<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen, you deaf ones!p> <p class="poetry">Take notice,<n id="1" /> you blind ones!p>

When one looks out over the land, he sees<n id="1" /> distress and darkness, gloom<n id="2" /> and anxiety, darkness and people forced from the land.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">They<n id="1" /> removed the defenses<n id="2" /> of Judah.p> <p class="poetry">At that time<n id="3" /> you lookedp> <p class="poetry">for the weapons in the House of the Forest.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look at Abraham, your father,p> <p class="poetry">and Sarah, who gave you birth.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">When I summoned him, he was a lone individual,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">but I blessed him<n id="3" /> and gave him numerous descendants.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I looked, but there was no one to help;p> <p class="poetry">I was shocked because there was no one offering support.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">So my right arm accomplished deliverance;p> <p class="poetry">my raging anger drove me on.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They have stringed instruments,<n id="1" /> tambourines, flutes,p> <p class="poetry">and wine at their parties.p> <p class="poetry">So they do not recognize what the <sc>Lordsc> is doing,p> <p class="poetry">they do not perceive what he is bringing about.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">At that time<n id="1" /> they will growl over their prey,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,p> <p class="poetry">clouds will turn the light into darkness.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the <sc>Lordsc> has told me:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will wait<n id="1" /> and watch from my place,p> <p class="poetry">like scorching heat produced by the sunlight,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">like a cloud of mist<n id="3" /> in the heat<n id="4" /> of harvest.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">You made a reservoir between the two wallsp> <p class="poetry">for the water of the old pool &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">but you did not trust in<n id="1" /> the one who made it;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you did not depend on<n id="3" /> the one who formed it long ago!p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I thought,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will no longer see the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> in the land of the living,p> <p class="poetry">I will no longer look on humankind with the inhabitants of the world.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen to me, you who pursue godliness,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who seek the <sc>Lordsc>!p> <p class="poetry">Look at the rock from which you were chiseled,p> <p class="poetry">at the quarry<n id="2" /> from which you were dug!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look down from heaven and take notice,p> <p class="poetry">from your holy, majestic palace!p> <p class="poetry">Where are your zeal<n id="1" /> and power?p> <p class="poetry">Do not hold back your tender compassion!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry"><sc>Lordsc>, do not be too angry!p> <p class="poetry">Do not hold our sins against us continually!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Take a good look at your people, at all of us!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look up at the sky!p> <p class="poetry">Look at the earth below!p> <p class="poetry">For the sky will dissipate<n id="1" /> like smoke,p> <p class="poetry">and the earth will wear out like clothes;p> <p class="poetry">its residents will die like gnats.p> <p class="poetry">But the deliverance I give<n id="2" /> is permanent;p> <p class="poetry">the vindication I provide<n id="3" /> will not disappear.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">My hand made them;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">that is how they came to be,&#8221;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">I show special favor<n id="3" /> to the humble and contrite,p> <p class="poetry">who respect what I have to say.<n id="4" />p>