along with all the silver and gold that you may collect<n id="1" /> throughout all the province of Babylon and the contributions of the people and the priests for the temple of their God which is in Jerusalem.

<p class="bodytext">So I stationed people at the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places.<n id="1" /> I stationed the people by families, with their swords, spears, and bows.

<t /><p class="bodytext">These are the priests and Levites who returned<n id="1" /> with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;But now they mock me, those who are younger<n id="1" /> than I,p> <p class="poetry">whose fathers I disdained too much<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to put with my sheep dogs.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="psasuper">By David.p> <p class="poetry">To you, O <sc>Lordsc>, I cry out!p> <p class="poetry">My protector,<n id="2" /> do not ignore me!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">If you do not respond to me,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">I will join<n id="5" /> those who are descending into the grave.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">The nobles of the nations assemble,p> <p class="poetry">along with the people of the God of Abraham,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for God has authority over the rulers<n id="2" /> of the earth.p> <p class="poetry">He is highly exalted!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Trust in him at all times, you people!p> <p class="poetry">Pour out your hearts before him!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">God is our shelter! (Selah)p>

<p class="poetry">For forty years I was continually disgusted<n id="1" /> with that generation,p> <p class="poetry">and I said, &#8216;These people desire to go astray;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they do not obey my commands.&#8217;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Over here is the deep, wide sea,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">which teems with innumerable swimming creatures,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">living things both small and large.p>

<p class="poetry">At that time we laughed loudlyp> <p class="poetry">and shouted for joy.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">At that time the nations said,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> has accomplished great things for these people.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Answer me quickly, <sc>Lordsc>!p> <p class="poetry">My strength is fading.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not reject me,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">or I will join<n id="3" /> those descending into the grave.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">No one remembers the former events,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">nor will anyone remember<n id="2" /> the events that are yet to happen;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">they will not be remembered by the future generations.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I considered all the living who walk on earth,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">as well as the successor<n id="2" /> who would arise<n id="3" /> in his place.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Whatever has happened was foreordained,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and what happens to a person<n id="2" /> was also foreknown.p> <p class="poetry">It is useless for him to argue with God about his fatep> <p class="poetry">because God is more powerful than he is.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">At that time<n id="1" /> the brother will shout,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I am no doctor,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I have no food or coat in my house;p> <p class="poetry">don&#8217;t make me a leader of the people!&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> comes to pronounce judgmentp> <p class="poetry">on the leaders of his people and their officials.p> <p class="poetry">He says,<n id="1" /> &#8220;It is you<n id="2" /> who have ruined<n id="3" /> the vineyard!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">I sent him<n id="1" /> against a godless<n id="2" /> nation,p> <p class="poetry">I ordered him to attack the people with whom I was angry,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">to take plunder and to carry away loot,p> <p class="poetry">to trample them down<n id="4" /> like dirt in the streets.p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">There is a loud noise on the mountains &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">it sounds like a large army!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">There is great commotion among the kingdoms<n id="3" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">nations are being assembled!p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies is musteringp> <p class="poetry">forces for battle.p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, you are ready to act,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but they don&#8217;t even notice.p> <p class="poetry">They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yes, fire will consume your enemies.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">all will be put to shame<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">because of a nation that cannot help them,p> <p class="poetry">who cannot give them aid or help,p> <p class="poetry">but only shame and disgrace.&#8221;p>