<p class="poetry">You were complacent in your evil deeds;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you thought,<n id="2" /> &#8216;No one sees me.&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">Your self-professed<n id="3" /> wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,p> <p class="poetry">when you say, &#8216;I am unique! No one can compare to me!&#8217;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look, they are like straw,p> <p class="poetry">which the fire burns up;p> <p class="poetry">they cannot rescue themselvesp> <p class="poetry">from the heat<n id="1" /> of the flames.p> <p class="poetry">There are no coals to warm them,p> <p class="poetry">no firelight to enjoy.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">No one is concerned about justice;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">no one sets forth his case truthfully.p> <p class="poetry">They depend on false words<n id="2" /> and tell lies;p> <p class="poetry">they conceive of oppression<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and give birth to sin.p>

<p class="poetry">Honesty has disappeared;p> <p class="poetry">the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> watches and is displeased,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for there is no justice.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;p> <p class="poetry">no one from the nations joined me.p> <p class="poetry">I stomped on them<n id="1" /> in my anger;p> <p class="poetry">I trampled them down in my rage.p> <p class="poetry">Their juice splashed on my garments,p> <p class="poetry">and stained<n id="2" /> all my clothes.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>

&#8220;This is what Hezekiah says:<n id="1" /> &#8216;This is a day of distress, insults,<n id="2" /> and humiliation,<n id="3" /> as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through.<n id="4" />

<p class="poetry">Tell me! Present the evidence!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Let them consult with one another!p> <p class="poetry">Who predicted this in the past?p> <p class="poetry">Who announced it beforehand?p> <p class="poetry">Was it not I, the <sc>Lordsc>?p> <p class="poetry">I have no peer, there is no God but me,p> <p class="poetry">a God who vindicates and delivers;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">there is none but me.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Fall down! Sit in the dirt,p> <p class="poetry">O virgin<n id="1" /> daughter Babylon!p> <p class="poetry">Sit on the ground, not on a throne,p> <p class="poetry">O daughter of the Babylonians!p> <p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="2" /> you will no longer be called delicate and pampered.p>

<p class="poetry">Why does no one challenge me when I come?p> <p class="poetry">Why does no one respond when I call?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Is my hand too weak<n id="2" /> to deliver<n id="3" /> you?p> <p class="poetry">Do I lack the power to rescue you?p> <p class="poetry">Look, with a mere shout<n id="4" /> I can dry up the sea;p> <p class="poetry">I can turn streams into a desert,p> <p class="poetry">so the fish rot away and diep> <p class="poetry">from lack of water.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Hey,<n id="1" /> all who are thirsty, come to the water!p> <p class="poetry">You who have no money, come!p> <p class="poetry">Buy and eat!p> <p class="poetry">Come! Buy wine and milkp> <p class="poetry">without money and without cost!<n id="2" />p>