<p class="poetry">Approach me! Listen to this!p> <p class="poetry">From the very first I have not spoken in secret;p> <p class="poetry">when it happens,<n id="1" /> I am there.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">So now, the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> has sent me, accompanied by his spirit.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">But the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> helps me,p> <p class="poetry">so I am not humiliated.p> <p class="poetry">For that reason I am steadfastly resolved;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I know I will not be put to shame.p>

<p class="poetry">Look, the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> helps me.p> <p class="poetry">Who dares to condemn me?p> <p class="poetry">Look, all of them will wear out like clothes;p> <p class="poetry">a moth will eat away at them.p>

<p class="poetry">Wake up! Wake up!p> <p class="poetry">Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the <sc>Lordsc>!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity!p> <p class="poetry">Did you not smash<n id="2" /> the Proud One?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Did you not<n id="4" /> wound the sea monster?<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt;p> <p class="poetry">Assyria oppressed them for no good reason.p>

<p class="poetry">Yet do not depart quicklyp> <p class="poetry">or leave in a panic.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> goes before you;p> <p class="poetry">the God of Israel is your rear guard.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Indeed, the <sc>Lordsc> will call you backp> <p class="poetry">like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">like a young wife when she has been rejected,&#8221; says your God.p>

<p class="poetry">The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and sinful people their plans.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They should return<n id="3" /> to the <sc>Lordsc>, and he will show mercy to them,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.<n id="5" />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">The children of your oppressors will come bowing to you;p> <p class="poetry">all who treated you with disrespect will bow down at your feet.p> <p class="poetry">They will call you, &#8216;The City of the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">Zion of the Holy One of Israel.&#8217;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">They will not work in vain,p> <p class="poetry">or give birth to children that will experience disaster.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> will bless their childrenp> <p class="poetry">and their descendants.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Then the <sc>Lordsc> will createp> <p class="poetry">over all of Mount Zion<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and over its convocationsp> <p class="poetry">a cloud and smoke by dayp> <p class="poetry">and a bright flame of fire by night;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">indeed a canopy will accompany the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s glorious presence.<n id="3" />p>

At that time the <sc>Lordsc> announced through<n id="1" /> Isaiah son of Amoz: &#8220;Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.&#8221; He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments<n id="2" /> and barefoot.

<p class="poetry">he will swallow up death permanently.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The sovereign <sc>Lordsc> will wipe away the tears from every face,p> <p class="poetry">and remove his people&#8217;s disgrace from all the earth.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, the <sc>Lordsc> has announced it!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For a fool speaks disgraceful things;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">his mind plans out sinful deeds.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He commits godless deeds<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and says misleading things about the <sc>Lordsc>;p> <p class="poetry">he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and gives the thirsty nothing to drink.<n id="5" />p>

Perhaps you will tell me, &#8216;We are trusting in the <sc>Lordsc> our God.&#8217; But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, &#8216;You must worship at this altar.&#8217;

&#8220;Go and tell Hezekiah: &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> God of your ancestor<n id="1" /> David says: &#8220;I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will add fifteen years to your life,

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Speak kindly to<n id="1" /> Jerusalem,<n id="2" /> and tell herp> <p class="poetry">that her time of warfare is over,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">that her punishment is completed.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> has made her pay double<n id="5" /> for all her sins.&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The profit<n id="1" /> of Egypt and the revenue<n id="2" /> of Ethiopia,p> <p class="poetry">along with the Sabeans, those tall men,p> <p class="poetry">will be brought to you<n id="3" /> and become yours.p> <p class="poetry">They will walk behind you, coming along in chains.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">They will bow down to youp> <p class="poetry">and pray to you:<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Truly God is with<n id="6" /> you; he has no peer;<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">there is no other God!&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look I will raise my hand to the nations;p> <p class="poetry">I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.p> <p class="poetry">They will bring your sons in their armsp> <p class="poetry">and carry your daughters on their shoulders.p>