1 Misery is mine!
Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard.
There is no cluster of grapes to eat.
My soul desires to eat the early fig.
2 The godly man has perished out of the earth,
and there is no one upright among men.
They all lie in wait for blood;
every man hunts his brother with a net.
3 Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently.
The ruler and judge ask for a bribe.
The powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul.
Thus they conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier.
The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchmen,
even your visitation, has come;
now is the time of their confusion.
5 Don’t trust in a neighbor.
Don’t put confidence in a friend.
With the woman lying in your embrace,
be careful of the words of your mouth!
6 For the son dishonors the father,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
7 But as for me, I will look to Yahweh.
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
8 Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy.
When I fall, I will arise.
When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me.
9 I will bear the indignation of Yahweh,
because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my case and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light.
I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see it,
and shame will cover her who said to me,
"Where is Yahweh your God?"
My eyes will see her.
Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.
11 A day to build your walls!
In that day, he will extend your boundary.
12 In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
and from Egypt even to the River,
and from sea to sea,
and mountain to mountain.
13 Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein,
for the fruit of their doings.
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your heritage,
who dwell by themselves in a forest.
Let them feed in the middle of fertile pasture land,
in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
15 "As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt,
I will show them marvelous things."
16 The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might.
They will lay their hand on their mouth.
Their ears will be deaf.
17 They will lick the dust like a serpent.
Like crawling things of the earth, they will come trembling out of their dens.
They will come with fear to Yahweh our God,
and will be afraid because of you.
18 Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity,
and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage?
He doesn’t retain his anger forever,
because he delights in loving kindness.
19 He will again have compassion on us.
He will tread our iniquities under foot.
You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give truth to Jacob,
and mercy to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
1 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer [fruits], as the grapegleanings of the vintage: [there is] no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.
2 The merciful [man] of the earth is missing: and [there is] no one upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt each man his brother with a net.
3 To complete the evil with their hands, the prince demands, and the judge [judges] for a reward; and the great [man] speaks the desires of his heart: and they confirm it.
4 The best of them [is] as a brier; the most upright [as] a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen, thy visitation, comes; now shall be their confusion.
5 Do not believe in a friend, do not trust in a prince; from her that lies at thy side, take care, open not thy mouth.
6 For the son dishonours the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; and a man's enemies [are] those of his own house.
7 Therefore I will wait for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my saving health; my God will hear me.
8 Do not rejoice against me, O my enemy; for if I have fallen, I shall arise; if I sit in darkness, the LORD [is] my light.
9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he has judged my cause and executed my judgment; he will bring me forth to the light, [and] I shall behold his righteousness.
10 Then [she that is] my enemy shall see [it], and shame shall cover her who said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? my eyes shall behold her: now she shall be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
11 In the day that thy walls shall be built unto thee, [in] that day shall the decree [of thy slavery] be far removed.
12 [In] that day [also] he shall come even to thee from Assyria and [from] the fortified cities and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and [from] mountain to mountain.
13 And the land with those that dwell therein shall be made desolate, for the fruit of their doings.
14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell only [in] the mountain, in the midst of Carmel; let them feed [in] Bashan and Gilead, as in the time of old.
15 I will show you marvellous [things] as in the day when thou came out of Egypt.
16 The Gentiles shall see and be ashamed at all thy mighty acts: they shall lay [their] hand upon [their] mouth, their ears shall become deaf.
17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent; as the serpents of the earth, they shall tremble in their holes; they shall be filled with fear of the LORD our God and shall [also] fear thee.
18 Who [is] a God like unto thee that pardons iniquity, and passes over the rebellion with the remnant of his heritage? He did not retain his anger for ever because he delights [in] mercy.
19 He will turn again, he will have mercy on us; he will subdue our iniquities; and will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the times of old.: