| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Poor me! I feel like those who harvest summer fruit, or like those who pick grapes— there are no clusters to eat or any fresh fruit that I want. | 1I am depressed! Indeed, it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered, and the grapes have been harvested. There is no grape cluster to eat, no fresh figs that I crave so much. |
| 2The faithful have died off, and there is not one upright human being in the land. They all stalk one another with lethal intent, a man will even hunt his own brother with a net. | 2Faithful men have disappeared from the land; there are no godly men left. They all wait in ambush so they can shed blood; they hunt their own brother with a net. |
| 3And speaking of evil, they practice it eagerly—with both hands! Both leader and judge demand a bribe, the famous confess their perverted desires, and they scheme together. | 3They are determined to be experts at doing evil; government officials and judges take bribes, prominent men make demands, and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. |
| 4The best of them is like a thorn, and their most upright like a hedge of thorns. The day announced by your watchmen— and by your own calculations—approaches. Now it's your time to be confused! | 4The best of them is like a thorn; the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen--your appointed time of punishment--is on the way, and then you will experience confusion. |
| 5Don't trust your friends, don't confide in a companion, watch what you say to your wife. | 5Do not rely on a friend; do not trust a companion! Don't even share secrets with the one who lies in your arms! |
| 6The son disrespects his father, the daughter rebels against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies are the people of his own house. | 6For a son thinks his father is a fool, a daughter challenges her mother, and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are his own servants. |
| 7But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God who will deliver me. My God will hear me. | 7But I will keep watching for the LORD; I will wait for the God who delivers me. My God will hear my lament. |
| 8Don't be glad on my account, my enemy. When I fall, I'll get up. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD is a light for me. | 8My enemies, do not gloat over me! Though I have fallen, I will get up. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. |
| 9I will endure the LORD's anger— since I have sinned against him— until he takes over my defense, administers justice on my behalf, and brings me out to the light, where I will gaze on his righteousness. | 9I must endure the LORD's anger, for I have sinned against him. But then he will defend my cause, and accomplish justice on my behalf. He will lead me out into the light; I will experience firsthand his deliverance. |
| 10Then my enemy will observe it, and shame will engulf the ones who asked me, 'Where is the LORD your God?' My own eyes will see them, they will be trampled on like mud in the streets. | 10When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame. They say to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" I will gloat over them. Then they will be trampled down like mud in the streets. |
| 11When the time comes for rebuilding your walls, that time will surely be extended. | 11It will be a day for rebuilding your walls; in that day your boundary will be extended. |
| 12At that time armies will invade you from Assyria, from Egyptian cities to the Euphrates River, from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. | 12In that day people will come to you from Assyria as far as Egypt, from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River, from the seacoasts and the mountains. |
| 13The land will become desolate because of its inhabitants, and as a result of their behavior. | 13The earth will become desolate because of what its inhabitants have done. |
| 14Use your rod to shepherd your people, the flock that belongs to you, that lives alone in the forest of Carmel. Let them find pasture in Bashan and Gilead, as they did long ago. | 14Shepherd your people with your shepherd's rod, the flock that belongs to you, the one that lives alone in a thicket, in the midst of a pastureland. Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, as they did in the old days. |
| 15As I did when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show you awesome things. | 15"As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt, I will show you miraculous deeds." |
| 16The nations will look on and will be ashamed in spite of all their power; they will cup their hands over their mouths, and their ears will be deaf. | 16Nations will see this and be disappointed by all their strength, they will put their hands over their mouths, and act as if they were deaf. |
| 17They will lick the dust like a serpent; they will crawl from their strongholds like snakes. They will fear the LORD our God. They will be terrified because of you. | 17They will lick the dust like a snake, like serpents crawling on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds to the LORD our God; they will be terrified of you. |
| 18Is there any God like you, forgiving iniquity, passing over transgressions by the survivors who are your heritage? He is not angry forever, because he delights in gracious love. | 18There is no other God like you! You forgive sin and pardon the rebellion of those who remain among your people. You do not remain angry forever, but delight in showing loyal love. |
| 19He will again show us compassion; he will subdue our iniquities. You will hurl all their sins into the deepest sea. | 19You will once again have mercy on us; you will conquer our evil deeds; you will hurl our sins into the depths of the sea. |
| 20You will remain true to Jacob, and merciful to Abraham, as you promised our ancestors long ago. | 20You will be loyal to Jacob and extend your loyal love to Abraham, which you promised on oath to our ancestors in ancient times. |
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