³ Therefore Israel will be abandoned^(A)
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

⁷ The remnant^(A) of Jacob will be
    in the midst of many peoples
like dew^(B) from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,^(C)
which do not wait for anyone
    or depend on man.
⁸ The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
    in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,^(D)
    like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles^(E) as it goes,
    and no one can rescue.^(F)
9 Your hand will be lifted up^(G) in triumph over your enemies,
    and all your foes will be destroyed.

We have a strong city;^(C)
    God makes salvation
    its walls^(D) and ramparts.^(E)
2 Open the gates^(F)
    that the righteous^(G) nation may enter,
    the nation that keeps faith.
³ You will keep in perfect peace^(H)
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust^(I) in you.
⁴ Trust^(J) in the Lord forever,^(K)
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock^(L) eternal.
⁵ He humbles those who dwell on high,
    he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground^(M)
    and casts it down to the dust.^(N)
6 Feet trample^(O) it down—
    the feet of the oppressed,^(P)
    the footsteps of the poor.^(Q)

⁷ The path of the righteous is level;^(R)
    you, the Upright One,^(S) make the way of the righteous smooth.^(T)
8 Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,^[a](U)
    we wait^(V) for you;
your name^(W) and renown
    are the desire of our hearts.
⁹ My soul yearns for you in the night;^(X)
    in the morning my spirit longs^(Y) for you.
When your judgments^(Z) come upon the earth,
    the people of the world learn righteousness.^(AA)
10 But when grace is shown to the wicked,^(AB)
    they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil^(AC)
    and do not regard^(AD) the majesty of the Lord.
¹¹ Lord, your hand is lifted high,^(AE)
    but they do not see^(AF) it.
Let them see your zeal^(AG) for your people and be put to shame;^(AH)
    let the fire^(AI) reserved for your enemies consume them.

¹² Lord, you establish peace^(AJ) for us;
    all that we have accomplished you have done^(AK) for us.
¹³ Lord our God, other lords^(AL) besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name^(AM) alone do we honor.^(AN)
14 They are now dead,^(AO) they live no more;
    their spirits^(AP) do not rise.
You punished them and brought them to ruin;^(AQ)
    you wiped out all memory of them.^(AR)
15 You have enlarged the nation, Lord;
    you have enlarged the nation.^(AS)
You have gained glory for yourself;
    you have extended all the borders^(AT) of the land.

¹⁶ Lord, they came to you in their distress;^(AU)
    when you disciplined^(AV) them,
    they could barely whisper^(AW) a prayer.^[b]
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth^(AX)
    writhes and cries out in her pain,
    so were we in your presence, Lord.
¹⁸ We were with child, we writhed in labor,
    but we gave birth^(AY) to wind.
We have not brought salvation^(AZ) to the earth,
    and the people of the world have not come to life.^(BA)

¹⁹ But your dead^(BB) will live, Lord;
    their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust^(BC)
    wake up and shout for joy—
your dew^(BD) is like the dew of the morning;
    the earth will give birth to her dead.^(BE)

²⁰ Go, my people, enter your rooms
    and shut the doors^(BF) behind you;
hide^(BG) yourselves for a little while
    until his wrath^(BH) has passed by.^(BI)
21 See, the Lord is coming^(BJ) out of his dwelling^(BK)
    to punish^(BL) the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood^(BM) shed on it;
    the earth will conceal its slain no longer.

² Beautiful^(E) in its loftiness,
    the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon^[b](F) is Mount Zion,^(G)
    the city of the Great King.^(H)
3 God is in her citadels;^(I)
    he has shown himself to be her fortress.^(J)

⁴ When the kings joined forces,
    when they advanced together,^(K)
5 they saw her and were astounded;
    they fled in terror.^(L)
6 Trembling seized^(M) them there,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.^(N)
7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish^(O)
    shattered by an east wind.^(P)

⁸ As we have heard,
    so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
    in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
    forever.^[c](Q)

⁹ Within your temple, O God,
    we meditate^(R) on your unfailing love.^(S)
10 Like your name,^(T) O God,
    your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;^(U)
    your right hand is filled with righteousness.
¹¹ Mount Zion rejoices,
    the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments.^(V)

¹² Walk about Zion, go around her,
    count her towers,^(W)
13 consider well her ramparts,^(X)
    view her citadels,^(Y)
that you may tell of them
    to the next generation.^(Z)

“‘Cries of fear^(E) are heard—
    terror, not peace.
⁶ Ask and see:
    Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
    with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor,^(F)
    every face turned deathly pale?^(G)
7 How awful that day^(H) will be!
    No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble^(I) for Jacob,
    but he will be saved^(J) out of it.

⁸ “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty,
    ‘I will break the yoke^(K) off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;^(L)
    no longer will foreigners enslave them.^(M)

⁴¹ “Look! An army is coming from the north;^(A)
    a great nation and many kings
    are being stirred^(B) up from the ends of the earth.^(C)
42 They are armed with bows^(D) and spears;
    they are cruel^(E) and without mercy.^(F)
They sound like the roaring sea^(G)
    as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Babylon.^(H)
43 The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
    and his hands hang limp.^(I)
Anguish has gripped him,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.^(J)
44 Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets^(K)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen^(L) one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?^(M)
    And what shepherd can stand against me?”

⁴⁵ Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon,
    what he has purposed^(N) against the land of the Babylonians:^(O)
The young of the flock will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
⁴⁶ At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;^(P)
    its cry^(Q) will resound among the nations.

¹² “You stretch out^(A) your right hand,
    and the earth swallows your enemies.^(B)
13 In your unfailing love you will lead^(C)
    the people you have redeemed.^(D)
In your strength you will guide them
    to your holy dwelling.^(E)
14 The nations will hear and tremble;^(F)
    anguish^(G) will grip the people of Philistia.^(H)
15 The chiefs^(I) of Edom^(J) will be terrified,
    the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,^(K)
the people^[a] of Canaan will melt^(L) away;
¹⁶     terror^(M) and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
    they will be as still as a stone^(N)—
until your people pass by, Lord,
    until the people you bought^[b](O) pass by.^(P)
17 You will bring^(Q) them in and plant^(R) them
    on the mountain^(S) of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,^(T)
    the sanctuary,^(U) Lord, your hands established.

¹⁸ “The Lord reigns
    for ever and ever.”^(V)