A Prayer in Deep Distress
1 Woe to youwho plunder, though youhavenotbeenplundered;
And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you!
# When you cease plundering,
# You will beplundered;
When you make an end of dealing treacherously,
They will deal treacherously with you.
2 OLord, be gracious to us;
# We have waited for You.
Be their arm every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of trouble.
3 At the noise of the tumult the peopleshall flee;
When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered;
4 And Your plunder shall be gathered
Likethe gathering of the caterpillar;
As the running to and fro of locusts,
He shall run upon them.
5 TheLordis exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times,
Andthe strength of salvation;
The fear of theLordisHis treasure.
7 Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside,
# The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
8 The highways lie waste,
The traveling man ceases.
# He has broken the covenant,
He has despised the cities,
He regards no man.
9 The earth mournsandlanguishes,
Lebanon is shamedandshriveled;
Sharon is like a wilderness,
And Bashan and Carmel shake offtheirfruits.
Impending Judgment on Zion
10 “NowI will rise,” says theLord;
“Now I will be exalted,
Now I will lift Myself up.
11 You shall conceive chaff,
You shall bring forth stubble;
Your breath,asfire, shall devour you.
12 And the people shall belikethe burnings of lime;
# Likethorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire.
13 Hear,youwhoareafar off, what I have done;
And youwhoarenear, acknowledge My might.”
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites:
# “Who among us shall dwell with the devouringfire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”
15 He whowalks righteously and speaks uprightly,
He who despises the gain of oppressions,
Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes,
Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed,
# Andshuts his eyes from seeing evil:
16 He will dwell on high;
His place of defensewillbethe fortress of rocks;
Bread will be given him,
His waterwillbesure.
The Land of the Majestic King
17 Your eyes will see the King in Hisbeauty;
They will see the land that is very far off.
18 Your heart will meditate on terror:
# “Whereisthe scribe?
Whereishe who weighs?
Whereishe who counts the towers?”
19 You will not see a fierce people,
# A people of obscure speech, beyond perception,
Of a stammering tonguethatyoucannot understand.
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
# Your eyes will seeJerusalem, a quiet home,
A tabernaclethatwill not be taken down;
# Not one ofits stakes will ever be removed,
Nor will any of its cords be broken.
21 But there the majesticLordwillbefor us
A place of broad riversandstreams,
In which no galley with oars will sail,
Nor majestic ships pass by
22 (For theLordisourJudge,
# TheLordisourLawgiver,
# TheLordisour King;
He will save us);
23 Your tackle is loosed,
They could not strengthen their mast,
They could not spread the sail.
Then the prey of great plunder is divided;
The lame take the prey.
24 And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”;
# The people who dwell in itwillbeforgiventheiriniquity.