<p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, protect it;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I water it regularly.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I guard it night and day,p> <p class="poetry">so no one can harm it.<n id="3" />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>

<p class="poetry">The earth will stagger around<n id="1" /> like a drunk;p> <p class="poetry">it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Its sin will weigh it down,p> <p class="poetry">and it will fall and never get up again.p>

<p class="poetry">Owls and wild animals<n id="1" /> will live there,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">all kinds of wild birds<n id="3" /> will settle in it.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc><n id="4" /> will stretch out over herp> <p class="poetry">the measuring line of ruinp> <p class="poetry">and the plumb line<n id="5" /> of destruction.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the true God,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, says &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the one who created the sky and stretched it out,p> <p class="poetry">the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who gives breath to the people on it,p> <p class="poetry">and life to those who live on it:<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I made the earth,p> <p class="poetry">I created the people who live<n id="1" /> on it.p> <p class="poetry">It was me &#8211; my hands<n id="2" /> stretched out the sky,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I give orders to all the heavenly lights.<n id="4" />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>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;At that time,&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, &#8220;the peg fastened into a solid place will come loose. It will be cut off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off.&#8221;<n id="2" /> Indeed,<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc> has spoken.p>

<p class="poetry">So this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says about the king of Assyria:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;He will not enter this city,p> <p class="poetry">nor will he shoot an arrow here.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He will not attack it with his shielded warriors,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">nor will he build siege works against it.p>