The Judgment of God
1 Woe to you, destroyer,
While you were not destroyed;
And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him.
As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed;
As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.
2 Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You.
Be 33:2 Some ancient versions ourtheir 33:2 Lit armstrength every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of distress.
3 At the sound of a roar, peoples flee;
At the lifting up of Yourself, nations disperse.
4 Your plunder is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
Like an infestation of locusts, people storm it.
5 The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 And He will be the 33:6 Or faithfulnessstability of your times,
A wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
The fear of the Lord is his treasure.
7 Behold, their brave men cry out 33:7 Lit outsidein the streets,
The 33:7 Lit messengersambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways are desolate, 33:8 Lit one who passes along the waythe traveler has ceased,
He has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities,
He has no regard for mankind.
9 The land mourns and wastes away,
Lebanon is shamed and withers;
Sharon is like a desert plain,
And Bashan and Carmel 33:9 Lit shake offlose their foliage.
10 "Now I will arise," says the Lord,
"Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up.
11 "You have conceived 33:11 Lit dry grasschaff, you will give birth to stubble;
33:11 One ancient version; MT Your breath will My breath will consume you like a fire.
12 "The peoples will be burned to lime,
Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.
13 "You who are far away, hear what I have done;
And you who are near, 33:13 Lit knowacknowledge My might."
14 Sinners in Zion are terrified;
Trembling has seized the godless.
"Who among us can live with the consuming fire?
Who among us can live with everlasting burning?"
15 One who walks righteously and speaks with integrity,
One who rejects 33:15 Lit gain of extortionersunjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
One who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And shuts his eyes from looking at evil;
16 He will dwell on the heights,
His refuge will be the 33:16 Lit stronghold of rockimpregnable rock;
His bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.
17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will see a distant land.
18 Your heart will meditate on terror:
"Where is one who counts?
Where is one who weighs?
Where is one who counts the towers?"
19 You will no longer see a fierce people,
A people of 33:19 Lit deepness of lipunintelligible speech 33:19 Lit from hearingwhich no one comprehends,
Of a stammering tongue 33:19 Lit there is no understandingwhich no one understands.
20 Look at Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an undisturbed settlement,
A tent which will not be folded;
Its stakes will never be pulled up,
Nor any of its ropes be torn apart.
21 But there the majestic One, the Lord, will be for us
A place of rivers and wide canals
On which no boat with oars will go,
And on which no mighty ship will pass—
22 For the Lord is our judge,
The Lord is our lawgiver,
The Lord is our king;
He will save us—
23 Your ship’s tackle hangs slack;
It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly,
Nor spread out the sail.
Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided;
Those who limp will take the plunder.
24 And no resident will say, "I am sick";
The people who live 33:24 Lit in itthere will be forgiven their wrongdoing.