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 At the noise of the tumult the peoples fled; at the lifting up of thyself the Gentiles were scattered. 4 And 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 The LORD shall be exalted; he who dwells on the heights: for he has filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. 6 And in thy times wisdom and knowledge, and the strength of salvation shall reign: the fear of the LORD shall be his treasure.
7 Behold, their ambassadors shall cry without: the messengers of peace shall weep bitterly. 8 The 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 The earth mourns and languishes: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel were shaken.
10 Now I will rise up, saith the LORD; now I will be exalted; now I will be lifted up. 11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you. 12 And 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 The 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 He 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 he 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 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. 18 Thine heart shall imagine the terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver of tribute? Where is he that counted the towers? 19 Thou 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 Thou 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 For 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 For the LORD shall be our judge, the LORD shall be our lawgiver, the LORD shall be our king; he himself will save us.
23 Thy tacklings are loosed; they did not strengthen well their mast, nor could they spread the sail: {Heb. banner}: then the prey of a great spoil shall be divided; even the lame shall take prey. 24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be absolved from sin.