1 ¶ Woe to thee that dost spoil, and thou wast not spoiled; and dost deal treacherously, and they did not deal treacherously with thee! When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

2 O LORD, have mercy on us; we wait for thee: thou wert the strength of thy people in the beginning, be also our saving health in the time of tribulation.

3 A t the noise of the tumult the peoples fled; at the lifting up of thyself the Gentiles were scattered.

4 A nd your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

5 T he LORD shall be exalted; he who dwells on the heights: for he has filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

6 A nd in thy times wisdom and knowledge, and the strength of salvation shall reign: the fear of the LORD shall be his treasure.

7 B ehold, their ambassadors shall cry without: the messengers of peace shall weep bitterly.

8 T he highways shall be broken down; the travellers shall cease; he has broken the covenant; he has despised the cities; he does not regard man.

9 T he earth mourns and languishes: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel were shaken.

10 N ow I will rise up, saith the LORD; now I will be exalted; now I will be lifted up.

11 Y e shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.

12 A nd the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up they shall 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 T he sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with eternal flames?

15 H e that walks in righteousness, he that speaks uprightly; he that despises the gain of violence, he that shakes his hands from receiving bribes; he that stops his ears to not hear of blood; he who shuts his eyes to not see evil;

16 h e shall dwell upon the high places: fortresses of rocks shall be his place of refuge: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

17 T hine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

18 T hine heart shall imagine the terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver of tribute? Where is he that counted the towers?

19 T hou shalt not see that fierce people, a people of a darker speech than thou can perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou can not understand.

20 T hou shalt see 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 its stakes shall ever be removed, neither shall any of its cords be broken.

21 F or the LORD shall surely be strong unto us there, a place of broad rivers and wide streams in which no galley with oars shall go, neither shall any great ship pass thereby.

22 F or the LORD shall be our judge, the LORD shall be our lawgiver, the LORD shall be our king; he himself will save us.

23 T hy tacklings are loosed; they did not strengthen well their mast, nor could they spread the sail: then the prey of a great spoil shall be divided; even the lame shall take prey.

24 A nd the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be absolved from sin.