Add parallel Print Page Options

Misery is mine!
    Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard:
    There is no cluster of grapes to eat.
    My soul desires to eat the early fig.
The godly man has perished out of the earth,
    and there is no one upright among men.
    They all lie in wait for blood;
    every man hunts his brother with a net.
Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently.
    The ruler and judge ask for a bribe;
    and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul.
    Thus they conspire together.
The best of them is like a brier.
    The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchmen,
    even your visitation, has come;
    now is the time of their confusion.
Don’t trust in a neighbor.
    Don’t put confidence in a friend.
    With the woman lying in your embrace,
    be careful of the words of your mouth!
For the son dishonors the father,
    the daughter rises up against her mother,
    the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
    a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
But as for me, I will look to Yahweh.
    I will wait for the God of my salvation.
    My God will hear me.
Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy.
    When I fall, I will arise.
    When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of Yahweh,
    because I have sinned against him,
    until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me.
    He will bring me out to the light.
    I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see it,
    and shame will cover her who said to me,
    where is Yahweh your God?
Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame.
    Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.
11 A day to build your walls!
    In that day, he will extend your boundary.
12 In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
    and from Egypt even to the River,
    and from sea to sea,
    and mountain to mountain.
13 Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein,
    for the fruit of their doings.
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
    the flock of your heritage,
    who dwell by themselves in a forest,
    in the middle of fertile pasture land, let them feed;
    in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
15 “As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt,
    I will show them marvelous things.”
16 The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might.
    They will lay their hand on their mouth.
    Their ears will be deaf.
17 They will lick the dust like a serpent.
    Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens.
    They will come with fear to Yahweh our God,
    and will be afraid because of you.
18 Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity,
    and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage?
He doesn’t retain his anger forever,
    because he delights in loving kindness.
19 He will again have compassion on us.
    He will tread our iniquities under foot;
    and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give truth to Jacob,
    and mercy to Abraham,
    as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

The Total Corruption of the People

Woe is me! For I have become like one who,
    after the summer fruit has been gathered,
    after the vintage has been gleaned,
finds no cluster to eat;
    there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger.(A)
The faithful have disappeared from the land,
    and there is no one left who is upright;
they all lie in wait for blood,
    and they hunt each other with nets.(B)
Their hands are skilled to do evil;
    the official and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the powerful dictate what they desire;
    thus they pervert justice.[a](C)
The best of them is like a brier,
    the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of their[b] sentinels, of their[c] punishment, has come;
    now their confusion is at hand.(D)
Put no trust in a friend;
    have no confidence in a loved one;
guard the doors of your mouth
    from her who lies in your embrace,
for the son treats the father with contempt,
    the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
    your enemies are members of your own household.(E)
But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
    I will wait for the God of my salvation;
    my God will hear me.(F)

Penitence and Trust in God

Do not rejoice over me, my enemies;[d]
    when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
    the Lord will be a light to me.(G)
I must bear the indignation of the Lord
    because I have sinned against him,
until he takes my side
    and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
    I shall see his vindication.(H)
10 Then my enemies[e] will see,
    and shame will cover those[f] who said to me,
    “Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see their[g] downfall;[h]
    now they[i] will be trodden down
    like the mire of the streets.(I)

A Prophecy of Restoration

11 A day for the building of your walls!
    On that day the boundary shall be far extended.(J)
12 On that day they will come to you
    from Assyria to[j] Egypt
and from Egypt to the River,
    from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.(K)
13 But the earth will be desolate
    because of its inhabitants,
    for the fruit of their doings.(L)

14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
    the flock that belongs to you,
which lives alone in a forest
    in the midst of a garden land;
let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
    as in the days of old.
15 As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
    show us[k] marvelous things.(M)
16 The nations shall see and be ashamed
    of all their might;
they shall lay their hands on their mouths;
    their ears shall be deaf;(N)
17 they shall lick dust like a snake,
    like the crawling things of the earth;
they shall come trembling out of their fortresses;
    they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,
    and they shall stand in fear of you.(O)

God’s Compassion and Steadfast Love

18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
    and passing over the transgression
    of the remnant of his possession?
He does not retain his anger forever
    because he delights in showing steadfast love.(P)
19 He will again have compassion upon us;
    he will tread our iniquities under foot.
You will cast all our[l] sins
    into the depths of the sea.(Q)
20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob
    and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our ancestors
    from the days of old.(R)

Footnotes

  1. 7.3 Cn: Heb they weave it
  2. 7.4 Heb your
  3. 7.4 Heb your
  4. 7.8 Heb enemy
  5. 7.10 Heb enemy
  6. 7.10 Heb she
  7. 7.10 Heb her
  8. 7.10 Heb lacks downfall
  9. 7.10 Heb she
  10. 7.12 Heb ms: MT Assyria and cities of
  11. 7.15 Cn: Heb I will show him
  12. 7.19 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb their