以色列当说：“从我幼年以来，敌人屡次苦害我，

说吧，以色列：“从我幼年以来，人屡次苦害我；

说吧，以色列：“从我幼年以来，人屡次苦害我；

以色列要说：我从小就深受仇敌的迫害，

愿以色列说：“从我幼年以来，敌人就多次苦害我。（本节在《马索拉文本》包括细字标题）

愿以色列说：“从我年幼以来，他们就多次苦害我——

以色列當說：從我幼年以來，敵人屢次苦害我，

說吧，以色列：「從我幼年以來，人屢次苦害我；

說吧，以色列：「從我幼年以來，人屢次苦害我；

以色列要說：我從小就深受仇敵的迫害，

願以色列說：“從我幼年以來，敵人就多次苦害我。（本節在《馬索拉文本》包括細字標題）

讓以色列說：『從我幼年以來敵人就大大苦害我。

願以色列說：「從我年幼以來，他們就多次苦害我——

以色列當曰、自我幼年、人屢苦我兮、

以色列族當曰、余自肇基以來、屢遭困苦兮、

以色列民當曰、從我幼時、敵人屢攻擊我、

嗟我義塞族。自幼多顚沛。

“ They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,” let Israel say;

Here is what Israel should say.“ My enemies have treated me badly ever since I was a young nation.

“ Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”— let Israel now say—

From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me. Let all Israel repeat this:

Since my youth they have often attacked me— let Israel say—

“ Many times they have attacked me from my youth up,” Let Israel say,

“ Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,” Let Israel now say—

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up, Let Israel now say,

Since my youth they have often attacked me— let Israel say—

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:

“ Since my youth they have often attacked me,” let Israel say.

Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say,

If the Lord had not been on our side— let Israel say— (niv)

There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. (niv)

“ When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. (niv)

“ Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:“ This is what the Lord says:“‘ I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown. (niv)

I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. (niv)

After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress. (niv)

Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. (niv)

I warned you when you felt secure, but you said,‘ I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me. (niv)

who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim; Israel was in great distress.Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord,“ We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”The Lord replied,“ When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines,the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? (niv)

I rejoiced with those who said to me,“ Let us go to the house of the Lord.” (niv)

Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said,“ Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” (niv)

“ Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror. (niv)

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel,they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said,“ Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered,“ You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates— the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.( This is a copy of the letter they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants in Trans- Euphrates:The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king,so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed.We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.The king sent this reply: To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates: Greetings.The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence.I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition.Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them.Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop. (niv)

I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. (niv)

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. (niv)

Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people:“ Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” (niv)

But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelitesand worked them ruthlessly.They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. (niv)

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. (niv)

The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. (niv)

From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair. (niv)

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. (niv)

“ You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw.But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out,‘ Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people,“ This is what Pharaoh says:‘ I will not give you any more straw.Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’”So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw.The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying,“ Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.”And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding,“ Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh:“ Why have you treated your servants this way?Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told,‘ Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”Pharaoh said,“ Lazy, that’s what you are— lazy! That is why you keep saying,‘ Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told,“ You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” (niv)

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? (niv)

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. (niv)

They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. (niv)