<t /><p class="poetry">Then the <sc>Lordsc> became<n id="1" /> zealous for his land;p> <p class="poetry">he had compassion on his people.p>

<p class="poetry">People<n id="1" /> writhe in fear when they see them.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">All of their faces turn pale with fright.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">and they cast lots for my people.p> <p class="poetry">They traded<n id="1" /> a boy for a prostitute;p> <p class="poetry">they sold a little girl for wine so they could drink.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Let the priests, those who serve the <sc>Lordsc>, weepp> <p class="poetry">from the vestibule all the way back to the altar.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Let them say, &#8220;Have pity, O <sc>Lordsc>, on your people;p> <p class="poetry">please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked,p> <p class="poetry">to become a proverb<n id="2" /> among the nations.p> <p class="poetry">Why should it be said<n id="3" /> among the peoples,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Where is their God?&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">They sound like<n id="1" /> chariots rumbling<n id="2" /> over mountain tops,p> <p class="poetry">like the crackling<n id="3" /> of blazing fire consuming stubble,p> <p class="poetry">like the noise of<n id="4" /> a mighty army<n id="5" /> being drawn up for battle.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Gather the people;p> <p class="poetry">sanctify an assembly!p> <p class="poetry">Gather the elders;p> <p class="poetry">gather the children and the nursing infants.p> <p class="poetry">Let the bridegroom come out from his bedroomp> <p class="poetry">and the bride from her private quarters.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">You will have plenty to eat,p> <p class="poetry">and your hunger will be fully satisfied;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you will praise the name of the <sc>Lordsc> your God,p> <p class="poetry">who has acted wondrously in your behalf.p> <p class="poetry">My people will never again be put to shame.p>

<p class="poetry">You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel.p> <p class="poetry">I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God; there is no other.p> <p class="poetry">My people will never again be put to shame.p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> roars from Zion;p> <p class="poetry">from Jerusalem<n id="1" /> his voice bellows out.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The heavens<n id="3" /> and the earth shake.p> <p class="poetry">But the <sc>Lordsc> is a refuge for his people;p> <p class="poetry">he is a stronghold for the citizens<n id="4" /> of Israel.p>

<p class="poetry">It will be<n id="1" /> a day of dreadful darkness,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">a day of foreboding storm clouds,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">like blackness<n id="4" /> spread over the mountains.p> <p class="poetry">It is a huge and powerful army<n id="5" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">there has never been anything like it ever before,p> <p class="poetry">and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come!<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> responded<n id="1" /> to his people,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look! I am about to restore your grain<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">as well as fresh wine and olive oil.p> <p class="poetry">You will be fully satisfied.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations.p>

<p class="poetry">Then I will gather all the nations,p> <p class="poetry">and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will enter into judgment<n id="2" /> against them therep> <p class="poetry">concerning my people Israel who are my inheritance,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">whom they scattered among the nations.p> <p class="poetry">They partitioned my land,p>