<p class="poetry">For this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who created the sky &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">he is the true God,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who formed the earth and made it;p> <p class="poetry">he established it,p> <p class="poetry">he did not create it without order,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he formed it to be inhabited &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I am the <sc>Lordsc>, I have no peer.p>

<p class="poetry">So now the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who formed me from birth<n id="1" /> to be his servant &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">he did this<n id="2" /> to restore Jacob to himself,p> <p class="poetry">so that Israel might be gathered to him;p> <p class="poetry">and I will be honored<n id="3" /> in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sight,p> <p class="poetry">for my God is my source of strength<n id="4" /> &#8211;p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">the protector<n id="1" /> of Israel, their Holy One,<n id="2" /> saysp> <p class="poetry">to the one who is despised<n id="3" /> and rejected<n id="4" /> by nations,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">a servant of rulers:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Kings will see and rise in respect,<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">princes will bow down,p> <p class="poetry">because of the faithful <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.&#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>

<p class="poetry">Indeed,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;captives will be taken from a warrior;p> <p class="poetry">spoils will be rescued from a conqueror.p> <p class="poetry">I will oppose your adversaryp> <p class="poetry">and I will rescue your children.p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Where is your mother&#8217;s divorce certificatep> <p class="poetry">by which I divorced her?p> <p class="poetry">Or to which of my creditors did I sell you?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Look, you were sold because of your sins;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is what your sovereign master,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> your God, says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look, I have removed from your handp> <p class="poetry">the cup of intoxicating wine,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the goblet full of my anger.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">You will no longer have to drink it.p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the high and exalted one says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who rules<n id="1" /> forever, whose name is holy:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I dwell in an exalted and holy place,p> <p class="poetry">but also with the discouraged and humiliated,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in order to cheer up the humiliatedp> <p class="poetry">and to encourage the discouraged.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">for your sins and your ancestors&#8217; sins,&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Because they burned incense on the mountainsp> <p class="poetry">and offended<n id="2" /> me on the hills,p> <p class="poetry">I will punish them in full measure.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;When<n id="1" /> juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes,p> <p class="poetry">someone says, &#8216;Don&#8217;t destroy it, for it contains juice.&#8217;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">So I will do for the sake of my servants &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">I will not destroy everyone.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">So this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!p> <p class="poetry">Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!p> <p class="poetry">Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!p>

<p class="poetry">A wolf and a lamb will graze together;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">a lion, like an ox, will eat straw,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and a snake&#8217;s food will be dirt.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They will no longer injure or destroyp> <p class="poetry">on my entire royal mountain,&#8221;<n id="4" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,p> <p class="poetry">the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">You will nurse from her breast<n id="2" /> and be carried at her side;p> <p class="poetry">you will play on her knees.p>

They will bring back all your countrymen<n id="1" /> from all the nations as an offering to the <sc>Lordsc>. They will bring them<n id="2" /> on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels<n id="3" /> to my holy hill Jerusalem,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;just as the Israelites bring offerings to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple in ritually pure containers.

&#8220;Go and declare in the hearing of the people of Jerusalem:<n id="1" /> &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: &#8220;I have fond memories of you,<n id="2" /> how devoted you were to me in your early years.<n id="3" /> I remember how you loved me like a new bride; you followed me through the wilderness, through a land that had never been planted.

<p class="bodytext">Because of that,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, the God who rules over all,<n id="2" /> said to me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Because these people have spoken<n id="4" /> like this,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">I will make the words that I put in your mouth like fire.p> <p class="poetry">And I will make this people like woodp> <p class="poetry">which the fiery judgments you speak will burn up.&#8221;<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Are they ashamed because they have done such shameful things?p> <p class="poetry">No, they are not at all ashamed.p> <p class="poetry">They do not even know how to blush!p> <p class="poetry">So they will die, just like others have died.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They will be brought to ruin when I punish them,&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> said to his people:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;You are standing at the crossroads. So consider your path.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Ask where the old, reliable paths<n id="3" /> are.p> <p class="poetry">Ask where the path is that leads to blessing<n id="4" /> and follow it.p> <p class="poetry">If you do, you will find rest for your souls.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">But they said, &#8220;We will not follow it!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">So, this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will assuredly<n id="1" /> make these people stumble to their doom.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Parents and children will stumble and fall to their destruction.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Friends and neighbors will die.&#8217;p>

So,&#8221; the Lord <sc>Godsc><n id="1" /> says, &#8220;my raging fury will be poured out on this land.<n id="2" /> It will be poured out on human beings and animals, on trees and crops.<n id="3" /> And it will burn like a fire which cannot be extinguished.&#8221;p>