1 W oe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

Woe to you, O destroyer, you who were not yourself destroyed, who deal treacherously though they did not deal treacherously with you! When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have stopped dealing treacherously, they will deal treacherously with you.

2 O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be the arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.

3 A t the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.

At the noise of the tumult, the peoples flee; at the lifting up of Yourself, nations are scattered.

4 A nd your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

And the spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap and run to and fro, so leap upon it.

5 T he Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation).

6 A nd wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.

And there shall be stability in your times, an abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is your treasure and His.

7 B ehold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

Behold, their valiant ones cry without; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.

8 T he highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.

The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceases. The enemy has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities and the witnesses, he regards no man.

9 T he earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

The land mourns and languishes, Lebanon is confounded and withers away; Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

10 N ow will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.

Now will I arise, says the Lord. Now will I lift up Myself; now will I be exalted.

11 Y e shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.

You conceive chaff, you bring forth stubble; your breath is a fire that consumes you.

12 A nd the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.

And the people will be burned as if to lime, like thorns cut down that are burned in the fire.

13 H ear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.

Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge My might!

14 T he sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling seizes the godless ones. Who among us can dwell with that devouring fire? Who among us can dwell with those everlasting burnings?

15 H e that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises gain from fraud and from oppression, who shakes his hand free from the taking of bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes to avoid looking upon evil.

16 h e shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; water for him will be sure.

17 T hine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; will behold a land of wide distances that stretches afar.

18 T hine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?

Your mind will meditate on the terror: Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed the tribute? Where is he who counted the towers?

19 T hou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.

You will see no more the fierce and insolent people, a people of a speech too deep and obscure to be comprehended, of a strange and stammering tongue that you cannot understand.

20 L ook upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

Look upon Zion, the city of our set feasts and solemnities! Your eyes shall see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be taken down; not one of its stakes shall ever be pulled up, neither shall any of its cords be broken.

21 B ut there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

But there the Lord will be for us in majesty and splendor a place of broad rivers and streams, where no oar-propelled boat can go, and no mighty and stately ship can pass.

22 F or the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.

For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us.

23 T hy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.

Your hoisting ropes hang loose; they cannot strengthen and hold firm the foot of their mast or keep the sail spread out. Then will prey and spoil in abundance be divided; even the lame will take the prey.

24 A nd the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

And no inhabitant will say, I am sick; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity and guilt.