<p class="poetry">&#8220;Proclaim<n id="1" /> this message among the descendants of Jacob.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Make it known throughout Judah.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendants<n id="1" /> of Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">all you family groups from the nation<n id="2" /> of Israel.p>

<p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> will rescue the descendants of Jacob.p> <p class="poetry">He will secure their release<n id="1" /> from those who had overpowered them.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">So I, the <sc>Lordsc>, tell you not to be afraid,p> <p class="poetry">you descendants of Jacob, my servants.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not be terrified, people of Israel.p> <p class="poetry">For I will rescue you and your descendantsp> <p class="poetry">from a faraway land where you are captives.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace.p> <p class="poetry">They will be secure and no one will terrify them.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Everyone must be on his guard around his friends.p> <p class="poetry">He must not even trust any of his relatives.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For every one of them will find some way to cheat him.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">And all of his friends will tell lies about him.p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>, who is the inheritance<n id="1" /> of Jacob&#8217;s descendants,<n id="2" /> is not like them.p> <p class="poetry">He is the one who created everything.p> <p class="poetry">And the people of Israel are those he claims as his own.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">He is known as the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Vent your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Vent it on the peoples<n id="2" /> who do not worship you.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For they have destroyed the people of Jacob.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">They have completely destroyed them<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">and left their homeland in utter ruin.p>

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="poetry">&#8220;You descendants of Jacob, my servants,<n id="2" /> do not be afraid;p> <p class="poetry">do not be terrified, people of Israel.p> <p class="poetry">For I will rescue you and your descendantsp> <p class="poetry">from the faraway lands where you are captives.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace.p> <p class="poetry">They will be secure and no one will terrify them.p>

<p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, tell<n id="1" /> you not to be afraid,p> <p class="poetry">you descendants of Jacob, my servant,p> <p class="poetry">for I am with you.p> <p class="poetry">Though I completely destroy all the nations where I scatter you,p> <p class="poetry">I will not completely destroy you.p> <p class="poetry">I will indeed discipline you but only in due measure.p> <p class="poetry">I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>