Israel's Great Misery

1Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the first ripe fruit.

2The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

3That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asks, and the judge asks for a reward; and the great man, he utters his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

4The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of your watchmen and your visitation comes; now shall be their perplexity.

5Trust you not in a friend, put you not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of your mouth from her that lies in your bosom.

6For 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.

Israel Looks to the Lord

7Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

8Rejoice not against me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light to me.

9I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.

10Then she that is my enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said to me, Where is the LORD your God? my eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

11In the day that your walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed.

12In that day also he shall come even to you from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

13Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

God's Compassion on Israel

14Feed your people with your rod, the flock of your heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the middle of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

15According to the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt will I show to him marvelous things.

16The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand on their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

17They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of you.

18Who is a God like to you, that pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retains not his anger for ever, because he delights in mercy.

19He will turn again, he will have compassion on us; he will subdue our iniquities; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

20You will perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.