<p class="poetry">Men bow down to them in homage,p> <p class="poetry">they lie flat on the ground in worship.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t spare them!<n id="2" />p>

The <sc>Lordsc> will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the <sc>Lordsc> and he will listen to their prayers<n id="1" /> and heal them.p>

<p class="poetry">They will be called, &#8220;The Holy People,p> <p class="poetry">the Ones Protected<n id="1" /> by the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">You will be called, &#8220;Sought After,p> <p class="poetry">City Not Abandoned.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">He said, &#8220;Certainly they will be my people,p> <p class="poetry">children who are not disloyal.&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He became their deliverer.p>

<p class="poetry">But they rebelled and offended<n id="1" /> his holy Spirit,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">so he turned into an enemyp> <p class="poetry">and fought against them.p>

<p class="poetry">to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,p> <p class="poetry">by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,p> <p class="poetry">oil symbolizing joy,<n id="1" /> instead of mourning,p> <p class="poetry">a garment symbolizing praise,<n id="2" /> instead of discouragement.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They will be called oaks of righteousness,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">trees planted by the <sc>Lordsc> to reveal his splendor.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">The look on their faces<n id="1" /> testifies to their guilt;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Too bad for them!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For they bring disaster on themselves.p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">On a bare hill raise a signal flag,p> <p class="poetry">shout to them,p> <p class="poetry">wave your hand,p> <p class="poetry">so they might enter the gates of the princes!p>

It<n id="1" /> will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies. When they cry out to the <sc>Lordsc> because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender<n id="3" /> who will rescue them.

<p class="poetry">He assigns them their allotment;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he measures out their assigned place.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They will live there<n id="3" /> permanently;p> <p class="poetry">they will settle in it through successive generations.p>

<p class="poetry">I was angry at my people;p> <p class="poetry">I defiled my special possessionp> <p class="poetry">and handed them over to you.p> <p class="poetry">You showed them no mercy;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you even placed a very heavy burden on old people.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">his form was so marred he no longer looked human<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">so now<n id="2" /> he will startle<n id="3" /> many nations.p> <p class="poetry">Kings will be shocked by his exaltation,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">for they will witness something unannounced to them,p> <p class="poetry">and they will understand something they had not heard about.p>

<p class="poetry">I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">that will be better than sons and daughters.p> <p class="poetry">I will set up a permanent monument<n id="2" /> for them that will remain.p>

<p class="poetry">Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;p> <p class="poetry">they, they are the object of your devotion.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">You pour out liquid offerings to them,p> <p class="poetry">you make an offering.p> <p class="poetry">Because of these things I will seek vengeance.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They are unfamiliar with peace;p> <p class="poetry">their deeds are unjust.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They use deceitful methods,p> <p class="poetry">and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Instead of shame, you will get a double portion;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Yes,<n id="3" /> they will possess a double portion in their landp> <p class="poetry">and experience lasting joy.p>

<p class="poetry">For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, love justicep> <p class="poetry">and hate robbery and sin.p> <p class="poetry">I will repay them because of my faithfulness;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will make a permanent covenant with them.p>

<p class="poetry">So the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s word to them will sound likep> <p class="poetry">meaningless gibberish,p> <p class="poetry">senseless babbling,p> <p class="poetry">a syllable here, a syllable there.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and be injured, ensnared, and captured.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">So I will choose severe punishment<n id="1" /> for them;p> <p class="poetry">I will bring on them what they dread,p> <p class="poetry">because I called, and no one responded,p> <p class="poetry">I spoke and they did not listen.p> <p class="poetry">They did evil before me;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they chose to do what displeases me.&#8221;p>