1 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer-fruits, as the grape-gleanings of the vintage. There is no cluster to eat; there is no early fruit {which} my soul desired.2 The godly {man} hath perished out of the land, and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood, they hunt every man his brother with a net.3 Both hands are for evil, to do it well. The prince asketh, and the judge {is there} for a reward; and the great {man} uttereth his soul's greed: and {together} they combine it.4 The best of them is as a briar; the most upright, {worse} than a thorn-fence. The day of thy watchmen, thy visitation is come; now shall be their perplexity.5 Believe ye not in a companion, put not confidence in a familiar friend: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law: a man's enemies are the men of his own household.7 But as for me, I will look unto Jehovah; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: though I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, Jehovah shall be a light unto me.9 I will bear the indignation of Jehovah-for I have sinned against him-until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light; I shall behold his righteousness.10 And mine enemy shall see {it}, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is Jehovah thy God? Mine eyes shall behold her; now shall she be trodden down, as the mire of the streets.11 In the day when thy walls shall be built, on that day shall the established limit recede.12 In that day they shall come to thee from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.13 But the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine inheritance, dwelling alone in the forest, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.15 -As in the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt, will I shew them marvellous things.16 -The nations shall see, and be ashamed for all their might: they shall lay {their} hand upon {their} mouth, their ears shall be deaf.17 They shall lick dust like the serpent; like crawling things of the earth, they shall come trembling forth from their close places. They shall turn with fear to Jehovah our God, and shall be afraid because of thee.18 Who is a *God like unto thee, that forgiveth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in loving-kindness.19 He will yet again have compassion on us, he will tread under foot our iniquities: and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.20 Thou wilt perform truth to Jacob, loving-kindness to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers, from the days of old.

1 Wee my, want ek het geword soos n die insameling van somervrugte, soos die natrossies van die wynoes: geen tros om te eet nie, my siel begeer vroeë vye.2 Die vrome het verdwyn uit die land, en daar is geen opregte meer onder die mense nie; hulle loer almal op bloed; hulle jaag elkeen sy broer met die net.3 Na die kwaad gaan die hande uit, om dit dapper te doen. Die vors eis, en die regter vra betaling, en die groot man spreek die begeerte van sy siel uit, en hulle verdraai dit alles.4 Die beste van hulle is soos 'n doringstruik, die mees opregte erger as 'n doringheining. Die dag van jou wagte, jou besoeking, kom; nou sal hulle verwarring daar wees.5 Vertrou geen metgesel nie, maak op geen vriend staat nie, let op die poorte van jou mond teenoor haar wat in jou skoot lê.6 Want die seun minag die vader, die dogter staan op teen haar moeder, die skoondogter teen haar skoonmoeder, die man se vyande is sy huisgenote!7 Maar ek sal uitsien na die HERE, ek wil wag op die God van my heil, my God sal my hoor.8 Wees nie bly oor my nie, o my vyandin! Al het ek geval, ek staan weer op; al sit ek in duisternis, die HERE is 'n lig vir my.9 Die toorn van die HERE sal ek dra, want ek het teen Hom gesondig; totdat Hy my saak verdedig en my reg verskaf. Hy sal my uitlei in die lig; ek sal met welgevalle sien hoe Hy geregtigheid oefen.10 Ook sal my vyandin dit sien, en skaamte sal haar bedek wat vir my sê: Waar is die HERE, jou God? My oë sal met welgevalle op haar neersien. Nou sal sy vertrap word soos modder van die strate.11 Daar kom 'n dag om jou mure te herbou! In die dag sal die gebied ruim wees.12 Dit is 'n dag dat hulle na jou sal kom van Assur en die stede van Egipte, en van Egipte tot by die Eufraat, en van see tot see, en van berg tot berg.13 Maar die aarde sal 'n wildernis word vanweë sy inwoners, as gevolg van hulle handelinge.14 Wei u volk met u staf, die kudde wat u erfdeel is, wat afgesonderd woon in 'n bosveld op Karmel; laat hulle wei in Basan en G¡lead soos in die ou dae.15 Soos in die dae van jou uittog uit Egipteland sal Ek hom wonders laat sien.16 Die nasies sal dit sien en skaam wees ondanks al hulle krag: hulle sal die hand op die mond lê, hulle ore sal doof word.17 Hulle sal stof lek soos die slang, hulle sal soos grondkruipers bewende uit hulle vestings te voorskyn kom, hulle sal sidderende kom na die HERE onse God, en hulle sal vir U vrees.18 Wie is 'n God soos U, wat die ongeregtigheid vergewe en by die oortreding van die oorblyfsel van sy erfdeel verbygaan? Hy hou toorn nie vir ewig vas nie, maar het 'n welbehae in goedertierenheid.19 Hy sal Hom weer oor ons ontferm, ons ongeregtighede vertree; ja, U sal al hulle sondes in die dieptes van die see werp.20 U sal trou bewys aan Jakob, goedertierenheid aan Abraham, wat U aan ons vaders met 'n eed beloof het sedert die dae van die voortyd.