<p class="poetry">As for you, watchtower for the flock,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">fortress of Daughter Zion<n id="2" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">your former dominion will be restored,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem.p>

The Lord says, &#8216;I have returned to Zion and will live within Jerusalem.<n id="1" /> Now Jerusalem will be called &#8220;truthful city,&#8221; &#8220;mountain of the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all,&#8221; &#8220;holy mountain.&#8221;&#8217;

I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow!<n id="1" /> I will stir up your sons, Zion, against yours, Greece, and I will make you, Zion,<n id="2" /> like a warrior&#8217;s sword.p>

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">Then Solomon convened in Jerusalem<n id="2" /> Israel&#8217;s elders, all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families, so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s covenant from the city of David (that is, Zion).<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Solomon convened Israel&#8217;s elders &#8211; all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families &#8211; in Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the covenant of the <sc>Lordsc> from the City of David<n id="2" /> (that is, Zion).<n id="3" />

<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>

<p class="bodytext">But when<n id="1" /> the sovereign master<n id="2" /> finishes judging<n id="3" /> Mount Zion and Jerusalem, then I<n id="4" /> will punish the king of Assyria for what he has proudly planned and for the arrogant attitude he displays.<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">So<n id="1" /> here is what the sovereign master, the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, says: &#8220;My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria, even though they beat you with a club and lift their cudgel against you as Egypt did.<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">At that timep> <p class="poetry">tribute will be brought to the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,p> <p class="poetry">by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned,p> <p class="poetry">a people that are feared far and wide,p> <p class="poetry">a nation strong and victorious,p> <p class="poetry">whose land rivers divide.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The tribute<n id="2" /> will be brought to the place where the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">It will be like a hungry man dreaming that he is eating,p> <p class="poetry">only to awaken and find that his stomach is empty.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">It will be like a thirsty man dreaming that he is drinking,p> <p class="poetry">only to awaken and find that he is still weak and his thirst unquenched.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">So it will be for the horde from all the nationsp> <p class="poetry">that fight against Mount Zion.p>

<p class="poetry">Look at Zion, the city where we hold religious festivals!p> <p class="poetry">You<n id="1" /> will see Jerusalem,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">a peaceful settlement,p> <p class="poetry">a tent that stays put;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">its stakes will never be pulled up;p> <p class="poetry">none of its ropes will snap in two.p>

<p class="poetry">Go up on a high mountain, O herald Zion!p> <p class="poetry">Shout out loudly, O herald Jerusalem!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Shout, don&#8217;t be afraid!p> <p class="poetry">Say to the towns of Judah,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Here is your God!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Certainly the <sc>Lordsc> will console Zion;p> <p class="poetry">he will console all her ruins.p> <p class="poetry">He will make her wilderness like Eden,p> <p class="poetry">her desert like the Garden of the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">Happiness and joy will be restored to<n id="1" /> her,p> <p class="poetry">thanksgiving and the sound of music.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">to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,p> <p class="poetry">by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,p> <p class="poetry">oil symbolizing joy,<n id="1" /> instead of mourning,p> <p class="poetry">a garment symbolizing praise,<n id="2" /> instead of discouragement.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They will be called oaks of righteousness,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">trees planted by the <sc>Lordsc> to reveal his splendor.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Who has ever heard of such a thing?p> <p class="poetry">Who has ever seen this?p> <p class="poetry">Can a country<n id="1" /> be brought forth in one day?p> <p class="poetry">Can a nation be born in a single moment?p> <p class="poetry">Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons!p>

<p class="poetry">In fact,<n id="1" /> I hear a cry like that of a woman in labor,p> <p class="poetry">a cry of anguish like that of a woman giving birth to her first baby.p> <p class="poetry">It is the cry of Daughter Zion<n id="2" /> gasping for breath,p> <p class="poetry">reaching out for help,<n id="3" /> saying, &#8220;I am done in!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">My life is ebbing away before these murderers!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.p> <p class="poetry">They are cruel and show no mercy.p> <p class="poetry">They sound like the roaring seap> <p class="poetry">as they ride forth on their horses.p> <p class="poetry">Lined up in formation like men going into battlep> <p class="poetry">to attack you, Daughter Zion.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

&#8220;Micah from Moresheth<n id="1" /> prophesied during the time Hezekiah was king of Judah.<n id="2" /> He told all the people of Judah,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all<n id="3" /> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Zion<n id="4" /> will become a plowed field.p> <p class="poetry">Jerusalem<n id="5" /> will become a pile of rubble.p> <p class="poetry">The temple mount will become a mere wooded ridge.&#8221;&#8217;<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion.p> <p class="poetry">They will be radiant with joy<n id="1" /> over the good things the <sc>Lordsc> provides,p> <p class="poetry">the grain, the fresh wine, the olive oil,p> <p class="poetry">the young sheep and calves he has given to them.p> <p class="poetry">They will be like a well-watered gardenp> <p class="poetry">and will not grow faint or weary any more.p>