1 I t 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.

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 kind to us. We have waited for You. Be our strength every morning. Save us 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 loud noise of battle, the people run. When You lift Yourself up, nations divide and run.

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

4 T he things taken in war will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men rush upon it like locusts.

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 honored, for He lives on high. He has filled Zion with what is right and fair and good.

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 H e 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.

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 S ee, their men with strength of heart cry in the streets. The men sent to bring peace cry many tears.

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

8 T he roads are empty. The traveler does not travel. He has broken the agreement. He has hated the cities. He does not care for 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 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.

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 “ Now I will rise up,” says the Lord. “Now I will be honored. Now I will be lifted up.

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

11 Y ou 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.

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

12 T he people will be burned to white dust, like thorns cut down and 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 “ You who are far away, hear what I have done. And you who are near, speak of My power.”

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

14 S inners 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?”

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 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,

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 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.

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 Y our eyes will see the King in His beauty. They will see a land that is far away.

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

18 Y our heart will think about fear, asking, “Where is he who numbers? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who numbers 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 Y ou will not see people who show no pity, people whose language no one knows, whose strange tongue you cannot 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 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.

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 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.

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 law-giver. 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 Y our 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.

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 no one living there will say, “I am sick.” The people who live there will be forgiven of their sin.

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