^5 (L)How long, O Lord? Will you be angry ^(M)forever?
    Will your ^(N)jealousy ^(O)burn like fire?
^6 (P)Pour out your anger on the nations
    that ^(Q)do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
    that ^(R)do not call upon your name!
⁷ For they have devoured Jacob
    and laid waste his habitation.

^8 (S)Do not remember against us ^(T)our former iniquities;^[a]
    let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
    for we are ^(U)brought very low.
^9 (V)Help us, O God of our salvation,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and ^(W)atone for our sins,
    for your ^(X)name's sake!

¹⁴ Why do we sit still?
^(A)Gather together; ^(B)let us go into the fortified cities
    and perish there,
for the Lord our God has doomed us to perish
    and has ^(C)given us ^(D)poisoned water to drink,
    because we have sinned against the Lord.
^15 (E)We looked for peace, but no good came;
    for a time of healing, but behold, terror.

^16 (F)“The snorting of their horses is heard ^(G)from Dan;
    at the sound of the neighing ^(H)of their stallions
    ^(I)the whole land quakes.
They come ^(J)and devour the land and all that fills it,
    the city and those who dwell in it.
¹⁷ For behold, I am sending among you ^(K)serpents,
    adders ^(L)that cannot be charmed,
    ^(M)and they shall bite you,”
declares the Lord.

^4 (E)Let everyone beware of his neighbor,
    and put no trust in any brother,
for every ^(F)brother is a deceiver,
    and every neighbor ^(G)goes about as a slanderer.
⁵ Everyone deceives his neighbor,
    and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
    they weary themselves committing iniquity.
⁶ Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,
    ^(H)they refuse to know me, declares the Lord.

⁷ Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:
“Behold, ^(I)I will refine them and ^(J)test them,
    for what else can I do, ^(K)because of my people?
^8 (L)Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
    ^(M)it speaks deceitfully;
with his mouth ^(N)each speaks peace to his neighbor,
    but in his heart ^(O)he plans an ambush for him.
^9 (P)Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord,
    and shall I not avenge myself
    on a nation such as this?

¹⁰ “I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains,
    and a lamentation for ^(Q)the pastures of the wilderness,
^(R)because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,
    and the lowing of cattle is not heard;
^(S)both the birds of the air and the beasts
    have fled and are gone.
^11 (T)I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
    ^(U)a lair of jackals,
^(V)and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,
    without inhabitant.”