Psalms of Solomon 8

1 My ear heard distress and the sound of war—the blast of a trumpet sounding slaughter and destruction,

2 the sound of a great multitude like an exceedingly strong wind, like a storm of raging fire sweeping through a wilderness.

3 I said [in] my heart, “Where, then, will God judge him?”

4 I heard a sound in Jerusalem, the city of the holy place.

5 My lower back gave way at what I heard, and my knees went weak. My heart was afraid, and my bones were shaken like flax.

6 I said, “They will direct their ways in righteousness.”

7 I considered God’s judgments since the creation of heaven and earth, and I declared God righteous in his judgments from ages past.

8 God exposed their sins in broad daylight; the whole earth learned God’s righteous judgments.

9 They committed their lawbreaking in hidden underground places, provoking God: a son mingled sexually with his mother, and a father with his daughter.

10 Each one committed adultery with his neighbor’s wife; they bound themselves with sworn agreements concerning these things.

11 They plundered God’s holy things as though there were no heir to buy them back.

12 They trampled the Lord’s altar coming fresh from every impurity, and with menstrual blood they defiled the sacrifices like common meat.

13 They left no sin undone; they went further than the nations.

14 Therefore God mixed a spirit of wandering for them and made them drink a cup of undiluted wine until they were drunk.

15 He brought the one from the end of the earth, the one who strikes with overwhelming force. He decreed war against Jerusalem and her land.

16 The rulers of the land met him gladly and said to him,

“Your journey is what we wished for! Come, enter in peace.”

17 They smoothed rough roads for his entry, opened the gates to Jerusalem, and crowned her walls.

18 He entered peacefully, like a father entering his sons’ house, and set his feet down in great security.

19 He seized her fortified towers and the wall of Jerusalem, because God led him there safely while they were going astray.

20 He destroyed their rulers and everyone wise in counsel; he poured out the blood of Jerusalem’s residents like unclean water.

21 He led away their sons and daughters, whom they had fathered while treating holy things as common.

22 They acted according to their impurities just as their fathers had; they defiled Jerusalem and the things made holy for God’s name.

23 God was shown righteous in his judgments among the nations of the earth, and God’s holy ones were like innocent lambs among them.

24 Praised is the Lord, who judges the whole earth in his righteousness.

25 Indeed, God, you showed us your judgment in your righteousness; our eyes saw your judgments.

26 We declared your honored name righteous forever, because you are the God of righteousness who judges Israel with discipline.

27 Turn your mercy toward us, God, and have pity on us.

28 Gather scattered Israel with mercy and kindness, because your faithfulness is with us.

29 We stiffened our necks, and you are the one who disciplines us.

30 Do not overlook us, our God, or the nations will swallow us as though there were no one to ransom us.

31 You have been our God from the beginning, and our hope is in you, Lord.

32 We will not turn away from you, because your judgments upon us are kind.

33 Good pleasure rests upon us and our children forever. Lord, you are the one who rescues us; we will never again be shaken for all eternity.

34 The Lord is praised for his judgments by the holy ones, and Israel is blessed by the Lord forever.