<p class="poetry">The grass dries up,p> <p class="poetry">the flowers wither,p> <p class="poetry">but the decree of our God is forever reliable.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Listen to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s word,p> <p class="poetry">you leaders of Sodom!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Pay attention to our God&#8217;s rebuke,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">people of Gomorrah!p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, our God,p> <p class="poetry">masters other than you have ruled us,p> <p class="poetry">but we praise your name alone.p>

<p class="poetry">Those who trust in idolsp> <p class="poetry">will turn back and be utterly humiliated,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who say to metal images, &#8216;You are our gods.&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">At that time they will say,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look, here<n id="2" /> is our God!p> <p class="poetry">We waited for him and he delivered us.p> <p class="poetry">Here<n id="3" /> is the <sc>Lordsc>! We waited for him.p> <p class="poetry">Let&#8217;s rejoice and celebrate his deliverance!&#8221;p>

Now, O <sc>Lordsc> our God, rescue us from his power, so all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> reveals<n id="1" /> his royal power<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in the sight of all the nations;p> <p class="poetry">the entire<n id="3" /> earth seesp> <p class="poetry">our God deliver.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and sinful people their plans.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They should return<n id="3" /> to the <sc>Lordsc>, and he will show mercy to them,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">We have rebelled and tried to deceive the <sc>Lordsc>;p> <p class="poetry">we turned back from following our God.p> <p class="poetry">We stir up<n id="1" /> oppression and rebellion;p> <p class="poetry">we tell lies we concocted in our minds.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">You will be called, &#8216;the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s priests,p> <p class="poetry">servants of our God.&#8217;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">You will enjoy<n id="2" /> the wealth of nationsp> <p class="poetry">and boast about<n id="3" /> the riches you receive from them.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Let it richly bloom;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">let it rejoice and shout with delight!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">It is given the grandeur<n id="3" /> of Lebanon,p> <p class="poetry">the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.p> <p class="poetry">They will see the grandeur of the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">the splendor of our God.p>

Perhaps you will tell me, &#8216;We are trusting in the <sc>Lordsc> our God.&#8217; But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, &#8216;You must worship at this altar.&#8217;