<p class="poetry">Justice is driven back;p> <p class="poetry">godliness<n id="1" /> stands far off.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="2" /> honesty stumbles in the city squarep> <p class="poetry">and morality is not even able to enter.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">He sees there is no advocate;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he is shocked<n id="2" /> that no one intervenes.p> <p class="poetry">So he takes matters into his own hands;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">his desire for justice drives him on.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">He wears his desire for justice<n id="1" /> like body armor,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">He puts on the garments of vengeance<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and wears zeal like a robe.p>

<p class="poetry">For just as the ground produces its cropsp> <p class="poetry">and a garden yields its produce,p> <p class="poetry">so the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> will cause deliverance<n id="1" /> to grow,p> <p class="poetry">and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Who is this who comes from Edom,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Who<n id="3" /> is this one wearing royal attire,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">who marches confidently<n id="5" /> because of his great strength?p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;It is I, the one who announces vindication,p> <p class="poetry">and who is able to deliver!&#8221;<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">We are all like one who is unclean,p> <p class="poetry">all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">We all wither like a leaf;p> <p class="poetry">our sins carry us away like the wind.p>

<p class="poetry">His dominion will be vast<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and he will bring immeasurable prosperity.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He will rule on David&#8217;s thronep> <p class="poetry">and over David&#8217;s kingdom,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">establishing it<n id="4" /> and strengthening itp> <p class="poetry">by promoting justice and fairness,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">from this time forward and forevermore.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s intense devotion to his people<n id="6" /> will accomplish this.p>

<p class="poetry">The one who lives<n id="1" /> uprightly<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and speaks honestly;p> <p class="poetry">the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measuresp> <p class="poetry">and rejects a bribe;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who does not plot violent crimes<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and does not seek to harm others<n id="5" /> &#8211;p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Listen to this, O family of Jacob,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you who are called by the name &#8216;Israel,&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">and are descended from Judah,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">who take oaths in the name of the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">and invoke<n id="3" /> the God of Israel &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">but not in an honest and just manner.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look up at the sky!p> <p class="poetry">Look at the earth below!p> <p class="poetry">For the sky will dissipate<n id="1" /> like smoke,p> <p class="poetry">and the earth will wear out like clothes;p> <p class="poetry">its residents will die like gnats.p> <p class="poetry">But the deliverance I give<n id="2" /> is permanent;p> <p class="poetry">the vindication I provide<n id="3" /> will not disappear.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;p> <p class="poetry">you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> will do for his servants &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">I will vindicate them,&#8221;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">They seek me day after day;p> <p class="poetry">they want to know my requirements,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">like a nation that does what is rightp> <p class="poetry">and does not reject the law of their God.p> <p class="poetry">They ask me for just decrees;p> <p class="poetry">they want to be near God.p>

<p class="poetry">Instead of bronze, I will bring you gold,p> <p class="poetry">instead of iron, I will bring you silver,p> <p class="poetry">instead of wood, I will bring you<n id="1" /> bronze,p> <p class="poetry">instead of stones, I will bring you<n id="2" /> iron.p> <p class="poetry">I will make prosperity<n id="3" /> your overseer,p> <p class="poetry">and vindication your sovereign ruler.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I<n id="1" /> will greatly rejoice<n id="2" /> in the <sc>Lordsc>;p> <p class="poetry">I will be overjoyed because of my God.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;p> <p class="poetry">he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;p> <p class="poetry">I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry.<n id="5" />p>