unless they became my subjects and made peace with me; let them make peace with me.

I will threaten Ariel, and she will mourn intensely and become like an altar hearth before me.

For tyrants will disappear, those who taunt will vanish, and all those who love to do wrong will be eliminated –

Lord, be merciful to us! We wait for you. Give us strength each morning! Deliver us when distress comes.

Highways are empty, there are no travelers. Treaties are broken, witnesses are despised, human life is treated with disrespect.

You will see a king in his splendor; you will see a wide land.

Their slain will be left unburied, their corpses will stink; the hills will soak up their blood.

Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch and her soil into brimstone; her land will become burning pitch.

He will go back the way he came – he will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.

I first decreed to Zion, ‘Look, here’s what will happen!’ I sent a herald to Jerusalem.

A crushed reed he will not break, a dim wick he will not extinguish; he will faithfully make just decrees.

You see many things, but don’t comprehend; their ears are open, but do not hear.”

“But you did not call for me, O Jacob; you did not long for me, O Israel.

I, I have spoken – yes, I have summoned him; I lead him and he will succeed.

Shake off the dirt! Get up, captive Jerusalem! Take off the iron chains around your neck, O captive daughter Zion!

But they rebelled and offended his holy Spirit, so he turned into an enemy and fought against them.

We existed from ancient times, but you did not rule over them, they were not your subjects.

In light of all this, how can you still hold back, Lord? How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?

My hand discovered the wealth of the nations, as if it were in a nest, as one gathers up abandoned eggs, I gathered up the whole earth. There was no wing flapping, or open mouth chirping.”

Your dead will come back to life; your corpses will rise up. Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits.