7 ^[c]How beautiful your sandaled feet,
    O prince’s^(V) daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
    the work of an artist’s hands.
² Your navel is a rounded goblet
    that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
    encircled by lilies.
³ Your breasts^(W) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle.
⁴ Your neck is like an ivory tower.^(X)
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon^(Y)
    by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon^(Z)
    looking toward Damascus.
⁵ Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.^(AA)
    Your hair is like royal tapestry;
    the king is held captive by its tresses.
⁶ How beautiful^(AB) you are and how pleasing,
    my love, with your delights!^(AC)
7 Your stature is like that of the palm,
    and your breasts^(AD) like clusters of fruit.
⁸ I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
    I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
    the fragrance of your breath like apples,^(AE)
9     and your mouth like the best wine.

8 If only you were to me like a brother,
    who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!
Then, if I found you outside,
    I would kiss you,
    and no one would despise me.
² I would lead you
    and bring you to my mother’s house^(AP)—
    she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
    the nectar of my pomegranates.
³ His left arm is under my head
    and his right arm embraces me.^(AQ)
4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
    Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.^(AR)

⁴ Woe to the sinful nation,
    a people whose guilt is great,^(BS)
a brood of evildoers,^(BT)
    children given to corruption!^(BU)
They have forsaken^(BV) the Lord;
    they have spurned the Holy One^(BW) of Israel
    and turned their backs^(BX) on him.

⁵ Why should you be beaten^(BY) anymore?
    Why do you persist^(BZ) in rebellion?^(CA)
Your whole head is injured,
    your whole heart^(CB) afflicted.^(CC)
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head^(CD)
    there is no soundness^(CE)—
only wounds and welts^(CF)
    and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged^(CG)
    or soothed with olive oil.^(CH)

⁷ Your country is desolate,^(CI)
    your cities burned with fire;^(CJ)
your fields are being stripped by foreigners^(CK)
    right before you,
    laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.^(CL)
8 Daughter Zion^(CM) is left^(CN)
    like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut^(CO) in a cucumber field,
    like a city under siege.
⁹ Unless the Lord Almighty
    had left us some survivors,^(CP)
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.^(CQ)

¹⁰ Hear the word of the Lord,^(CR)
    you rulers of Sodom;^(CS)
listen to the instruction^(CT) of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!^(CU)
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;^(CV)
I have no pleasure^(CW)
    in the blood of bulls^(CX) and lambs and goats.^(CY)
12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,^(CZ)
    this trampling of my courts?
¹³ Stop bringing meaningless offerings!^(DA)
    Your incense^(DB) is detestable^(DC) to me.
New Moons,^(DD) Sabbaths and convocations^(DE)—
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
¹⁴ Your New Moon^(DF) feasts and your appointed festivals^(DG)
    I hate with all my being.^(DH)
They have become a burden to me;^(DI)
    I am weary^(DJ) of bearing them.
¹⁵ When you spread out your hands^(DK) in prayer,
    I hide^(DL) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.^(DM)

Your hands^(DN) are full of blood!^(DO)

¹⁶ Wash^(DP) and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;^(DQ)
    stop doing wrong.^(DR)
17 Learn to do right;^(DS) seek justice.^(DT)
    Defend the oppressed.^[k](DU)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;^(DV)
    plead the case of the widow.^(DW)

¹⁸ “Come now, let us settle the matter,”^(DX)
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;^(DY)
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.^(DZ)
19 If you are willing and obedient,^(EA)
    you will eat the good things of the land;^(EB)
20 but if you resist and rebel,^(EC)
    you will be devoured by the sword.”^(ED)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.^(EE)

²¹ See how the faithful city
    has become a prostitute!^(EF)
She once was full of justice;
    righteousness^(EG) used to dwell in her—
    but now murderers!^(EH)
22 Your silver has become dross,^(EI)
    your choice wine is diluted with water.
²³ Your rulers are rebels,^(EJ)
    partners with thieves;^(EK)
they all love bribes^(EL)
    and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
    the widow’s case does not come before them.^(EM)

²⁴ Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    the Mighty One^(EN) of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
    and avenge^(EO) myself on my enemies.^(EP)
25 I will turn my hand against you;^[l](EQ)
    I will thoroughly purge^(ER) away your dross^(ES)
    and remove all your impurities.^(ET)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,^(EU)
    your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called^(EV)
    the City of Righteousness,^(EW)
    the Faithful City.^(EX)”

²⁷ Zion will be delivered with justice,
    her penitent^(EY) ones with righteousness.^(EZ)
28 But rebels and sinners^(FA) will both be broken,
    and those who forsake^(FB) the Lord will perish.^(FC)

²⁹ “You will be ashamed^(FD) because of the sacred oaks^(FE)
    in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens^(FF)
    that you have chosen.
³⁰ You will be like an oak with fading leaves,^(FG)
    like a garden without water.
³¹ The mighty man will become tinder
    and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
    with no one to quench the fire.^(FH)”