<p class="poetry">How will they respond to the messengers of this nation?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, the <sc>Lordsc> has made Zion secure;p> <p class="poetry">the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.p>

<p class="poetry">At that time<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies will become a beautiful crownp> <p class="poetry">and a splendid diadem for the remnant of his people.p>

<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">The <sc>Lordsc> comes to pronounce judgmentp> <p class="poetry">on the leaders of his people and their officials.p> <p class="poetry">He says,<n id="1" /> &#8220;It is you<n id="2" /> who have ruined<n id="3" /> the vineyard!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">You have stashed in your houses what you have stolen from the poor.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">It was reported to the family<n id="1" /> of David, &#8220;Syria has allied with<n id="2" /> Ephraim.&#8221; They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">There will be a highway leading out of Assyriap> <p class="poetry">for the remnant of his people,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">just as there was for Israel,p> <p class="poetry">when<n id="2" /> they went up from the land of Egypt.p>

<p class="poetry">Like a frightened gazelle<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">or a sheep with no shepherd,p> <p class="poetry">each will turn toward home,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">each will run to his homeland.p>

<p class="poetry">Shout for joy, O sky!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Rejoice, O earth!p> <p class="poetry">Let the mountains give a joyful shout!p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> consoles his peoplep> <p class="poetry">and shows compassion to the<n id="2" /> oppressed.p>

<p class="poetry">His people remembered the ancient times.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,p> <p class="poetry">along with the shepherd of<n id="2" /> his flock?p> <p class="poetry">Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them,<n id="3" />p>

At that time<n id="1" /> the sovereign master<n id="2" /> will again lift his hand<n id="3" /> to reclaim<n id="4" /> the remnant of his people<n id="5" /> from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros,<n id="6" /> Cush,<n id="7" /> Elam, Shinar,<n id="8" /> Hamath, and the seacoasts.<n id="9" />p>

<p class="poetry">he will swallow up death permanently.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The sovereign <sc>Lordsc> will wipe away the tears from every face,p> <p class="poetry">and remove his people&#8217;s disgrace from all the earth.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, the <sc>Lordsc> has announced it!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The light of the full moon will be like the sun&#8217;s glarep> <p class="poetry">and the sun&#8217;s glare will be seven times brighter,p> <p class="poetry">like the light of seven days,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">when the <sc>Lordsc> binds up his people&#8217;s fractured bones<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and heals their severe wound.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is what your sovereign master,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> your God, says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look, I have removed from your handp> <p class="poetry">the cup of intoxicating wine,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the goblet full of my anger.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">You will no longer have to drink it.p>

<p class="poetry">No foreigner who becomes a follower of<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> should say,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> will certainly<n id="2" /> exclude me from his people.&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">The eunuch should not say,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Look, I am like a dried-up tree.&#8217;&#8221;p>