<p class="poetry">Even the birds find a home there,p> <p class="poetry">and the swallow<n id="1" /> builds a nest,p> <p class="poetry">where she can protect her young<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">near your altars, O <sc>Lord who rules over allsc>,p> <p class="poetry">my king and my God.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Look, the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">is about to remove from Jerusalem<n id="2" /> and Judahp> <p class="poetry">every source of security, including<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">all the food and water,<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed<n id="1" /> Israel<n id="2" /> is the vineyard of the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,p> <p class="poetry">the people<n id="3" /> of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.p> <p class="poetry">He waited for justice, but look what he got &#8211; disobedience!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">He waited for fairness, but look what he got &#8211; cries for help!<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies told me this:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Many houses will certainly become desolate,p> <p class="poetry">large, impressive houses will have no one living in them.<n id="2" />p>

They called out to one another, &#8220;Holy, holy, holy<n id="1" /> is the Lord who commands armies!<n id="2" /> His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!&#8221;

<p class="poetry">Look, I and the sons whom the <sc>Lordsc> has given me<n id="1" /> are reminders and object lessons<n id="2" /> in Israel, sent from the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, who lives on Mount Zion.p>

<p class="poetry">Because of the anger of the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, the land was scorched,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and the people became fuel for the fire.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">People had no compassion on one another.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">For this reason<n id="1" /> the sovereign master, the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, will make his healthy ones emaciated.<n id="2" /> His majestic glory will go up in smoke.<n id="3" />p>

The <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies is about to beat them<n id="1" /> with a whip, similar to the way he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb.<n id="2" /> He will use his staff against the sea, lifting it up as he did in Egypt.<n id="3" />p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">There is a loud noise on the mountains &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">it sounds like a large army!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">There is great commotion among the kingdoms<n id="3" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">nations are being assembled!p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies is musteringp> <p class="poetry">forces for battle.p>

<p class="poetry">So I will shake the heavens,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and the earth will shake loose from its foundation,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because of the fury of the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,p> <p class="poetry">in the day he vents his raging anger.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I will rise up against them,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">including the offspring she produces,&#8221;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies makes this solemn vow:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Be sure of this:p> <p class="poetry">Just as I have intended, so it will be;p> <p class="poetry">just as I have planned, it will happen.p>

<p class="poetry">Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim,p> <p class="poetry">and Damascus will lose its kingdom.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The survivors in Syriap> <p class="poetry">will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies.p>

<p class="poetry">I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;p> <p class="poetry">a powerful king will rule over them,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the sovereign master,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies.p>

<p class="poetry">But where, oh where, are your wise men?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Let them tell you, let them find outp> <p class="poetry">what the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies has planned for Egypt.p>

<p class="bodytext">At that time<n id="1" /> the Egyptians<n id="2" /> will be like women.<n id="3" /> They will tremble and fear because the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies brandishes his fist against them.<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">At that time five cities<n id="1" /> in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun.<n id="2" />

It<n id="1" /> will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies. When they cry out to the <sc>Lordsc> because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender<n id="3" /> who will rescue them.

The <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession,<n id="2" /> Israel!&#8221;p>