<p class="bodytext">Then I said,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;<sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" /> have you completely rejected the nation of Judah?p> <p class="poetry">Do you despise<n id="2" /> the city of Zion?p> <p class="poetry">Why have you struck us with such forcep> <p class="poetry">that we are beyond recovery?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">We hope for peace, but nothing good has come of it.p> <p class="poetry">We hope for a time of relief from our troubles, but experience terror.<n id="4" />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>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1502; (<i>Memi>)p> <p class="poetry">With what can I equate<n id="1" /> you?p> <p class="poetry">To what can I compare you, O Daughter Jerusalem?p> <p class="poetry">To what can I liken you<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">so that<n id="3" /> I might comfort you, O Virgin Daughter Zion?p> <p class="poetry">Your wound is as deep<n id="4" /> as the sea.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Who can heal you?<n id="6" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew"><b>&#1510;b> (<i>Tsadei>)p> <p class="poetry">Cry out<n id="1" /> from your heart<n id="2" /> to the Lord,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">O wall of Daughter Zion!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Make your tears flow like a riverp> <p class="poetry">all day and all night long!<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not rest;p> <p class="poetry">do not let your tears<n id="6" /> stop!p>

<p class="poetry">It will so happen thatp> <p class="poetry">everyone who calls on the name of the <sc>Lordsc> will be delivered.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem<n id="2" /> there will be those who survive,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">just as the <sc>Lordsc> has promised;p> <p class="poetry">the remnant<n id="4" /> will be those whom the <sc>Lordsc> will call.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Many nations will come, saying,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Come on! Let&#8217;s go up to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s mountain,p> <p class="poetry">to the temple<n id="1" /> of Jacob&#8217;s God,p> <p class="poetry">so he can teach us his commands<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and we can live by his laws.&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For Zion will be the source of instruction;p> <p class="poetry">the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Twist and strain,<n id="1" /> Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor!p> <p class="poetry">For you will leave the cityp> <p class="poetry">and live in the open field.p> <p class="poetry">You will go to Babylon,p> <p class="poetry">but there you will be rescued.p> <p class="poetry">There the <sc>Lordsc> will deliver<n id="2" /> youp> <p class="poetry">from the power<n id="3" /> of your enemies.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion!p> <p class="poetry">For I will give you iron horns;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will give you bronze hooves,p> <p class="poetry">and you will crush many nations.&#8221;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You will devote to the <sc>Lordsc> the spoils you take from them,p> <p class="poetry">and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler<n id="3" /> of the whole earth.<n id="4" />p>

Speak up again with the message of the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all: &#8216;My cities will once more overflow with prosperity, and once more the <sc>Lordsc> will comfort Zion and validate his choice of Jerusalem.&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!p> <p class="poetry">Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!p> <p class="poetry">Look! Your king is coming to you:p> <p class="poetry">he is legitimate<n id="1" /> and victorious,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">humble and riding on a donkey<n id="3" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Indeed, this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says to me:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> will be like a growling lion,p> <p class="poetry">like a young lion growling over its prey.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,p> <p class="poetry">it is not afraid of their shoutsp> <p class="poetry">or intimidated by their yelling.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">In this same way the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies will descendp> <p class="poetry">to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill.<n id="3" />p>