49
Hear this, all you people of the world, high and low, rich and poor: listen together.
I will now speak wise words of understanding. Incline your ear to a parable, and heed my dark saying while I stroke this harp.
Why should I fear anything, even if all my sins came and encircled me?
They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, will be disappointed to learn that their treasures cannot stop their soul from meeting corruption: Once you die, that is the end; the soul effervesces away. Your flesh goes down, and becomes earth again; your breath flies up, and returns to God’s mouth. And everyone expires, no matter how much money you possess. Even the fool and the brutish person eventually pass away.
Thus, if you are wealthy, and you pay your lawyers to draw up your last will and testament, so that legally your abundant riches should pass into the hands of your heirs whom you have selected, beware: for God will contrive a way that will disburse your hoardings into all the wrong places, and your wealth will end up where you most feared it would go: into the hands of your enemies.
Therefore, to those whose inward thought is, that their legacies shall continue forever, and their dwelling places to all generations; so that they call their lands after their own names; God will scatter your substance to the winds. Your way is folly, and your posterity will be stupid. You will perish like livestock. Think about that.
Like livestock, you will be thrust into the grave. Death will feed on you. Your beauty and wealth will melt and disintegrate into muck, and you will putrefy.
Therefore, be not in awe of any man who has riches, because when he dies, he shall carry nothing away: his glorious possessions shall not descend after him. He shall die like livestock.
50
The mighty god Yahweh roared, and the sun responded: it rose up and over the earth until it went down. A perfection of beauty from the east curving over unto the west: God has shined the whole way.
God shall come, and shall not be silent. A fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens above, and to the earth below, and he shall judge the goings on. And the world, and all that is in it, shall declare his righteousness.
Listen, you churchgoers; and give ear, you worshipers at the temple: I will testify against you. I am God; I am your God, who created you, and I do not desire these sacrifices and offerings that you burn continually before me; I do not desire the blood from any firstborn lamb or savior, beast or man: Why would I want that? I own all livestock, and I own all humankind, and all my children are my beloveds, and you can give me no gift that I have not made myself. Therefore, I will take no bull from your barn, nor goat from your fold. Each dweller of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the fields are mine. If I were hungry, I would not ask you: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of sheep, or drink the blood of a lamb?
Here is what you should offer: words of thanksgiving. Sing songs unto the Most High.
Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will save you. There is no place for bloody sacrifice.
But unto the wicked God says: Why do you wrong others and act discordantly? You find a thief, and conspire to thieve together. You partake with swindlers and dishonest merchants. You speak false words with your mouth, and your tongue frames deceit. You slander your siblings and fellows. Change your ways; behave differently – for this is what Yahweh abhors: inhumane actions.
Follow God’s way of lovingkindness and harmony, lest I tear you in pieces.
51
(A som about David’s affair with Bath-sheba.)
Go easy on me, O God, because I have acted despicably.
Purge me with hyssop; wash me whiter than snow.
You desire truth in our inward parts, place your wisdom in my hidden depths.
Look away from my sin. Blot out my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence; do not take away from me your holy spirit. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your freedom.
Deliver me from my bloodguiltiness, O God, and I shall sing loud praises to you.
You do not desire sacrifice or burnt offering; you do not require a savior to be crucified. Instead of more bloodshed, you demand that bloodshed cease.
What you desire is a refreshed spirit, a contrite heart: these things God will welcome, in his mercy.
52
(A som about when Sasquatch from Eden came and informed President Saul that David had visited Chuck E. Priest at the God Hut.)
Why do you boast in your espionage, O muscleman? Your tongue devises mischief, like a sharp razor working deceitfully. You favor bad over good, and lies over truth.
You love to devour everything with words, O sneaky tongue. God will likewise devour you, and take you away, and pluck you out of your position, and root you out of the land of the living.
A righteous man will see you and laugh, and remark: “Oh, here is one who did not trust in God, but who rather trusted in his abundant riches and wealth. This man fortified himself with evil deeds.”
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I will remain here praising Yahweh forever.
53
The fool says in his heart: “There is no God.” And then he goes and does corrupt things with abominable iniquity.
God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any that have understanding in them. But there are none: they have all become filthy. Not a single one does good.
Ah, someday God will clean up all this mess.
54
Save me, God, with your huge arms and your super strength. Hear me; don’t ignore me when I cry. For enemies are all around me, and none of them believe in God. But God is my helper; Yahweh buoys me up.
Dump evil on my enemies! Cut them off from truth!
Now I will praise Yahweh, because he has brought about what I desired to happen to my enemies.
55
Turn your ear, O God, so that you can hear me, when I make a mournful noise.
Why do I weep? Because my enemies hate me. My heart is sore pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. I am overwhelmed with horror.
I said: “Ah, if only I had the wings of a dove; then I would fly away, and find a resting place. Lo, then I would wander far off, and be in the wilderness.” Think about it: I would quickly escape from this windstorm and this tempest.
Destroy them, O Yahweh! divide their tongues. Stop those who do violence, and who cause strife.
If it had only been an enemy who had reproached me, then I could have handled it myself; I could have walked away or hid myself somewhere. But it was you, my colleague, my guide, my equal, my companion. We took sweet counsel together, and visited the house of God with our company.
Let death seize upon that backstabber! Let him go quick into hell!
Yes, I shall call upon God, and Yahweh shall aid me. Evening and morning, I will cry to him, until he wakes up and acts.
God shall afflict even an old man who is my longtime friend, if he mistreats one who is at peace with him, and if he breaks our covenant.
The words of that fellow’s mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were as soft as oil, yet they were drawn swords.
Toss all your burdens on Yahweh; he will take care of them.
God will bring all betrayers down to the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half of their days.
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