<p class="bodytext">But when<n id="1" /> the sovereign master<n id="2" /> finishes judging<n id="3" /> Mount Zion and Jerusalem, then I<n id="4" /> will punish the king of Assyria for what he has proudly planned and for the arrogant attitude he displays.<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">So<n id="1" /> here is what the sovereign master, the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, says: &#8220;My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria, even though they beat you with a club and lift their cudgel against you as Egypt did.<n id="2" />

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 sovereign master<n id="1" /> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;These people say they are loyal to me;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they say wonderful things about me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">but they are not really loyal to me.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Their worship consists ofp> <p class="poetry">nothing but man-made ritual.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;With my many chariots I climbed upp> <p class="poetry">the high mountains,p> <p class="poetry">the slopes of Lebanon.p> <p class="poetry">I cut down its tall cedarsp> <p class="poetry">and its best evergreens.p> <p class="poetry">I invaded its most remote regions,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">its thickest woods.p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look I will raise my hand to the nations;p> <p class="poetry">I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.p> <p class="poetry">They will bring your sons in their armsp> <p class="poetry">and carry your daughters on their shoulders.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">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>

<t /><p class="poetry">The spirit of the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> is upon me,p> <p class="poetry">because the <sc>Lordsc> has chosen<n id="1" /> me.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He has commissioned<n id="3" /> me to encourage<n id="4" /> the poor,p> <p class="poetry">to help<n id="5" /> the brokenhearted,p> <p class="poetry">to decree the release of captives,p> <p class="poetry">and the freeing of prisoners,p>

<p class="poetry">So this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!p> <p class="poetry">Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!p> <p class="poetry">Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!p>

<p class="poetry">Your own wickedness will bring about your punishment.p> <p class="poetry">Your unfaithful acts will bring down discipline on you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Know, then, and realize how utterly harmful<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">it was for you to reject me, the <sc>Lordsc> your God,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">to show no respect for me,&#8221;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">says the Lord <sc>Godsc> who rules over all.<n id="5" />p>

So,&#8221; the Lord <sc>Godsc><n id="1" /> says, &#8220;my raging fury will be poured out on this land.<n id="2" /> It will be poured out on human beings and animals, on trees and crops.<n id="3" /> And it will burn like a fire which cannot be extinguished.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then I said, &#8220;Oh, Lord <sc>Godsc>,<n id="1" /> look!<n id="2" /> The prophets are telling them that you said,<n id="3" /> &#8216;You will not experience war or suffer famine.<n id="4" /> I will give you lasting peace and prosperity in this land.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

&#8216;Oh, Lord <sc>Godsc>,<n id="1" /> you did indeed<n id="2" /> make heaven and earth by your mighty power and great strength.<n id="3" /> Nothing is too hard for you!

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1489; (<i>Beti>)p> <p class="poetry">The Lord<n id="1" /> destroyed<n id="2" /> mercilessly<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">all the homes of Jacob&#8217;s descendants.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">In his anger he tore downp> <p class="poetry">the fortified cities<n id="5" /> of Daughter Judah.p> <p class="poetry">He knocked to the ground and humiliatedp> <p class="poetry">the kingdom and its rulers.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew"><b>&#1510;b> (<i>Tsadei>)p> <p class="poetry">Cry out<n id="1" /> from your heart<n id="2" /> to the Lord,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">O wall of Daughter Zion!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Make your tears flow like a riverp> <p class="poetry">all day and all night long!<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not rest;p> <p class="poetry">do not let your tears<n id="6" /> stop!p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1511; (<i>Qofi>)p> <p class="poetry">Get up! Cry out in the night<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">when the night watches start!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Pour out your heart<n id="3" /> like waterp> <p class="poetry">before the face of the Lord!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Lift up your hands<n id="5" /> to himp> <p class="poetry">for your children&#8217;s lives;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">they are fainting<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">at every street corner.<n id="8" />p>

Go to the exiles, to your fellow countrymen,<n id="1" /> and speak to them &#8211; say to them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says,&#8217; whether they pay attention or not.&#8221;p>

But when I speak with you, I will loosen your tongue<n id="1" /> and you must say to them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says.&#8217; Those who listen will listen, but the indifferent will refuse,<n id="2" /> for they are a rebellious house.p>