<t /><n id="1" /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Here is my servant whom I support,p> <p class="poetry">my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.p> <p class="poetry">I have placed my spirit on him;p> <p class="poetry">he will make just decrees<n id="2" /> for the nations.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">He feeds on ashes;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">his deceived mind misleads him.p> <p class="poetry">He cannot rescue himself,p> <p class="poetry">nor does he say, &#8216;Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?&#8217;<n id="2" />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">I will put it into the hand of your tormentors<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who said to you, &#8216;Lie down, so we can walk over you.&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">You made your back like the ground,p> <p class="poetry">and like the street for those who walked over you.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Though the <sc>Lordsc> desired to crush him and make him ill,p> <p class="poetry">once restitution is made,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he will see descendants and enjoy long life,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s purpose will be accomplished through him.p>

<p class="poetry">Why pay money for something that will not nourish you?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Why spend<n id="2" /> your hard-earned money<n id="3" /> on something that will not satisfy?p> <p class="poetry">Listen carefully<n id="4" /> to me and eat what is nourishing!<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Enjoy fine food!<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Pay attention and come to me!p> <p class="poetry">Listen, so you can live!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to<n id="2" /> you,p> <p class="poetry">just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The dogs have big appetites;p> <p class="poetry">they are never full.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They are shepherds who have no understanding;p> <p class="poetry">they all go their own way,p> <p class="poetry">each one looking for monetary gain.<n id="2" />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">The <sc>Lordsc> will continually lead you;p> <p class="poetry">he will feed you even in parched regions.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He will give you renewed strength,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and you will be like a well-watered garden,p> <p class="poetry">like a spring that continually produces water.p>

<p class="poetry">You are like a wild female donkey brought up in the wilderness.p> <p class="poetry">In her lust she sniffs the wind to get the scent of a male.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">No one can hold her back when she is in heat.p> <p class="poetry">None of the males need wear themselves out chasing after her.p> <p class="poetry">At mating time she is easy to find.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Even your clothes are stained withp> <p class="poetry">the lifeblood of the poor who had not done anything wrong;p> <p class="poetry">you did not catch them breaking into your homes.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Yet, in spite of all these things you have done,<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">In response to all this<n id="1" /> I said, &#8220;Ah, Lord <sc>Godsc>,<n id="2" /> you have surely allowed<n id="3" /> the people of Judah and Jerusalem<n id="4" /> to be deceived by those who say, &#8216;You will be safe!&#8217;<n id="5" /> But in fact a sword is already at our throats.&#8221;<n id="6" />p>

<p class="bodytext">I said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Oh, the feeling in the pit of my stomach!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I writhe in anguish.p> <p class="poetry">Oh, the pain in my heart!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">My heart pounds within me.p> <p class="poetry">I cannot keep silent.p> <p class="poetry">For I hear the sound of the trumpet;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">the sound of the battle cry pierces my soul!<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will surely punish them for doing such things!&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will surely bring retribution on such a nation as this!&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will certainly punish them for doing such things!&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will certainly punish them for doing such things!&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> told me about<n id="1" /> some men from Anathoth<n id="2" /> who were threatening to kill me.<n id="3" /> They had threatened,<n id="4" /> &#8220;Stop prophesying in the name of the <sc>Lordsc> or we will kill you!&#8221;<n id="5" />

<p class="poetry">But if you will not pay attention to this warning,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will weep alone because of your arrogant pride.p> <p class="poetry">I will weep bitterly and my eyes will overflow with tears<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because you, the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s flock,<n id="3" /> will be carried<n id="4" /> into exile.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> said to me, &#8220;Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for<n id="1" /> these people, I would not feel pity for them!<n id="2" /> Get them away from me! Tell them to go away!<n id="3" />