<p class="poetry"><v id="(64:1)" /> As when fire ignites dry wood,p> <p class="poetry">or fire makes water boil,p> <p class="poetry">let your adversaries know who you are,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and may the nations shake at your presence!p>

<p class="poetry">You conceive straw,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you give birth to chaff;p> <p class="poetry">your breath is a fire that destroys you.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Your land is devastated,p> <p class="poetry">your cities burned with fire.p> <p class="poetry">Right before your eyes your cropsp> <p class="poetry">are being destroyed by foreign invaders.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They leave behind devastation and destruction.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and every garment dragged through bloodp> <p class="poetry">is used as fuel for the fire.p>

<p class="poetry">Because of the anger of the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, the land was scorched,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and the people became fuel for the fire.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">People had no compassion on one another.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">For this reason<n id="1" /> the sovereign master, the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, will make his healthy ones emaciated.<n id="2" /> His majestic glory will go up in smoke.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, you are ready to act,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but they don&#8217;t even notice.p> <p class="poetry">They will see and be put to shame by your angry judgment against humankind,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yes, fire will consume your enemies.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Judgment will come from the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">accompanied by thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise,p> <p class="poetry">by a strong gale, a windstorm, and a consuming flame of fire.p>

<p class="poetry">It shatters in pieces like a clay jar,p> <p class="poetry">so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to scoop a hot coal from a fire<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">or to skim off water from a cistern.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> will give a mighty shout<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and intervene in power,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.p>

<p class="poetry">Sinners are afraid in Zion;p> <p class="poetry">panic<n id="1" /> grips the godless.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They say,<n id="3" /> &#8216;Who among us can coexist with destructive fire?p> <p class="poetry">Who among us can coexist with unquenchable<n id="4" /> fire?&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">When you pass through the waters, I am with you;p> <p class="poetry">when you pass<n id="1" /> through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.p> <p class="poetry">When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;p> <p class="poetry">the flames will not harm<n id="2" /> you.p>

<p class="poetry">Half of it he burns in the fire &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">over that half he cooks<n id="1" /> meat;p> <p class="poetry">he roasts a meal and fills himself.p> <p class="poetry">Yes, he warms himself and says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">Look, they are like straw,p> <p class="poetry">which the fire burns up;p> <p class="poetry">they cannot rescue themselvesp> <p class="poetry">from the heat<n id="1" /> of the flames.p> <p class="poetry">There are no coals to warm them,p> <p class="poetry">no firelight to enjoy.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look, all of you who start a firep> <p class="poetry">and who equip yourselves with<n id="1" /> flaming arrows,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">walk<n id="3" /> in the light<n id="4" /> of the fire you startedp> <p class="poetry">and among the flaming arrows you ignited!<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">This is what you will receive from me:<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">you will lie down in a place of pain.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">Our holy temple, our pride and joy,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the place where our ancestors praised you,p> <p class="poetry">has been burned with fire;p> <p class="poetry">all our prized possessions have been destroyed.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They say, &#8216;Keep to yourself!p> <p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t get near me, for I am holier than you!&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">These people are like smoke in my nostrils,p> <p class="poetry">like a fire that keeps burning all day long.p>

<p class="poetry">For look, the <sc>Lordsc> comes with fire,p> <p class="poetry">his chariots come like a windstorm,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">to reveal his raging anger,p> <p class="poetry">his battle cry, and his flaming arrows.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Then the <sc>Lordsc> will createp> <p class="poetry">over all of Mount Zion<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and over its convocationsp> <p class="poetry">a cloud and smoke by dayp> <p class="poetry">and a bright flame of fire by night;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">indeed a canopy will accompany the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s glorious presence.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Therefore, as flaming fire<n id="1" /> devours straw,p> <p class="poetry">and dry grass disintegrates in the flames,p> <p class="poetry">so their root will rot,p> <p class="poetry">and their flower will blow away like dust.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For they have rejected the law of the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,p> <p class="poetry">they have spurned the commands<n id="3" /> of the Holy One of Israel.<n id="4" />p>