<p class="poetry">In unison give a joyful shout,p> <p class="poetry">O ruins of Jerusalem!p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> consoles his people;p> <p class="poetry">he protects<n id="1" /> Jerusalem.p>

<p class="poetry">You counted the houses in Jerusalem,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and demolished houses so you could have material to reinforce the wall.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">So now, residents of Jerusalem,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">people<n id="2" /> of Judah,p> <p class="poetry">you decide between me and my vineyard!p>

<p class="poetry">This very day, standing in Nob,p> <p class="poetry">they shake their fist at Daughter Zion&#8217;s mountain<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">at the hill of Jerusalem.p>

<p class="poetry">Just as birds hover over a nest,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">so the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies will protect Jerusalem.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He will protect and deliver it;p> <p class="poetry">as he passes over<n id="3" /> he will rescue it.p>

<p class="poetry">Shake off the dirt!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Get up, captive<n id="2" /> Jerusalem!p> <p class="poetry">Take off the iron chains around your neck,p> <p class="poetry">O captive daughter Zion!p>

<p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t allow him to rest until he reestablishes Jerusalem,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">until he makes Jerusalem the pride<n id="2" /> of the earth.p>

<p class="poetry">Your chosen<n id="1" /> cities have become a desert;p> <p class="poetry">Zion has become a desert,p> <p class="poetry">Jerusalem<n id="2" /> is a desolate ruin.p>

<p class="poetry">Jerusalem certainly stumbles,p> <p class="poetry">Judah falls,p> <p class="poetry">for their words and their actions offend the <sc>Lordsc>;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they rebel against his royal authority.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">At that time<n id="1" /> the sovereign master<n id="2" /> will wash the excrement<n id="3" /> from Zion&#8217;s women,p> <p class="poetry">he will rinse the bloodstains from Jerusalem&#8217;s midst,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">as he comes to judgep> <p class="poetry">and to bring devastation.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">He will become a sanctuary,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but a stone that makes a person trip,p> <p class="poetry">and a rock that makes one stumble &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">to the two houses of Israel.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He will become<n id="3" /> a trap and a snarep> <p class="poetry">to the residents of Jerusalem.<n id="4" />p>

I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him.<n id="1" /> He will become a protector of<n id="2" /> the residents of Jerusalem and of the people<n id="3" /> of Judah.

Who among all the gods of these lands have rescued their lands from my power? So how can the <sc>Lordsc> rescue Jerusalem from my power?&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />

this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says about him:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The virgin daughter Zion<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">despises you &#8211; she makes fun of you;p> <p class="poetry">daughter Jerusalemp> <p class="poetry">shakes her head after you.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Wake up! Wake up!p> <p class="poetry">Get up, O Jerusalem!p> <p class="poetry">You drank from the cup the <sc>Lordsc> passed to you,p> <p class="poetry">which was full of his anger!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">You drained dryp> <p class="poetry">the goblet full of intoxicating wine.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;For the sake of Zion I will not be silent;p> <p class="poetry">for the sake of Jerusalem<n id="1" /> I will not be quiet,p> <p class="poetry">until her vindication shines brightly<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and her deliverance burns like a torch.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">I<n id="1" /> post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;p> <p class="poetry">they should keep praying all day and all night.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You who pray to<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, don&#8217;t be silent!p>

<p class="poetry">But be happy and rejoice forevermorep> <p class="poetry">over what I am about to create!p> <p class="poetry">For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem<n id="1" /> to be a source of joy,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and her people to be a source of happiness.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Be happy for Jerusalemp> <p class="poetry">and rejoice with her, all you who love her!p> <p class="poetry">Share in her great joy,p> <p class="poetry">all you who have mourned over her!p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">During<n id="1" /> the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched up to Jerusalem<n id="2" /> to do battle, but they were unable to prevail against it.<n id="3" />p>