<p class="poetry">They stalk<n id="1" /> and lurk;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they watch my every step,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">as<n id="4" /> they prepare to take my life.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">They wander around looking for something to eat;p> <p class="poetry">they refuse to sleep until they are full.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc> our God, you answered them.p> <p class="poetry">They found you to be a forgiving God,p> <p class="poetry">but also one who punished their sinful deeds.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">They will perish,p> <p class="poetry">but you will endure.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They will wear out like a garment;p> <p class="poetry">like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">as the mountains rose up,p> <p class="poetry">and the valleys went down &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">to the place you appointed for them.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">and ears, but cannot hear.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, they cannot breathe.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Everything looks to you in anticipation,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and you provide them with food on a regular basis.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;How long will you simpletons<n id="1" /> love naiveté?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">How long<n id="3" /> will mockers<n id="4" /> delight<n id="5" /> in mockery<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">and fools<n id="7" /> hate knowledge?p>

<p class="poetry">I constructed pools of water for myself,p> <p class="poetry">to irrigate my grove<n id="1" /> of flourishing trees.p>

<p class="poetry">So I considered<n id="1" /> those who are dead and gone<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">more fortunate than those who are still alive.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Two people are better than one,p> <p class="poetry">because they can reap<n id="1" /> more benefit<n id="2" /> from their labor.p>

<p class="poetry">Turn your eyes away from me &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">they overwhelm<n id="1" /> me!p> <p class="poetry">Your hair is like a flock of goatsp> <p class="poetry">descending from Mount Gilead.p>

<p class="poetry">Egypt is totally incapable of helping.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For this reason I call herp> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Proud one<n id="2" /> who is silenced.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">They will be called, &#8220;The Holy People,p> <p class="poetry">the Ones Protected<n id="1" /> by the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">You will be called, &#8220;Sought After,p> <p class="poetry">City Not Abandoned.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">But they rebelled and offended<n id="1" /> his holy Spirit,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">so he turned into an enemyp> <p class="poetry">and fought against them.p>

<p class="poetry">Before they even call out,<n id="1" /> I will respond;p> <p class="poetry">while they are still speaking, I will hear.p>

<p class="poetry">Has a nation ever changed its godsp> <p class="poetry">(even though they are not really gods at all)?p> <p class="poetry">But my people have exchanged me, their glorious God,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for a god that cannot help them at all!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> commanded the enemy,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;March through the vineyards of Israel and Judah and ruin them.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">But do not destroy them completely.p> <p class="poetry">Strip off their branchesp> <p class="poetry">for these people do not belong to the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Yet even then<n id="1" /> I will not completely destroy you,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.

<p class="bodytext">I reported,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;All of them are the most stubborn of rebels!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They are as hard as bronze or iron.p> <p class="poetry">They go about telling lies.p> <p class="poetry">They all deal corruptly.p>