When David had settled into his palace, ¹  he ²  said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace ³  made from cedar, while the ark of the Lord’s covenant is under a tent.” ⁴ 

The rest of the events of Jotham’s reign, including all his military campaigns and his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah. ¹ 

Look, our fathers died violently ¹  and our sons, daughters, and wives were carried off ²  because of this.

I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat. ¹ 

If ¹  he passes by me, I cannot see ²  him, ³  if he goes by, I cannot perceive him. ⁴ 

If it is a matter of strength, ¹  most certainly ²  he is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, he will say, ‘Who will summon me?’ ³ 

Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways! ¹  How faint is the whisper ²  we hear of him! But who can understand the thunder of his power?”

For look, the wicked ¹  prepare ²  their bows, ³  they put their arrows on the strings, to shoot in the darkness ⁴  at the morally upright. ⁵ 

I have told the great assembly ¹  about your justice. ²  Look! I spare no words! ³  O Lord, you know this is true.

“Look, here is the man who would not make ¹  God his protector! He trusted in his great wealth and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” ² 

For look, they wait to ambush me; ¹  powerful men stalk ²  me, but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. ³ 

to the one who rides through the sky from ancient times! ¹  Look! He thunders loudly. ² 

This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright, but they have sought many evil schemes.

He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” ¹ 

In the evening there is sudden terror; ¹  by morning they vanish. ²  This is the fate of those who try to plunder us, the destiny of those who try to loot us! ³ 

He says, ¹  “Indeed, my sword has slaughtered heavenly powers. ²  Look, it now descends on Edom, ³  on the people I will annihilate in judgment.”

Look, the sovereign Lord helps me. Who dares to condemn me? Look, all of them will wear out like clothes; a moth will eat away at them.

For this reason deliverance ¹  is far from us ²  and salvation does not reach us. We wait for light, ³  but see only darkness; ⁴  we wait for ⁵  a bright light, ⁶  but live ⁷  in deep darkness. ⁸ 

How can you say, “We are wise! We have the law of the Lord”? The truth is, ¹  those who teach it ²  have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean. ³ 

Your wise men will be put to shame. They will be dumbfounded and be brought to judgment. ¹  Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what wisdom do they really have?