¹ Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee. ² O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
³ At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered. ⁴ And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.
⁵ The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. ⁶ And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.
⁷ Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. ⁸ The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man. ⁹ The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
¹⁰ Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself. ¹¹ Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you. ¹² And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
¹³ Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might. ¹⁴ The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? ¹⁵ He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; ¹⁶ he shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
¹⁷ Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. ¹⁸ Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers? ¹⁹ Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand. ²⁰ Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. ²¹ But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. ²² For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. ²³ Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. ²⁴ And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.