I will turn the land into a desolate ruin; her confident pride will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be so desolate no one will pass through them.

<p class="poetry">Therefore,&#8221; says the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;an enemy will encircle the land.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He will take away your power;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">your fortresses will be looted.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">He will assume his post<n id="1" /> and shepherd the people<n id="2" /> by the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s strength,p> <p class="poetry">by the sovereign authority of the <sc>Lordsc> his God.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They will live securely,<n id="4" /> for at that time he will be honored<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">even in the distant regions of<n id="6" /> the earth.p>

There was a fortified<n id="1" /> tower<n id="2" /> in the center of the city, so all the men and women, as well as the city&#8217;s leaders, ran into it and locked the entrance. Then they went up to the roof of the tower.

<p class="bodytext">The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the <sc>Lordsc> every day with all their might.<n id="1" />

I was embarrassed to request soldiers and horsemen from the king to protect us from the enemy<n id="1" /> along the way, because we had said to the king, &#8220;The good hand of our God is on everyone who is seeking him, but his great anger<n id="2" /> is against everyone who forsakes him.&#8221;

<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">Wake up! Wake up!p> <p class="poetry">Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion!p> <p class="poetry">Put on your beautiful clothes,p> <p class="poetry">O Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> holy city!p> <p class="poetry">For uncircumcised and unclean pagansp> <p class="poetry">will no longer invade you.p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> swears an oath by his right hand,p> <p class="poetry">by his strong arm:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will never again give your grainp> <p class="poetry">to your enemies as food,p> <p class="poetry">and foreigners will not drink your wine,p> <p class="poetry">which you worked hard to produce.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then I said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;<sc>Lordsc>, you give me strength and protect me.p> <p class="poetry">You are the one I can run to for safety when I am in trouble.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Nations from all over the earthp> <p class="poetry">will come to you and say,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Our ancestors had nothing but false gods &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">worthless idols that could not help them at all.<n id="3" />p>

Say to the house of Israel, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Realize I am about to desecrate my sanctuary &#8211; the source of your confident pride,<n id="1" /> the object in which your eyes delight,<n id="2" /> and your life&#8217;s passion.<n id="3" /> Your very own sons and daughters whom you have left behind will die<n id="4" /> by the sword.