² Lord, be ·kind [gracious; merciful] to us.
    We have waited for your help.
·Give us strength [^LBe our arm] every morning.
    ·Save us [^L…our salvation] ·when we are in [^Lin times of] trouble.
³ ·Your powerful voice makes [or At the sound of tumult] ·people [the peoples/nations] run away;
    your ·greatness [majesty; or rising up] causes the nations to run away.
⁴ Like ·locusts [or the caterpillar], your enemies will ·take away [gather; harvest] ·the things you stole in war [your plunder].
    Like locusts ·rushing about [swarming], they will take your wealth.
⁵ The Lord is ·very great [exalted], and he ·lives in a high place [^Tdwells on high].
    He fills ·Jerusalem [^LZion; 1:27] with ·fairness [justice; judgment] and ·justice [righteousness].
⁶ He will ·always be your safety [be the foundation/stability of your time].
    He is ·full [a rich store/abundance] of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
·Respect for [The fear of] the Lord is the greatest treasure [Prov. 1:7].

⁷ See, ·brave people [heroes; valiant ones] are crying out in the streets;
    ·those who tried to bring [envoys/ambassadors of] peace are weeping ·loudly [bitterly].
⁸ ·There is no one on the roads [^LHighways lie desolate/deserted],
    no ·one walking [travelers] in the ·paths [roads; way].
People have broken the ·agreements [treaties; covenants] they made.
    They ·refuse to believe the proof from [^Ldespise its] witnesses.
    No one ·respects [cares about; regards] other people.
⁹ The land ·is sick and dying [dries up and withers; or mourns and languishes];
    Lebanon is ashamed and ·dying [shrivels; withers].
Sharon [^Ca fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast] is like the desert,
    and ·the trees of Bashan and Carmel are dying [^LBashan and Carmel shake off; ^Ctheir leaves; these places were known for their lush trees and vegetation; 2:13; 35:2].

¹⁰ The Lord says, “Now, I will ·stand [rise] up
    and ·show my greatness [^Lbe exalted].
    Now, I will ·become important to the people [^Lbe lifted up].
¹¹ You people ·do useless things [produce nothing; ^Lconceive chaff/straw]
    ·that are like hay and straw [^Lyou give birth to straw/stubble].
    ·A destructive wind [or Your breath] will ·burn [consume; devour] you like fire.
¹² ·People [or The nations] will be burned ·until their bones become like lime [to ashes/lime];
    they will burn quickly like ·dry [cut] thornbushes.”

¹³ You people in faraway lands, hear what I have done.
    You people who are near me, ·learn about [or acknowledge] my ·power [might].
¹⁴ The sinners in ·Jerusalem [^LZion; 1:27] are afraid;
    those who are ·separated from God [godless] shake with fear.
They say, “·Can any of us [^LWho can] live through this fire that ·destroys [consumes; devours]?
    Who can live near this ·fire that burns on and on [unquenchable/everlasting burning]?”
¹⁵ A person who ·does what is right [walks righteously; Ps. 15]
    and speaks ·what is right [truthfully; uprightly],
who ·refuses to take [rejects; despises] ·money unfairly [profit from oppression/extortion],
    who ·refuses to take money to hurt others [^Lshakes off his hands from grabbing a bribe],
who ·does not listen [closes his ears] to plans of murder,
    who ·refuses to think about [closes his eyes to looking on] evil—
¹⁶ this is the kind of person who will ·be safe [^Ldwell on high/the heights].
    He will ·be protected as he would be [find refuge] in a ·high, walled city [rock stronghold/fortress].
He will always have ·bread [food],
    and he will not run out of water.
¹⁷ Your eyes will see the king in his ·beauty [splendor].
    You will see the land that stretches far away.
¹⁸ ·You [^LYour heart] will ·think about the terror of the past [^Lmeditate on terror]:
    “Where is that ·officer [scribe; taxation officer; ^Lcounter]?
    Where is the ·one who collected the taxes [^Lweigher]?
    Where is the ·officer in charge of our defense towers [one who counts the towers; ^Cfor taxation purposes]?”
¹⁹ No longer will you see those ·proud [defiant; or fierce; or barbaric] people,
    whose ·strange [obscure] ·language [speech; lip] you don’t know [^Cthe Assyrians].
whose stammering ·speech [tongue] you cannot understand.