<t /><p class="poetry">Listen, O heavens,p> <p class="poetry">pay attention, O earth!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> speaks:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I raised children,<n id="2" /> I brought them up,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">but<n id="4" /> they have rebelled<n id="5" /> against me!p>

<p class="poetry">Because of the anger of the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, the land was scorched,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and the people became fuel for the fire.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">People had no compassion on one another.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Sheol<n id="1" /> below is stirred up about you,p> <p class="poetry">ready to meet you when you arrive.p> <p class="poetry">It rouses<n id="2" /> the spirits of the dead for you,p> <p class="poetry">all the former leaders of the earth;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">it makes all the former kings of the nationsp> <p class="poetry">rise from their thrones.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Prepare to execute<n id="1" /> his sonsp> <p class="poetry">for the sins their ancestors have committed.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,p> <p class="poetry">or fill the surface of the world with cities.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">He will wind you up tightly into a ballp> <p class="poetry">and throw you into a wide, open land.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">There you will die,p> <p class="poetry">and there with you will be your impressive chariots,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">which bring disgrace to the house of your master.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look at the land of the Chaldeans,p> <p class="poetry">these people who have lost their identity!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.p> <p class="poetry">They erected their siege towers,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">demolished<n id="3" /> its fortresses,p> <p class="poetry">and turned it into a heap of ruins.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">The earth will stagger around<n id="1" /> like a drunk;p> <p class="poetry">it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Its sin will weigh it down,p> <p class="poetry">and it will fall and never get up again.p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> knocks down those who live in a high place,p> <p class="poetry">he brings down an elevated town;p> <p class="poetry">he brings it down to the ground,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he throws it down to the dust.p>

<p class="poetry">We were pregnant, we strained,p> <p class="poetry">we gave birth, as it were, to wind.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">We cannot produce deliverance on the earth;p> <p class="poetry">people to populate the world are not born.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">O sky, rain down from above!p> <p class="poetry">Let the clouds send down showers<n id="1" /> of deliverance!p> <p class="poetry">Let the earth absorb it<n id="2" /> so salvation may grow,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and deliverance may sprout up<n id="4" /> along with it.p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, create it.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">I made the earth,p> <p class="poetry">I created the people who live<n id="1" /> on it.p> <p class="poetry">It was me &#8211; my hands<n id="2" /> stretched out the sky,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I give orders to all the heavenly lights.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I have not spoken in secret,p> <p class="poetry">in some hidden place.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I did not tell Jacob&#8217;s descendants,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Seek me in vain!&#8217;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I am the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">the one who speaks honestly,p> <p class="poetry">who makes reliable announcements.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you;p> <p class="poetry">in the day of deliverance I will help you;p> <p class="poetry">I will protect you<n id="1" /> and make you a covenant mediator for people,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to rebuild<n id="3" /> the land<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and to reassign the desolate property.p>

<p class="poetry">Shout for joy, O sky!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Rejoice, O earth!p> <p class="poetry">Let the mountains give a joyful shout!p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> consoles his peoplep> <p class="poetry">and shows compassion to the<n id="2" /> oppressed.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">I commission you<n id="1" /> as my spokesman;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I cover you with the palm of my hand,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">to establish<n id="4" /> the sky and to found the earth,p> <p class="poetry">to say to Zion, &#8216;You are my people.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> reveals<n id="1" /> his royal power<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in the sight of all the nations;p> <p class="poetry">the entire<n id="3" /> earth seesp> <p class="poetry">our God deliver.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">When you cry out for help, let your idols<n id="1" /> help you!p> <p class="poetry">The wind blows them all away,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">a breeze carries them away.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">But the one who looks to me for help<n id="4" /> will inherit the landp> <p class="poetry">and will have access to<n id="5" /> my holy mountain.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Then you will find joy in your relationship to the <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and I will give you great prosperity,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Know for certain that the <sc>Lordsc> has spoken.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For, look, darkness covers the earthp> <p class="poetry">and deep darkness covers<n id="1" /> the nations,p> <p class="poetry">but the <sc>Lordsc> shines on you;p> <p class="poetry">his splendor<n id="2" /> appears over you.p>

<p class="poetry">The one who runs away from the sound of the terrorp> <p class="poetry">will fall into the pit;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who climbs out of the pit,p> <p class="poetry">will be trapped by the snare.p> <p class="poetry">For the floodgates of the heavens<n id="2" /> are opened up<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and the foundations of the earth shake.p>