<p class="poetry">Disaster will overtake you;p> <p class="poetry">you will not know how to charm it away.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Destruction will fall on you;p> <p class="poetry">you will not be able to appease it.p> <p class="poetry">Calamity will strike you suddenly,p> <p class="poetry">before you recognize it.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They will not be hungry or thirsty;p> <p class="poetry">the sun&#8217;s oppressive heat will not beat down on them,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for one who has compassion on them will guide them;p> <p class="poetry">he will lead them to springs of water.p>

<p class="poetry">He sprouted up like a twig before God,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">like a root out of parched soil;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">no special appearance that we should want to follow him.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">no eye has seen any God besides you,p> <p class="poetry">who intervenes for those who wait for him.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;I made myself available to those who did not ask for me;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I appeared to those who did not look for me.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I said, &#8216;Here I am! Here I am!&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">to a nation that did not invoke<n id="3" /> my name.p>

<p class="poetry">An ox recognizes its owner,p> <p class="poetry">a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but Israel does not recognize me,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">my people do not understand.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">The people did not return to the one who struck them,p> <p class="poetry">they did not seek reconciliation<n id="1" /> with the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies.p>

<p class="poetry">He will take delight in obeying the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He will not judge by mere appearances,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">or make decisions on the basis of hearsay.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they have no compassion on a person&#8217;s offspring,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they will not<n id="3" /> look with pity on children.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">You will be shocked and amazed!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">You are totally blind!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They are drunk,<n id="3" /> but not because of wine;p> <p class="poetry">they stagger,<n id="4" /> but not because of beer.p>

<p class="poetry">A fool will no longer be called honorable;p> <p class="poetry">a deceiver will no longer be called principled.p>

They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, &#8220;Don&#8217;t respond to him.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed<n id="1" /> Sheol does not give you thanks;p> <p class="poetry">death does not<n id="2" /> praise you.p> <p class="poetry">Those who descend into the pit do not anticipate your faithfulness.p>

<p class="poetry">A crushed reed he will not break,p> <p class="poetry">a dim wick he will not extinguish;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he will faithfully make just decrees.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">He will not grow dim or be crushed<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">before establishing justice on the earth;p> <p class="poetry">the coastlands<n id="2" /> will wait in anticipation for his decrees.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">They do not comprehend or understand,p> <p class="poetry">for their eyes are blind and cannot see;p> <p class="poetry">their minds do not discern.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Israel will be delivered once and for all by the <sc>Lordsc>;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you will never again be ashamed or humiliated.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away;p> <p class="poetry">I am bringing my salvation near,<n id="1" /> it does not wait.p> <p class="poetry">I will save Zion;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will adorn Israel with my splendor.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">You have heard; now look at all the evidence!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Will you not admit that what I say is true?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">From this point on I am announcing to you new eventsp> <p class="poetry">that are previously unrevealed and you do not know about.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Now they come into being,<n id="1" /> not in the past;p> <p class="poetry">before today you did not hear about them,p> <p class="poetry">so you could not say,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Yes,<n id="2" /> I know about them.&#8217;p>