<p class="poetry">All the descendants of Israel will be vindicated by the <sc>Lordsc>p> <p class="poetry">and will boast in him.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">But approach, you sons of omen readers,p> <p class="poetry">you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes!<n id="1" />p>

the deep waters!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Grain from the Shihor region,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">crops grown near the Nile<n id="3" /> she receives;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">she is the trade center<n id="5" /> of the nations.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;You, my servant Israel,p> <p class="poetry">Jacob whom I have chosen,p> <p class="poetry">offspring of Abraham my friend,<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains.p> <p class="poetry">My chosen ones will take possession of the land;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">my servants will live there.p>

<p class="poetry">Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land, it will again be destroyed,<n id="1" /> like one of the large sacred trees<n id="2" /> or an Asherah pole, when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down.<n id="3" /> That sacred pillar symbolizes the special chosen family.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">You will not be buried with them,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">because you destroyed your landp> <p class="poetry">and killed your people.p> <p class="poetry">The offspring of the wickedp> <p class="poetry">will never be mentioned again.p>

<p class="poetry">Though the <sc>Lordsc> desired to crush him and make him ill,p> <p class="poetry">once restitution is made,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he will see descendants and enjoy long life,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s purpose will be accomplished through him.p>

<p class="poetry">At whom are you laughing?p> <p class="poetry">At whom are you opening your mouthp> <p class="poetry">and sticking out your tongue?p> <p class="poetry">You are the children of rebels,p> <p class="poetry">the offspring of liars,<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Their descendants will be known among the nations,p> <p class="poetry">their offspring among the peoples.p> <p class="poetry">All who see them will recognize thatp> <p class="poetry">the <sc>Lordsc> has blessed them.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">They will not work in vain,p> <p class="poetry">or give birth to children that will experience disaster.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> will bless their childrenp> <p class="poetry">and their descendants.<n id="2" />p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">The sinful nation is as good as dead,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the people weighed down by evil deeds.p> <p class="poetry">They are offspring who do wrong,p> <p class="poetry">children<n id="3" /> who do wicked things.p> <p class="poetry">They have abandoned the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">and rejected the Holy One of Israel.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">They are alienated from him.<n id="5" />p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">The rain and snow fall from the skyp> <p class="poetry">and do not return,p> <p class="poetry">but instead water the earthp> <p class="poetry">and make it produce and yield crops,p> <p class="poetry">and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;As for me, this is my promise to<n id="1" /> them,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>. &#8220;My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,&#8221;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>