1 M y 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.

Woe is me! For I am as when the summer fruits have been gathered, as when the vintage grapes have been gleaned and there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig for which my appetite craves.

2 P erished 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.

The godly man has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; each hunts his brother with a net.

3 O n 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.

Both their hands are put forth and are upon what is evil to do it diligently; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters his evil desire. Thus they twist between them.

4 T heir 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.

The best of them is like a brier; the most upright or the straightest is like a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even of judgment and your punishment, has come; now shall be their perplexity and confusion.

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

Trust not in a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Keep the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom.

6 F or 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.

For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the men (members) of his own house.

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

But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

8 T hou 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.

Rejoice not against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.

9 T he 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.

I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteous deliverance.

10 A nd 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.

Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, Where is the Lord your God? My eyes will see my desire upon her; now she will be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

11 T he day to build thy walls! That day -- removed is the limit.

In the day that your walls are to be built, in that day shall the boundary be far extended and the decree be far removed.

12 T hat 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.

In that day they will come to you from Assyria and from the cities of Matzor and from Egypt even to the river, from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.

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

Yet shall the earth be desolate because of those who dwell in it, for the fruit of their doings.

14 R ule 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.

Rule and feed Your people with Your rod and scepter, the flock of Your inheritance who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of Carmel; they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

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

As in the days of your coming forth from the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.

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

The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might. They shall lay their hands upon their mouths in consternation; their ears shall be deaf.

17 T hey 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.

They shall lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their strongholds and close places. They shall turn and come with fear and dread to the Lord our God and shall be afraid and stand in awe because of You.

18 W ho 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.

Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy and loving-kindness.

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

He will again have compassion on us; He will subdue and tread underfoot our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

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

You will show Your faithfulness and perform the sure promise to Jacob and loving-kindness and mercy to Abraham, as You have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.