[1] Sorrow to her who is uncontrolled and unclean, the cruel town! [2] She
gave no attention to the voice, she had no use for teaching, she put no
faith in the Lord, she did not come near to her God. [3] Her rulers are
like loud-voiced lions in her; her judges are wolves of the evening,
crushing up the bones before the morning. [4] Her prophets are
good-for-nothing persons, full of deceit: her priests have made the holy
place unclean and have gone violently against the law. [5] The Lord in her
is upright; he will not do evil; every morning he lets his righteousness be
seen, he is unchanging; but the evil-doer has no sense of shame. [6] I have
had the nations cut off, their towers are broken down; I have made their
streets a waste so that no one goes through them: destruction has overtaken
their towns, so that there is no man living in them. [7] I said, Certainly
you will go in fear of me, and come under my training, so that whatever I
may send on her may not be cut off before her eyes: but they got up early
and made all their works evil. [8] For this reason, go on waiting for me,
says the Lord, till the day when I come up as a witness: for my purpose is
to send for the nations and to get the kingdoms together, so that I may let
loose on them my passion, even all my burning wrath: for all the earth will
be burned up in the fire of my bitter passion. [9] For then I will give the
people a clean language, so that they may all make prayer to the Lord and
be his servants with one mind. [10] From over the rivers of Ethiopia, and
from the sides of the north, they will come to me with an offering. [11] In
that day you will have no shame on account of all the things in which you
did evil against me: for then I will take away from among you those who
were lifted up in pride, and you will no longer be lifted up with pride in
my holy mountain. [12] But I will still have among you a quiet and poor
people, and they will put their faith in the name of the Lord. [13] The
rest of Israel will do no evil and say no false words; the tongue of deceit
will not be seen in their mouth: for they will take their food and their
rest, and no one will be a cause of fear to them. [14] Make melody, O
daughter of Zion; give a loud cry, O Israel; be glad and let your heart be
full of joy, O daughter of Jerusalem. [15] The Lord has taken away those
who were judging you, he has sent your haters far away: the King of Israel,
even the Lord, is among you: you will have no more fear of evil. [16] In
that day it will be said to Jerusalem, Have no fear: O Zion, let not your
hands be feeble. [17] The Lord your God is among you, as a strong saviour:
he will be glad over you with joy, he will make his love new again, he will
make a song of joy over you as in the time of a holy feast. [18] I will
take away your troubles, lifting up your shame from off you. [19] See, at
that time I will put an end to all who have been troubling you: I will give
salvation to her whose steps are uncertain, and get together her who has
been sent in flight; and I will make them a cause of praise and an honoured
name in all the earth, when I let their fate be changed. [20] At that time
I will make you come in, at that time I will get you together: for I will
make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth when I let
your fate be changed before your eyes, says the Lord.
