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.
It is bad for you, O destroyer, you who were not destroyed yourself! You cannot be trusted, but others have trusted you. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed. As soon as you stop lying, others will lie to 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 kind to us. We have waited for You. Be our strength every morning. Save us 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 loud noise of battle, the people run. When You lift Yourself up, nations divide and run.
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.
The things taken in war will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men rush upon it like locusts.
5 T he Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
The Lord is honored, for He lives on high. He has filled Zion with what is right and fair and good.
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.
He will be for you what is sure and faithful for your times, with much saving power, wisdom and learning. The fear of the Lord is worth much.
7 B ehold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
See, their men with strength of heart cry in the streets. The men sent to bring peace cry many tears.
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 roads are empty. The traveler does not travel. He has broken the agreement. He has hated the cities. He does not care for 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 is filled with sorrow and wastes away. Lebanon is put to shame and wastes 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 I will rise up,” says the Lord. “Now I will be honored. Now I will be lifted up.
11 Y e shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
You bring life to what is of no worth. You give birth to what is of no use. My breath will destroy you like a fire.
12 A nd the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
The people will be burned to white dust, like thorns cut down and burned in the fire.
13 H ear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.
“You who are far away, hear what I have done. And you who are near, speak of My power.”
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?
Sinners in Zion are filled with fear. The sinful shake with fear. They cry, “Who among us can live with the fire that destroys? Who among us can live with the fire that burns forever?”
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 with God, and whose words are good and honest, he who will not take money received from wrong-doing, and will not receive money given in secret for wrong-doing, he who stops his ears from hearing about killing, and shuts his eyes from looking at what is sinful,
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.
he will have a place on high. His safe place will be a rock that cannot be taken over. He will be given food and will have water for 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. They will see a land that is far away.
18 T hine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
Your heart will think about fear, asking, “Where is he who numbers? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who numbers 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 not see people who show no pity, people whose language no one knows, whose strange tongue 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 special suppers! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet resting place, a tent that will not be moved. Its tie-downs will never be pulled up, and none of its ropes will 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 in His great power will be for us. It will be a place of rivers and wide waterways, where no rowboats can go, and where no powerful ships 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 law-giver. 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 ropes are loose. They cannot hold the sail up in its place or spread it out. Then the many riches taken in battle will be divided. Even those who cannot walk will take the riches.
24 A nd the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.
And no one living there will say, “I am sick.” The people who live there will be forgiven of their sin.