<p class="poetry">The earth will stagger around<n id="1" /> like a drunk;p> <p class="poetry">it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Its sin will weigh it down,p> <p class="poetry">and it will fall and never get up again.p>

<p class="poetry">all will be put to shame<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">because of a nation that cannot help them,p> <p class="poetry">who cannot give them aid or help,p> <p class="poetry">but only shame and disgrace.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">It shatters in pieces like a clay jar,p> <p class="poetry">so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to scoop a hot coal from a fire<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">or to skim off water from a cistern.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the master, the <sc>Lordsc>, the Holy One of Israel says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;If you repented and patiently waited for me, you would be delivered;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">if you calmly trusted in me you would find strength,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">but you are unwilling.p>

<p class="poetry">The sovereign master<n id="1" /> will give you distress to eatp> <p class="poetry">and suffering to drink;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">but your teachers will no longer be hidden;p> <p class="poetry">your eyes will see them.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The destroyer is as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you who have not been destroyed!p> <p class="poetry">The deceitful one is as good as dead,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the one whom others have not deceived!p> <p class="poetry">When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;p> <p class="poetry">when you finish<n id="3" /> deceiving, others will deceive you!p>

<p class="poetry">Do you not know?p> <p class="poetry">Have you not heard?p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> is an eternal God,p> <p class="poetry">the creator of the whole earth.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He does not get tired or weary;p> <p class="poetry">there is no limit to his wisdom.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">you whom I am bringing back<n id="1" /> from the earth&#8217;s extremities,p> <p class="poetry">and have summoned from the remote regions &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">I told you, &#8220;You are my servant.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">I have chosen you and not rejected you.p>

<p class="poetry">You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;p> <p class="poetry">you did not honor me with your sacrifices.p> <p class="poetry">I did not burden you with offerings;p> <p class="poetry">I did not make you weary by demanding<n id="1" /> incense.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">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">They put it on their shoulder and carry it;p> <p class="poetry">they put it in its place and it just stands there;p> <p class="poetry">it does not<n id="1" /> move from its place.p> <p class="poetry">Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply;p> <p class="poetry">it does not deliver him from his distress.p>

<p class="poetry">So now, listen to this,p> <p class="poetry">O one who lives so lavishly,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who lives securely,p> <p class="poetry">who says to herself,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I am unique! No one can compare to me!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I will never have to live as a widow;p> <p class="poetry">I will never lose my children.&#8217;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">He was despised and rejected by people,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;p> <p class="poetry">people hid their faces from him;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he was despised, and we considered him insignificant.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">They intended to bury him with criminals,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but he ended up in a rich man&#8217;s tomb,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because<n id="3" /> he had committed no violent deeds,p> <p class="poetry">nor had he spoken deceitfully.p>

<p class="poetry">For I will not be hostile<n id="1" /> foreverp> <p class="poetry">or perpetually angry,p> <p class="poetry">for then man&#8217;s spirit would grow faint before me,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the life-giving breath I created.p>

<p class="poetry">Their webs cannot be used for clothing;p> <p class="poetry">they cannot cover themselves with what they make.p> <p class="poetry">Their deeds are sinful;p> <p class="poetry">they commit violent crimes.<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">For this reason deliverance<n id="1" /> is far from us<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and salvation does not reach us.p> <p class="poetry">We wait for light,<n id="3" /> but see only darkness;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">we wait for<n id="5" /> a bright light,<n id="6" /> but live<n id="7" /> in deep darkness.<n id="8" />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">He will judge disputes between nations;p> <p class="poetry">he will settle cases for many peoples.p> <p class="poetry">They will beat their swords into plowshares,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and their spears into pruning hooks.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,p> <p class="poetry">and they will no longer train for war.p>