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17 Our eyes still fail,
    looking in vain for our help.
    In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

18 They hunt our steps,
    so that we can’t go in our streets.
Our end is near.
    Our days are fulfilled,
    for our end has come.

19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky.
    They chased us on the mountains.
    They set an ambush for us in the wilderness.

20 The breath of our nostrils,
    the anointed of Yahweh,
    was taken in their pits;
of whom we said,
    under his shadow we will live among the nations.

21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom,
    who dwells in the land of Uz.
The cup will pass through to you also.
    You will be drunken,
    and will make yourself naked.

22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion.
    He will no more carry you away into captivity.
He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom.
    He will uncover your sins.

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17 We looked in vain for our allies
    to come and save us,
but we were looking to nations
    that could not help us.

18 We couldn’t go into the streets
    without danger to our lives.
Our end was near; our days were numbered.
    We were doomed!

19 Our enemies were swifter than eagles in flight.
    If we fled to the mountains, they found us.
If we hid in the wilderness,
    they were waiting for us there.

20 Our king—the Lord’s anointed, the very life of our nation—
    was caught in their snares.
We had thought that his shadow
    would protect us against any nation on earth!

21 Are you rejoicing in the land of Uz,
    O people of Edom?
But you, too, must drink from the cup of the Lord’s anger.
    You, too, will be stripped naked in your drunkenness.

22 O beautiful Jerusalem,[a] your punishment will end;
    you will soon return from exile.
But Edom, your punishment is just beginning;
    soon your many sins will be exposed.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:22 Hebrew O daughter of Zion.

17 Moreover, our eyes failed,
    looking in vain(A) for help;(B)
from our towers we watched
    for a nation(C) that could not save us.

18 People stalked us at every step,
    so we could not walk in our streets.
Our end was near, our days were numbered,
    for our end had come.(D)

19 Our pursuers were swifter
    than eagles(E) in the sky;
they chased us(F) over the mountains
    and lay in wait for us in the desert.(G)

20 The Lord’s anointed,(H) our very life breath,
    was caught in their traps.(I)
We thought that under his shadow(J)
    we would live among the nations.

21 Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,
    you who live in the land of Uz.(K)
But to you also the cup(L) will be passed;
    you will be drunk and stripped naked.(M)

22 Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion;(N)
    he will not prolong your exile.
But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom,
    and expose your wickedness.(O)

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