1 ¶ Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.

My wo to me, for I have been As gatherings of summer-fruit, As gleanings of harvest, There is no cluster to eat, The first-ripe fruit desired hath my soul.

2 T he merciful man of the earth is missing: and there is no one upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt each man his brother with a net.

Perished hath the kind out of the land, And upright among men -- there are none, All of them for blood lie in wait, Each his brother they hunt a net.

3 T o complete the evil with their hands, the prince demands, and the judge judges for a reward; and the great man speaks the desires of his heart: and they confirm it.

On the evil both hands to do well, The prince is asking -- also the judge -- for recompence, And the great -- he is speaking the mischief of his soul, And they wrap it up.

4 T he best of them is as a brier; the most upright as a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen, thy visitation, comes; now shall be their confusion.

Their best one as a brier, The upright one -- than a thorn-hedge, The day of thy watchmen -- Thy visitation -- hath come. Now is their perplexity.

5 D o not believe in a friend, do not trust in a prince; from her that lies at thy side, take care, open not thy mouth.

Believe not in a friend, trust not in a leader, From her who is lying in thy bosom keep the openings of thy mouth.

6 F or the son dishonours the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies are those of his own house.

For a son is dishonouring a father, A daughter hath stood against her mother, A daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, The enemies of each the men of his house.

7 ¶ Therefore I will wait for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my saving health; my God will hear me.

And I -- in Jehovah I do watch, I do wait for the God of my salvation, Hear me doth my God.

8 D o not rejoice against me, O my enemy; for if I have fallen, I shall arise; if I sit in darkness, the LORD is my light.

Thou dost not rejoice over me, O mine enemy, When I have fallen, I have risen, When I sit in darkness Jehovah is a light to me.

9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he has judged my cause and executed my judgment; he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.

The indignation of Jehovah I do bear, For I have sinned against Him, Till that He doth plead my cause, And hath executed my judgment, He doth bring me forth to the light, I look on His righteousness.

10 T hen she that is my enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her who said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? my eyes shall behold her: now she shall be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

And see doth mine enemy, And cover her doth shame, Who saith unto me, `Where Jehovah thy God?' Mine eyes do look on her, Now she is for a treading-place, As mire of the out-places.

11 I n the day that thy walls shall be built unto thee, in that day shall the decree of thy slavery be far removed.

The day to build thy walls! That day -- removed is the limit.

12 I n that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria and from the fortified cities and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

That day -- even unto thee it doth come in, From Asshur and the cities of the fortress, And from the fortress even unto the river, And from sea to sea, and mount to mount.

13 A nd the land with those that dwell therein shall be made desolate, for the fruit of their doings.

And the land hath been for a desolation, Because of its inhabitants, Because of the fruit of their doings.

14 ¶ Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell only in the mountain, in the midst of Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the time of old.

Rule Thou Thy people with Thy rod, The flock of Thine inheritance, Dwelling alone a forest in the midst of Carmel, They enjoy Bashan and Gilead as in days of old.

15 I will show you marvellous things as in the day when thou came out of Egypt.

According to the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt, I do shew it wonderful things.

16 T he Gentiles shall see and be ashamed at all thy mighty acts: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall become deaf.

See do nations, and they are ashamed of all their might, They lay a hand on the mouth, their ears are deaf.

17 T hey shall lick the dust like a serpent; as the serpents of the earth, they shall tremble in their holes; they shall be filled with fear of the LORD our God and shall also fear thee.

They lick dust as a serpent, as fearful things of earth, They tremble from their enclosures, Of Jehovah our God they are afraid, Yea, they are afraid of Thee.

18 W ho is a God like unto thee that pardons iniquity, and passes over the rebellion with the remnant of his heritage? He did not retain his anger for ever because he delights in mercy.

Who a God like Thee? taking away iniquity, And passing by the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance, He hath not retained for ever His anger, Because He -- He delighteth kindness.

19 H e will turn again, he will have mercy on us; he will subdue our iniquities; and will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

He doth turn back, He pitieth us, He doth subdue our iniquities, And Thou castest into the depths of the sea all their sins.

20 T hou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the times of old.

Thou givest truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, That thou hast sworn to our fathers, from the days of antiquity!