<p class="poetry">For he did not despise or detest the suffering<n id="1" /> of the oppressed;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he did not ignore him;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">when he cried out to him, he responded.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Then they will not be like their ancestors,p> <p class="poetry">who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,p> <p class="poetry">a generation that was not committedp> <p class="poetry">and faithful to God.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Yet he is compassionate.p> <p class="poetry">He forgives sin and does not destroy.p> <p class="poetry">He often holds back his anger,p> <p class="poetry">and does not stir up his fury.<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="psasuper">A song of ascents,<n id="2" /> by David.p> <p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, my heart is not proud,p> <p class="poetry">nor do I have a haughty look.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I do not have great aspirations,p> <p class="poetry">or concern myself with things that are beyond me.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I opened for my beloved,p> <p class="poetry">but my lover had already turned<n id="1" /> and gone away.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I fell into despair<n id="3" /> when he departed.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">I looked for him but did not find him;p> <p class="poetry">I called him but he did not answer me.p>

<p class="poetry">From the soles of your feet to your head,p> <p class="poetry">there is no spot that is unharmed.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">There are only bruises, cuts,p> <p class="poetry">and open wounds.p> <p class="poetry">They have not been cleansed<n id="2" /> or bandaged,p> <p class="poetry">nor have they been treated<n id="3" /> with olive oil.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">No one will live there again;p> <p class="poetry">no one will ever reside there again.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">No bedouin<n id="2" /> will camp<n id="3" /> there,p> <p class="poetry">no shepherds will rest their flocks<n id="4" /> there.p>

<p class="poetry">Be ashamed, O Sidon,p> <p class="poetry">for the sea<n id="1" /> says this, O fortress of the sea:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I have not gone into laborp> <p class="poetry">or given birth;p> <p class="poetry">I have not raised young menp> <p class="poetry">or brought up young women.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;The rebellious<n id="1" /> children are as good as dead,&#8221;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;those who make plans without consulting me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">who form alliances without consulting my Spirit,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and thereby compound their sin.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;p> <p class="poetry">their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> will strike with<n id="1" /> his hand;p> <p class="poetry">the one who helps will stumblep> <p class="poetry">and the one being helped will fall.p> <p class="poetry">Together they will perish.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">But those who wait for the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s help<n id="1" /> find renewed strength;p> <p class="poetry">they rise up as if they had eagles&#8217; wings,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they run without growing weary,p> <p class="poetry">they walk without getting tired.p>

<p class="poetry">Who handed Jacob over to the robber?p> <p class="poetry">Who handed Israel over to the looters?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Was it not the <sc>Lordsc>, against whom we sinned?p> <p class="poetry">They refused to follow his commands;p> <p class="poetry">they disobeyed his law.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">So he poured out his fierce anger on them,p> <p class="poetry">along with the devastation<n id="1" /> of war.p> <p class="poetry">Its flames encircled them, but they did not realize it;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">it burned against them, but they did notice.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">He feeds on ashes;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">his deceived mind misleads him.p> <p class="poetry">He cannot rescue himself,p> <p class="poetry">nor does he say, &#8216;Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They will not be hungry or thirsty;p> <p class="poetry">the sun&#8217;s oppressive heat will not beat down on them,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for one who has compassion on them will guide them;p> <p class="poetry">he will lead them to springs of water.p>

<p class="poetry">He sprouted up like a twig before God,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">like a root out of parched soil;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">no special appearance that we should want to follow him.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">He was treated harshly and afflicted,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but he did not even open his mouth.p> <p class="poetry">Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,p> <p class="poetry">like a sheep silent before her shearers,p> <p class="poetry">he did not even open his mouth.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They lament,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Why don&#8217;t you notice when we fast?p> <p class="poetry">Why don&#8217;t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you oppress your workers.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">For look, I am ready to createp> <p class="poetry">new heavens and a new earth!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The former ones<n id="2" /> will not be remembered;p> <p class="poetry">no one will think about them anymore.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Because of this the land will mournp> <p class="poetry">and the sky above will grow black.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For I have made my purpose known<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and I will not relent or turn back from carrying it out.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>