<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">It is me &#8211; I stir him up and commission him;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will make all his ways level.p> <p class="poetry">He will rebuild my city;p> <p class="poetry">he will send my exiled people home,p> <p class="poetry">but not for a price or a bribe,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen to me, O family of Jacob,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">all you who are left from the family of Israel,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you who have been carried from birth,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">you who have been supported from the time you left the womb.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">who announces the end from the beginningp> <p class="poetry">and reveals beforehand<n id="1" /> what has not yet occurred,p> <p class="poetry">who says, &#8216;My plan will be realized,p> <p class="poetry">I will accomplish what I desire,&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed you will go out with joy;p> <p class="poetry">you will be led along in peace;p> <p class="poetry">the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,p> <p class="poetry">and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.p>

<p class="poetry">They lament,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Why don&#8217;t you notice when we fast?p> <p class="poetry">Why don&#8217;t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you oppress your workers.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">No, this is the kind of fast I want.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I want you<n id="2" /> to remove the sinful chains,p> <p class="poetry">to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke,p> <p class="poetry">to set free the oppressed,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and to break every burdensome yoke.p>

<p class="poetry">Nations will see your vindication,p> <p class="poetry">and all kings your splendor.p> <p class="poetry">You will be called by a new namep> <p class="poetry">that the <sc>Lordsc> himself will give you.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I<n id="1" /> post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;p> <p class="poetry">they should keep praying all day and all night.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You who pray to<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, don&#8217;t be silent!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">Our holy temple, our pride and joy,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the place where our ancestors praised you,p> <p class="poetry">has been burned with fire;p> <p class="poetry">all our prized possessions have been destroyed.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">So the sovereign master was not pleased<n id="1" /> with their young men,p> <p class="poetry">he took no pity<n id="2" /> on their orphans and widows;p> <p class="poetry">for the whole nation was godless<n id="3" /> and did wicked things,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">every mouth was speaking disgraceful words.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Despite all this, his anger does not subside,p> <p class="poetry">and his hand is ready to strike again.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look at Zion, the city where we hold religious festivals!p> <p class="poetry">You<n id="1" /> will see Jerusalem,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">a peaceful settlement,p> <p class="poetry">a tent that stays put;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">its stakes will never be pulled up;p> <p class="poetry">none of its ropes will snap in two.p>

<p class="poetry">Shout for joy, O sky, for the <sc>Lordsc> intervenes;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">shout out, you subterranean regions<n id="2" /> of the earth.p> <p class="poetry">O mountains, give a joyful shout;p> <p class="poetry">you too, O forest and all your trees!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> protects<n id="4" /> Jacob;p> <p class="poetry">he reveals his splendor through Israel.<n id="5" />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>