1 Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! When thou hast ceased to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou art weary with dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee. 2 O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for Thee; be Thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. 3 At the noise of the tumult the peoples are fled; at the lifting up of Thyself the nations are scattered. 4 And your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathereth; as locusts leap do they leap upon it. 5 The LORD is exalted, for He dwelleth on high; He hath filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6 And the stability of thy times shall be a hoard of salvation--wisdom and knowledge, and the fear of the LORD which is His treasurer 7 Behold, their valiant ones cry without; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly. 8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth; he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth not man. 9 The land mourneth and languisheth; Lebanon is ashamed, it withereth; Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel are clean bare. 10 Now will I arise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift Myself up. 11 Ye conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble; your breath is a fire that shall devour you. 12 And the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime; as thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire. 13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge My might. 14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath seized the ungodly: 'Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?' 15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from looking upon evil; 16 He shall dwell on high; his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks; his bread shall be given, his waters shall be sure. 17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty; they shall behold a land stretching afar. 18 Thy heart shall muse on the terror: 'Where is he that counted, where is he that weighed? Where is he that counted the towers?' 19 Thou shalt not see the fierce people; a people of a deep speech that thou canst not perceive, of a stammering tongue that thou canst not understand. 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemn gatherings; thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a peaceful habitation, a tent that shall not be removed, the stakes whereof shall never be plucked up, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. 21 But there the LORD will be with us in majesty, in a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. 22 For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us. 23 Thy tacklings are loosed; they do not hold the stand of their mast, they do not spread the sail; then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. 24 And the inhabitant shall not say: 'I am sick'; the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. | |