| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1I am depressed! Indeed, it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered, and the grapes have been harvested. There is no grape cluster to eat, no fresh figs that I crave so much. | 1What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. |
| 2Faithful men have disappeared from the land; there are no godly men left. They all wait in ambush so they can shed blood; they hunt their own brother with a net. | 2The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains. Everyone lies in wait to shed blood; they hunt each other with nets. |
| 3They are determined to be experts at doing evil; government officials and judges take bribes, prominent men make demands, and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. | 3Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire-- they all conspire together. |
| 4The best of them is like a thorn; the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen--your appointed time of punishment--is on the way, and then you will experience confusion. | 4The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day God visits you has come, the day your watchmen sound the alarm. Now is the time of your confusion. |
| 5Do not rely on a friend; do not trust a companion! Don't even share secrets with the one who lies in your arms! | 5Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips. |
| 6For a son thinks his father is a fool, a daughter challenges her mother, and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are his own servants. | 6For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- a man's enemies are the members of his own household. |
| 7But I will keep watching for the LORD; I will wait for the God who delivers me. My God will hear my lament. | 7But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. |
| 8My enemies, do not gloat over me! Though I have fallen, I will get up. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. | 8Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. |
| 9I must endure the LORD's anger, for I have sinned against him. But then he will defend my cause, and accomplish justice on my behalf. He will lead me out into the light; I will experience firsthand his deliverance. | 9Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the LORD's wrath, until he pleads my case and upholds my cause. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness. |
| 10When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame. They say to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" I will gloat over them. Then they will be trampled down like mud in the streets. | 10Then my enemy will see it and will be covered with shame, she who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will see her downfall; even now she will be trampled underfoot like mire in the streets. |
| 11It will be a day for rebuilding your walls; in that day your boundary will be extended. | 11The day for building your walls will come, the day for extending your boundaries. |
| 12In that day people will come to you from Assyria as far as Egypt, from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River, from the seacoasts and the mountains. | 12In that day people will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. |
| 13The earth will become desolate because of what its inhabitants have done. | 13The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the result of their deeds. |
| 14Shepherd your people with your shepherd's rod, the flock that belongs to you, the one that lives alone in a thicket, in the midst of a pastureland. Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, as they did in the old days. | 14Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago. |
| 15"As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt, I will show you miraculous deeds." | 15"As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them my wonders." |
| 16Nations will see this and be disappointed by all their strength, they will put their hands over their mouths, and act as if they were deaf. | 16Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their power. They will put their hands over their mouths and their ears will become deaf. |
| 17They will lick the dust like a snake, like serpents crawling on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds to the LORD our God; they will be terrified of you. | 17They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the LORD our God and will be afraid of you. |
| 18There is no other God like you! You forgive sin and pardon the rebellion of those who remain among your people. You do not remain angry forever, but delight in showing loyal love. | 18Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. |
| 19You will once again have mercy on us; you will conquer our evil deeds; you will hurl our sins into the depths of the sea. | 19You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. |
| 20You will be loyal to Jacob and extend your loyal love to Abraham, which you promised on oath to our ancestors in ancient times. | 20You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago. |
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