<p class="poetry">From the ends of the earth we<n id="1" /> hear songs &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the Just One is majestic.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">But I<n id="3" /> say, &#8220;I&#8217;m wasting away! I&#8217;m wasting away! I&#8217;m doomed!p> <p class="poetry">Deceivers deceive, deceivers thoroughly deceive!&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">unless they became my subjects<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and made peace with me;p> <p class="poetry">let them make peace with me.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Yet the children born during your time of bereavementp> <p class="poetry">will say within your hearing,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;This place is too cramped for us,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">make room for us so we can live here.&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">the people whom I formed for myself,p> <p class="poetry">so they might praise me.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will threaten Ariel,p> <p class="poetry">and she will mourn intenselyp> <p class="poetry">and become like an altar hearth<n id="1" /> before me.p>

<p class="poetry">He said to me, &#8220;You are my servant,p> <p class="poetry">Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

Then I will summon<n id="1" /> as my reliable witnesses Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">My heart palpitates,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I shake in fear;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the twilight I desiredp> <p class="poetry">has brought me terror.p>

<p class="poetry">I am not angry.p> <p class="poetry">I wish I could confront some thorns and briers!p> <p class="poetry">Then I would march against them<n id="1" /> for battle;p> <p class="poetry">I would set them<n id="2" /> all on fire,p>

<p class="poetry">What can I say?p> <p class="poetry">He has decreed and acted.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">they will say about me,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Yes, the <sc>Lordsc> is a powerful deliverer.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">All who are angry at him will cower before him.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The sovereign <sc>Lordsc> has spoken to me clearly;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I have not rebelled,p> <p class="poetry">I have not turned back.p>

<p class="poetry">I looked, but there was no one to help;p> <p class="poetry">I was shocked because there was no one offering support.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">So my right arm accomplished deliverance;p> <p class="poetry">my raging anger drove me on.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The sovereign <sc>Lordsc> has given me the capacity to be his spokesman,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">so that I know how to help the weary.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He wakes me up every morning;p> <p class="poetry">he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I am stuffed with<n id="2" /> burnt sacrificesp> <p class="poetry">of rams and the fat from steers.p> <p class="poetry">The blood of bulls, lambs, and goatsp> <p class="poetry">I do not want.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do not bring any more meaningless<n id="1" /> offerings;p> <p class="poetry">I consider your incense detestable!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations,p> <p class="poetry">but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look, I and the sons whom the <sc>Lordsc> has given me<n id="1" /> are reminders and object lessons<n id="2" /> in Israel, sent from the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, who lives on Mount Zion.p>

<p class="poetry">Look, God is my deliverer!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will trust in him<n id="2" /> and not fear.p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> gives me strength and protects me;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">he has become my deliverer.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I have received a distressing message:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The deceiver deceives,p> <p class="poetry">the destroyer destroys.p> <p class="poetry">Attack, you Elamites!p> <p class="poetry">Lay siege, you Medes!p> <p class="poetry">I will put an end to all the groaning!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp,p> <p class="poetry">I coo<n id="1" /> like a dove;p> <p class="poetry">my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">O sovereign master,<n id="3" /> I am oppressed;p> <p class="poetry">help me!<n id="4" />p>