my God, I will always give thanks to you.

O Lord, do not let me be humiliated, for I call out to you! May evil men be humiliated! May they go wailing to the grave!

But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together; they gathered together to ambush me. They tore at me without stopping to rest.

Wait patiently for the Lord! Wait confidently for him! Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes!

Indeed I am composed and quiet, like a young child carried by its mother; I am content like the young child I carry.

How long will you cry out, ‘Oh, sword of the Lord, how long will it be before you stop killing? Go back into your sheath! Stay there and rest!’

So her young men will fall in her city squares. All her soldiers will be destroyed at that time,” says the Lord.

For this reason whoever is smart keeps quiet in such a time, for it is an evil time.

The people say, “Why are we just sitting here? Let us gather together inside the fortified cities. Let us at least die there fighting, since the Lord our God has condemned us to die. He has condemned us to drink the poison waters of judgment because we have sinned against him.

Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of your arm they will be as still as stone until your people pass by, O Lord, until the people whom you have bought pass by.

Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke: ‘Among the ones close to me I will show myself holy, and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.’” So Aaron kept silent.