A Prayer in Deep Distress
Woe to you awho plunder, though you have not been plundered;
And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you!
bWhen you cease plundering,
You will be cplundered;
When you make an end of dealing treacherously,
They will deal treacherously with you.
2 O Lord, be gracious to us;
aWe have waited for You.
Be their arm every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of trouble.
3 At the noise of the tumult the people ashall flee;
When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered;
4 And Your plunder shall be gathered
Like the gathering of the caterpillar;
As the running to and fro of locusts,
He shall run upon them.
5 aThe Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times,
And the strength of salvation;
The fear of the Lord is His treasure.
7 Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside,
aThe ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
8 aThe highways lie waste,
The traveling man ceases.
bHe has broken the covenant,
He has despised the cities,
He regards no man.
9 aThe earth mourns and languishes,
Lebanon is shamed and shriveled;
Sharon is like a wilderness,
And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
Impending Judgment on Zion
10 “Nowa I will rise,” says the Lord;
“Now I will be exalted,
Now I will lift Myself up.
11 aYou shall conceive chaff,
You shall bring forth stubble;
Your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
12 And the people shall be like the burnings of lime;
aLike thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire.
13 Hear, ayou who are afar off, what I have done;
And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites:
“Who among us shall dwell with the devouring afire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”
15 He who awalks righteously and speaks uprightly,
He who despises the gain of oppressions,
Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes,
Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed,
And bshuts his eyes from seeing evil:
16 He will dwell on high;
His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks;
Bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.
The Land of the Majestic King
17 Your eyes will see the King in His abeauty;
They will see the land that is very far off.
18 Your heart will meditate on terror:
a“Where is the scribe?
Where is he who weighs?
Where is he who counts the towers?”
19 aYou will not see a fierce people,
bA people of obscure speech, beyond perception,
Of a stammering tongue that you cannot understand.
20 aLook upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see bJerusalem, a quiet home,
A tabernacle that will not be taken down;
cNot one of dits stakes will ever be removed,
Nor will any of its cords be broken.
21 But there the majestic Lord will be for us
A place of broad rivers and streams,
In which no galley with oars will sail,
Nor majestic ships pass by
22 (For the Lord is our aJudge,
The Lord is our bLawgiver,
cThe Lord is our King;
He will save us);
23 Your tackle is loosed,
They could not strengthen their mast,
They could not spread the sail.
Then the prey of great plunder is divided;
The lame take the prey.
24 And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”;
aThe people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved.