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[a]you shall not bow down before them or serve them. For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous[b] God, bringing punishment for their parents’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation, 10 but showing love down to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:9–10 Israel is confronted with a choice, to “love” or to “hate” the Lord, and with the consequences of each choice. “Wickedness” works destruction not only on those who do it but also down the generations, in a sort of ripple effect. Yet, if Israel keeps the commandments, they will experience the Lord’s hesed (“love”) down to the thousandth generation. Thus the Lord’s merciful love is disproportionate to the evil results of iniquity (“down to the third and fourth generation”). To the thousandth generation: lit., “to thousands”; cf. 7:9.
  2. 5:9 Jealous: see note on 4:24.

Blessings of Obedience. 12 (A)As your reward for heeding these ordinances and keeping them carefully, the Lord, your God, will keep with you the covenant mercy he promised on oath to your ancestors.

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The Rock—how faultless are his deeds,
    how right all his ways!
A faithful God, without deceit,
    just and upright is he!(A)

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23 he said, “Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep covenant and love toward your servants who walk before you with their whole heart, 24 the covenant that you kept toward your servant, David my father, what you promised him; your mouth has spoken and your hand has fulfilled this very day.

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[a](A)I prayed: “Lord, God of heaven, great and awesome God, you preserve your covenant of mercy with those who love you and keep your commandments.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:5 Nehemiah’s prayer is a communal confession of sin, characteristic of Second Temple piety; cf. Ezr 9:6–15; Neh 9:6–37; Dn 9:4–19.

32 (A)Now, our God, great, mighty, and awesome God,
    who preserves the covenant of mercy,
    do not discount all the hardship that has befallen us,
Our kings, our princes, our priests,
    our prophets, our ancestors, and your entire people,
    from the time of the kings of Assyria until this day!

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Psalm 89[a]

A Lament over God’s Promise to David

A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

A

I

I will sing of your mercy forever, Lord(A)
    proclaim your faithfulness through all ages.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 89 The community laments the defeat of the Davidic king, to whom God promised kingship as enduring as the heavens (Ps 89:2–5). The Psalm narrates how God became king of the divine beings (Ps 89:6–9) and how the Davidic king became king of earthly kings (Ps 89:20–38). Since the defeat of the king calls into question God’s promise, the community ardently prays God to be faithful to the original promise to David (Ps 89:39–52).

24 I will crush his foes before him,
    strike down those who hate him.

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28 I myself make him the firstborn,
    Most High[a] over the kings of the earth.

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Footnotes

  1. 89:28 Most High: a divine title, which is here extended to David as God’s own king, cf. Ps 2:7–9; Is 9:5. As God rules over the members of the heavenly council (Ps 89:6–9), so David, God’s surrogate, rules over earthly kings.

33 I will punish their crime with a rod
    and their guilt with blows.
34 But I will not take my mercy from him,
    nor will I betray my bond of faithfulness.(A)

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He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness
    toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the victory of our God.

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Thus says the Lord,
    the redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
To the one despised, abhorred by the nations,
    the slave of rulers:
When kings see you, they shall stand up,
    and princes shall bow down
Because of the Lord who is faithful,
    the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.(A)

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10 Though the mountains fall away
    and the hills be shaken,
My love shall never fall away from you
    nor my covenant of peace[a] be shaken,
    says the Lord, who has mercy on you.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 54:10 Covenant of peace: this whole section, vv. 9–17, is given to various assurances of God’s love for Israel and of safety from various possible threats; the phrase sums up both the positive aspects of shalom, which implies a fullness of blessing, and protection from all that might harm. Cf. also 55:3; Nm 25:12; Ez 34:25; 37:26; Mal 2:5.

Pay attention and come to me;
    listen, that you may have life.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    the steadfast loyalty promised to David.(A)

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(A)I prayed to the Lord, my God, and confessed, “Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your covenant and show mercy toward those who love you and keep your commandments and your precepts!

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He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first toward Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 4:2 Punishment: lit., “evil”; see 1:2, 7, 8; 3:8, 10; 4:1.

20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
    and loyalty to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our ancestors
    from days of old.(A)

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