Israel’s Great Misery (Matthew 10:34–39; Luke 12:49–53)
2 ULT The faithful one has perished from the land, and there is no upright one among mankind. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; each man hunts his brother with a net. BSB BSB: The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.
3 ULT Concerning evil, the two hands{ act} to do{ it} well; the ruler is asking, and the judge, for the recompense, and the great one is speaking the desire of his very soul; and they weave it together. BSB BSB: Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.
4 ULT The best of them{ is} like a brier; the upright,{ worse} than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchers, your visitation, has come. Now their confusion will be. BSB BSB: The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time of their confusion.
5 ULT Do not believe in a neighbor; Do not trust in a friend. From the one lying in your bosom, guard the doors of your mouth. BSB BSB: Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
Israel’s Confession and Comfort 7 ULT But I, I will watch for Yahweh; I shall wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. BSB BSB: But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
8 ULT Do not rejoice over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen; I will arise. Though I sit in the darkness; Yahweh{ is} a light to me. BSB BSB: Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.
9 ULT I will bear the rage of Yahweh, for I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case and accomplishes my justice. He will bring me out to the light; I will look on his righteousness. BSB BSB: Because I have sinned against Him, I must endure the rage of the LORD, until He argues my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me into the light; I will see His righteousness.
10 ULT Then may my enemy see, so that shame covers her, the one saying to me,“Where{ is} Yahweh your God?” My eyes will look at her; now she will become a trampling place like the mud of the streets. BSB BSB: Then my enemy will see and will be covered with shame—she who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her; at that time she will be trampled like mud in the streets.
11 ULT A day to build your walls! That day the boundary will be far away. BSB BSB: The day for rebuilding your walls will come—the day for extending your boundary.
12 ULT That{ is} the day when as far as you he will come, from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt and as far as the River, and{ to} sea from sea, and mountain{ to} the mountain. BSB BSB: On that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates, from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.
13 ULT And the land will become a desolation on account of her inhabitants, from the fruit of their deeds. BSB BSB: Then the earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the fruit of their deeds.
God’s Compassion on Israel 14 ULT Shepherd your people with your rod, the flock of your inheritance, the one dwelling alone, a forest in the midst of Carmel. May they graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. BSB BSB: Shepherd with Your staff Your people, the flock of Your inheritance. They live alone in a woodland, surrounded by pastures. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
15 ULT As in the days of your going out from the land of Egypt, I will make him see wonders. BSB BSB: As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show My wonders.
16 ULT The nations will see and will be ashamed of all of their might. They will put a hand over mouth; their ears will be deaf. BSB BSB: Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might. They will put their hands over their mouths, and their ears will become deaf.
17 ULT They will lick dust like the serpent; like crawling things of the earth, they will tremble from their strongholds. They will approach in dread Yahweh our God, and they will fear because of you. BSB BSB: They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You.
18 ULT Who is a God like you, bearing iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold his nose forever, for he delights in covenant faithfulness, he{ does}. BSB BSB: Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
19 ULT He will return; he will have compassion on us. He will subdue our iniquities, and you will throw into the depths of the sea all of their sins. BSB BSB: He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20 ULT You will grant trustworthiness to Jacob, covenant faithfulness to Abraham, which you swore to our fathers from the days of old. BSB BSB: You will show faithfulness to Jacob and loving devotion to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from the days of old.