1 W oe to you, O destroyer, While you were not destroyed; And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.

2 O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their strength every morning, Our salvation also in the time of distress.

3 A t the sound of the tumult peoples flee; At the lifting up of Yourself nations disperse.

4 Y our spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; As locusts rushing about men rush about on it.

5 T he Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.

6 A nd He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the Lord is his treasure.

7 B ehold, their brave men cry in the streets, The ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.

8 T he highways are desolate, the traveler has ceased, He has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, He has no regard for man.

9 T he land mourns and pines away, Lebanon is shamed and withers; Sharon is like a desert plain, And Bashan and Carmel lose their foliage.

10 “ Now I will arise,” says the Lord, “Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up.

11 “ You have conceived chaff, you will give birth to stubble; My breath will consume you like a fire.

12 “ The peoples will be burned to lime, Like cut thorns which are burned in the fire.

13 “ You who are far away, hear what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”

14 S inners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. “Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?”

15 H e who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;

16 H e will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His bread will be given him, His water will be sure.

17 Y our eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will behold a far-distant land.

18 Y our heart will meditate on terror: “Where is he who counts? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?”

19 Y ou will no longer see a fierce people, A people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends, Of a stammering tongue which no one understands.

20 L ook upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an undisturbed habitation, A tent which will not be folded; Its stakes will never be pulled up, Nor any of its cords be torn apart.

21 B ut there the majestic One, the Lord, will be for us A place of rivers and wide canals On which no boat with oars will go, And on which no mighty ship will pass—

22 F or the Lord is our judge, The Lord is our lawgiver, The Lord is our king; He will save us—

23 Y our tackle hangs slack; It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly, Nor spread out the sail. Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided; The lame will take the plunder.

24 A nd no resident will say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.