Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations
Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
athe oppressing city!
2 She listens to no voice;
ashe accepts no correction.
bShe does not trust in the Lord;
she does not draw near to her God.
3 aHer officials within her
are roaring lions;
her judges are bevening wolves
that leave nothing till the morning.
4 aHer prophets are fickle, treacherous men;
aher priests bprofane what is holy;
they do violence to the law.
5 The Lord within her ais righteous;
he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
each dawn he does not fail;
but bthe unjust knows no shame.
6 a“I have cut off nations;
their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
bso that no one walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
without a man, without an inhabitant.
7 aI said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
byou will accept correction.
Then your dwelling would not be cut off
according to all that I have appointed against you.’
But call the more they were eager
to make all their deeds corrupt.
8 “Therefore await for me,” declares the Lord,
“for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is bto gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy
call the earth shall be consumed.
The Conversion of the Nations
9 “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples
to aa pure speech,
that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord
and serve him with one accord.
10 aFrom beyond the rivers bof Cush
my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,
shall bring my offering.
11 a“On that day byou shall not be put to shame
because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then cI will remove from your midst
your proudly exultant ones,
and dyou shall no longer be haughty
in my holy mountain.
12 But I will leave in your midst
a people ahumble and lowly.
bThey shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,
13 athose who are left in Israel;
they bshall do no injustice
and speak no lies,
cnor shall there be found in their mouth
a deceitful tongue.
dFor they shall graze and lie down,
and none shall make them afraid.”
Israel’s Joy and Restoration
14 aSing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
aThe King of Israel, bthe Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16 aOn that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
blet not your hands grow weak.
17 aThe Lord your God is in your midst,
ba mighty one who will save;
che will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
18 I will gather those of you who mourn afor the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
19 Behold, at that time aI will deal
with all your oppressors.
And bI will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change ctheir shame into dpraise
and renown in all the earth.
20 aAt that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
bwhen I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the Lord.