<p class="poetry">&#8220;I, I am the one who consoles you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Why are you afraid of mortal men,p> <p class="poetry">of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Whom are you worried about?p> <p class="poetry">Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfullyp> <p class="poetry">and not remember mep> <p class="poetry">or think about me?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Because I have been silent for so long,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you are not afraid of me.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="1" /> he says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Are not my officials all kings?p>

So Isaiah replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Pay attention,<n id="2" /> family<n id="3" /> of David.<n id="4" /> Do you consider it too insignificant to try the patience of men? Is that why you are also trying the patience of my God?

<p class="poetry">But he does not agree with this,p> <p class="poetry">his mind does not reason this way,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for his goal is to destroy,p> <p class="poetry">and to eliminate many nations.<n id="2" />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">At that time<n id="1" /> their fortified cities will bep> <p class="poetry">like the abandoned summits of the Amorites,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">which they abandoned because of the Israelites;p> <p class="poetry">there will be desolation.p>

<p class="poetry">When you summon her for divorce, you prosecute her;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he drives her away<n id="2" /> with his strong wind in the day of the east wind.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I solemnly make this oath<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">what I say is true and reliable:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Surely every knee will bow to me,p> <p class="poetry">every tongue will solemnly affirm;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">You said,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will rule forever as permanent queen!&#8217;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">You did not think about these things;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you did not consider how it would turn out.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God;p> <p class="poetry">your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains.p> <p class="poetry">My chosen ones will take possession of the land;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">my servants will live there.p>

<p class="poetry">Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you will wail because your spirits will be crushed.<n id="3" />p>

With bow and arrow<n id="1" /> men will hunt<n id="2" /> there, for the whole land will be covered<n id="3" /> with thorns and briers.

<p class="poetry">So the <sc>Lordsc> cut off Israel&#8217;s head and tail,p> <p class="poetry">both the shoots and stalk<n id="1" /> in one day.p>

<p class="poetry">Shout out, daughter of Gallim!p> <p class="poetry">Pay attention, Laishah!p> <p class="poetry">Answer her, Anathoth!<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed, the cries of distress echo throughout Moabite territory;p> <p class="poetry">their wailing can be heard in Eglaim and Beer Elim.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">At that time<n id="1" /> men will trust in their creator;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they will depend on<n id="3" /> the Holy One of Israel.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look, the <sc>Lordsc> will throw you far away,<n id="1" /> you mere man!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He will wrap you up tightly.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Daughter Tarshish, travel back to your land, as one crosses the Nile;p> <p class="poetry">there is no longer any marketplace in Tyre.<n id="1" />p>