The Judgment of God

1Woe to you, O 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.

      2O LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for You.
            Be their strength every morning,
            Our salvation also in the time of distress.

      3At the sound of the tumult peoples flee;
            At the lifting up of Yourself nations disperse.

      4Your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
            As locusts rushing about men rush about on it.

      5The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high;
            He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.

      6And He will be the stability of your times,
            A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge;
            The fear of the LORD is his treasure.

      7Behold, their brave men cry in the streets,
            The ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.

      8The highways are desolate, the traveler has ceased,
            He has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities,
            He has no regard for man.

      9The land mourns and pines away,
            Lebanon is shamed and withers;
            Sharon is like a desert plain,
            And Bashan and Carmel lose 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 chaff, you will give birth to stubble;
            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, acknowledge My might.”

      14Sinners in Zion are terrified;
            Trembling has seized the godless.
            “Who among us can live with the consuming fire?
            Who among us can live with continual burning?”

      15He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity,
            He who rejects unjust gain
            And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
            He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
            And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;

      16He will dwell on the heights,
            His refuge will be the impregnable rock;
            His bread will be given him,
            His water will be sure.

      17Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
            They will behold a far-distant land.

      18Your heart will meditate on terror:
            “Where is he who counts?
            Where is he who weighs?
            Where is he who counts the towers?”

      19You will no longer see a fierce people,
            A people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends,
            Of a stammering tongue which no one understands.

      20Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
            Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an undisturbed habitation,
            A tent which will not be folded;
            Its stakes will never be pulled up,
            Nor any of its cords be torn apart.

      21But 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—

      22For the LORD is our judge,
            The LORD is our lawgiver,
            The LORD is our king;
            He will save us—

      23Your 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;
            The lame will take the plunder.

      24And no resident will say, “I am sick”;
            The people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.