Jerusalem Will Be Safe
1 You defeated my people.
Now you're in for trouble!
You've never been destroyed,
but you will be destroyed;
you've never been betrayed,
but you will be betrayed.
When you have finished
destroying and betraying,
you will be destroyed
and betrayed in return.
2 Please, Lord, be kind to us!
We depend on you.
Make us strong each morning,
and come to save us
when we are in trouble.
3 Nations scatter when you roar
and show your greatness.
4 We attack our enemies
like swarms of locusts;
we take everything
that belongs to them.
5 You, Lord, are above all others,
and you live in the heavens.
You have brought justice
and fairness to Jerusalem;
6 you are the foundation
on which we stand today.
You always save us and give
true wisdom and knowledge.
Nothing means more to us
than obeying you.
The Lord Will Do Something
7 Listen! Our bravest soldiers
are running through the streets,
screaming for help.
Our messengers hoped for peace,
but came home crying.
8 No one travels anymore;
every road is empty.
Treaties are broken,
and no respect is shown
to any who keep promises.
9 Fields are dry and barren;
Mount Lebanon wilts
with shame.
Sharon Valley is a desert;
the forests of Bashan and Carmel
have lost their leaves.
10 But the Lord says,
“Now I will do something
and be greatly praised.
11 Your deeds are straw
that will be set on fire
by your very own breath.
12 You will be burned to ashes
like thorns in a fire.
13 Everyone, both far and near,
come look at what I have done.
See my mighty power!”
Punishment and Rewards
14 Those terrible sinners
on Mount Zion tremble
as they ask in fear,
“How can we possibly live
where a raging fire
never stops burning?”
15 But there will be rewards
for those who live right
and tell the truth,
for those who refuse
to take money by force
or accept bribes,
for all who hate murder
and violent crimes.
16 They will live in a fortress
high on a rocky cliff,
where they will have food
and plenty of water.
The Lord Is Our King
17 With your own eyes
you will see the glorious King;
you will see his kingdom
reaching far and wide.
18 Then you will ask yourself,
“Where are those officials
who terrified us and forced us
to pay such heavy taxes?”
19 You will never again have to see
the proud people who spoke
a strange and foreign language
you could not understand.
20 Look to Mount Zion
where we celebrate
our religious festivals.
You will see Jerusalem,
secure as a tent with pegs
that cannot be pulled up
and fastened with ropes
that can never be broken.
21 Our wonderful Lord
will be with us!
There will be deep rivers
and wide streams
safe from enemy ships.
The Lord Is Our Judge
22 The Lord is our judge
and our ruler;
the Lord is our king
and will keep us safe.
23 But your nation is a ship
with its rigging loose,
its mast shaky,
and its sail not spread.
Someday even you that are lame
will take everything you want
from your enemies.
24 The Lord will forgive your sins,
and none of you will say,
“I feel sick.”
1 Woe to thee that spoylest, and wast not spoyled: and doest wickedly, and they did not wickedly against thee: when thou shalt cease to spoyle, thou shalt be spoyled: when thou shalt make an ende of doing wickedly, they shall doe wickedly against thee. 2 O Lord, haue mercie vpon vs, wee haue waited for thee: be thou, which waste their arme in the morning, our helpe also in time of trouble. 3 At the noise of the tumult, the people fled: at thine exalting the nations were scattered. 4 And your spoyle shall be gathered like the gathering of caterpillers: and he shall go against him like the leaping of grashoppers. 5 The Lord is exalted: for hee dwelleth on hie: he hath filled Zion with iudgement and iustice. 6 And there shall be stabilitie of thy times, strength, saluation, wisdome and knowledge: for the feare of the Lord shalbe his treasure. 7 Behold, their messengers shall cry without, and ye ambassadours of peace shall weepe bitterly. 8 The pathes are waste: the wayfaring man ceaseth: hee hath broken the couenant: hee hath contemned the cities: he regarded no man. 9 The earth mourneth and fainteth: Lebanon is ashamed, and hewen downe: Sharon is like a wildernes, and Bashan is shaken and Carmel. 10 Now will I arise, saith the Lord: now will I be exalted, now will I lift vp my selfe. 11 Ye shall conceiue chaffe, and bring forth stubble: the fire of your breath shall deuoure you. 12 And the people shall be as the burning of lime: and as the thornes cut vp, shall they be burnt in the fire. 13 Heare, yee that are farre off, what I haue done, and ye that are neere, know my power. 14 The sinners in Zion are afraide: a feare is come vpon the hypocrites: who among vs shall dwel with the deuouring fire? who among vs shall dwell with the euerlasting burnings? 15 Hee that walketh in iustice, and speaketh righteous things, refusing gaine of oppression, shaking his handes from taking of gifts, stopping his eares from hearing of blood, and shutting his eyes from seeing euill. 16 He shall dwell on hie: his defence shall be the munitions of rockes: bread shalbe giuen him, and his waters shalbe sure. 17 Thine eyes shall see the King in his glory: they shall beholde the lande farre off. 18 Thine heart shall meditate feare, Where is the scribe? where is the receiuer? where is hee that counted the towres? 19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a darke speache, that thou canst not perceiue, and of a stammering tongue that thou canst not vnderstande. 20 Looke vpon Zion the citie of our solemne feastes: thine eyes shall see Ierusalem a quiet habitation, a Tabernacle that can not be remooued: and the stakes thereof can neuer be taken away, neither shall any of the cordes thereof be broken. 21 For surely there the mightie Lord will be vnto vs, as a place of floods and broade riuers, whereby shall passe no shippe with oares, neither shall great shippe passe thereby. 22 For the Lord is our Iudge, the Lord is our lawe giuer: the Lord is our King, he will saue vs. 23 Thy cordes are loosed: they could not well strengthen their maste, neither coulde they spread the saile: then shall the praye be deuided for a great spoile: yea, the lame shall take away the pray. 24 And none inhabitant shall say, I am sicke: the people that dwell therein, shall haue their iniquitie forgiuen.