So the law is slacked and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth perverted.
Therefore the law is frustrated, and judgment proceeds not effectually, for the ungodly man prevails over the just; therefore perverse judgment will proceed.
Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.
Behold, ye despisers, and look, and wonder marvelously, and vanish: for I work a work in your days, which ye will in no wise believe, though a man declare it to you.
Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Yea, their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
And his horses shall bound more swiftly than leopards, and they are fiercer than the wolves of Arabia: and his horsemen shall ride forth, and shall rush from far; and they shall fly as an eagle hasting to eat.
At kings they scoff, and of rulers they make sport. They laugh at every fortress, for they heap up earth and take it.
And he shall be at his ease with kings, and princes are his toys, and he shall mock at every strong-hold, and shall cast a mound, and take possession of it.
Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them as a judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast established them for chastisement.
Art not thou from the beginning, O Lord God, my Holy One? and surely we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast established it for judgment, and he has formed me to chasten with his correction.
Thou who art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on wrong, why dost thou look on faithless men, and art silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
His eye is too pure to behold evil doings, and to look upon grievous afflictions: wherefore dost thou look upon despisers? wilt thou be silent when the ungodly swallows up the just?
He brings all of them up with a hook, he drags them out with his net, he gathers them in his seine; so he rejoices and exults.
He has brought up destruction with a hook, and drawn one with a casting net, and caught another in his drags: therefore shall his heart rejoice and be glad.
God’s Reply to the Prophet’s Complaint I will take my stand to watch, and station myself on the tower, and look forth to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
I will stand upon my watch, and mount upon the rock, and watch to see what he will say by me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seem slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.
For the vision is yet for a time, and it shall shoot forth at the end, and not in vain: though he should tarry, wait for him; for he will surely come, and will not tarry.
Moreover, wine is treacherous; the arrogant man shall not abide. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations, and collects as his own all peoples.”
But the arrogant man and the scorner, the boastful man, shall not finish anything; who has enlarged his desire as the grave, and like death he is never satisfied, and he will gather to himself all the nations, and will receive to himself all the peoples.
The Woes of the Wicked Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, in scoffing derision of him, and say, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own— for how long?— and loads himself with pledges!”
Shall not all these take up a parable against him? and a proverb to tell against him? and they shall say, Woe to him that multiplies to himself the possessions which are not his! how long? and who heavily loads his yoke.
Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of men and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell therein.
Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the nations that are left shall spoil thee, because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.
You will be sated with contempt instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and stagger! The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, and shame will come upon your glory!
Drink thou also thy fill of disgrace instead of glory: shake, O heart, and quake, the cup of the right hand of the Lord has come round upon thee, and dishonour has gathered upon thy glory.
The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you; the destruction of the beasts will terrify you, for the blood of men and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell therein.
For the ungodliness of Libanus shall cover thee, and distress because of wild beasts shall dismay thee, because of the blood of men, and the sins of the land and city, and of all that dwell in it.
What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For the workman trusts in his own creation when he makes dumb idols!
What profit it the graven image, that they have graven it? one has made it a molten work, a false image; for the maker has trusted in his work, to make dumb idols.
Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a dumb stone, Arise! Can this give revelation? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it.
Woe to him that says to the wood, Awake, arise; and to the stone, Be thou exalted! whereas it is an image, and this is a casting of gold and silver, and there is no breath in it.
The Prophet’s Prayer O Lord, I have heard the report of thee, and thy work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years renew it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.
O Lord, I have heard thy report, and was afraid: I considered thy works, and was amazed: thou shalt be known between the two living creatures, thou shalt be acknowledged when the years draw nigh; thou shalt be manifested when the time is come; when my soul is troubled, thou wilt in wrath remember mercy.
Ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲉϥⲙⲟⲩⲉ ⲉϥⲉ̀ⲉⲣ ⲙ̀ⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲟⲩⲱⲓⲛⲓ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ϩⲁⲛⲧⲁⲡ ⲥⲉ ⲛ̀ϩⲣⲏⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲛⲉϥϫⲓϫ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲁϥⲭⲱ ⲛ̀ϯⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲧⲉϥϫⲟⲙ ⲉⲥⲧⲁϫⲣⲏⲟⲩⲧ And his brightness shall be as light; there were horns in his hands, and he caused a mighty love of his strength.
His brightness was like the light, rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.
His excellence covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
Ⲁϥϫⲟⲩϣⲧ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲗ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ ϩⲁⲛⲉⲑⲛⲟⲥ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲁⲩϧⲟⲙϧⲉⲙ ⲛ̀ϫⲟⲛⲥ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ ⲛⲓⲧⲱⲟⲩ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲁⲩⲃⲱⲗ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ ⲛⲓⲕⲁⲗⲁⲙⲫⲟ ⲛ̀ⲉⲛⲉϩ he beheld, and the nations melted away: the mountains were violently burst through, the everlasting hills melted at his everlasting going forth.
He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered, the everlasting hills sank low. His ways were as of old.
Was thy wrath against the rivers, O Lord? Was thy anger against the rivers, or thy indignation against the sea, when thou didst ride upon thy horses, upon thy chariot of victory?
Wast thou angry, O Lord, with the rivers? or was thy wrath against the rivers, or thine anger against the sea? for thou wilt mount on thine horses, and thy chariots are salvation.
Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, for the salvation of thy anointed. Thou didst crush the head of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah
Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, to save thine anointed: thou shalt bring death on the heads of transgressors; thou has brought bands upon their neck. Pause.
Thou didst pierce with thy shafts the head of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret.
Thou didst cut asunder the heads of princes with amazement, they shall tremble in it; they shall burst their bridles, they shall be as a poor man devouring in secret.
I hear, and my body trembles, my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones, my steps totter beneath me. I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us.
I watched, and my belly trembled at the sound of the prayer of my lips, and trembling entered into my bones, and my frame was troubled within me; I will rest in the day of affliction, from going up to the people of my sojourning.
Trust and Joy in the Midst of Trouble Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
For though the fig-tree shall bear no fruit, and there shall be no produce on the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall produce no food: the sheep have failed from the pasture, and there are no oxen at the cribs;
God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like hinds’ feet, he makes me tread upon my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
The Lord God is my strength, and he will perfectly strengthen my feet; he mounts me upon high places, that I may conquer by his song.