⁴ Woe to the sinful nation,
    a people whose guilt is great,^(P)
a brood of evildoers,^(Q)
    children given to corruption!^(R)
They have forsaken^(S) the Lord;
    they have spurned the Holy One^(T) of Israel
    and turned their backs^(U) on him.

⁵ Why should you be beaten^(V) anymore?
    Why do you persist^(W) in rebellion?^(X)
Your whole head is injured,
    your whole heart^(Y) afflicted.^(Z)
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head^(AA)
    there is no soundness^(AB)—
only wounds and welts^(AC)
    and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged^(AD)
    or soothed with olive oil.^(AE)

⁷ Your country is desolate,^(AF)
    your cities burned with fire;^(AG)
your fields are being stripped by foreigners^(AH)
    right before you,
    laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.^(AI)
8 Daughter Zion^(AJ) is left^(AK)
    like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut^(AL) in a cucumber field,
    like a city under siege.
⁹ Unless the Lord Almighty
    had left us some survivors,^(AM)
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.^(AN)

¹⁰ Hear the word of the Lord,^(AO)
    you rulers of Sodom;^(AP)
listen to the instruction^(AQ) of our God,
    you people of Gomorrah!^(AR)
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;^(AS)
I have no pleasure^(AT)
    in the blood of bulls^(AU) and lambs and goats.^(AV)
12 When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,^(AW)
    this trampling of my courts?
¹³ Stop bringing meaningless offerings!^(AX)
    Your incense^(AY) is detestable^(AZ) to me.
New Moons,^(BA) Sabbaths and convocations^(BB)—
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
¹⁴ Your New Moon^(BC) feasts and your appointed festivals^(BD)
    I hate with all my being.^(BE)
They have become a burden to me;^(BF)
    I am weary^(BG) of bearing them.
¹⁵ When you spread out your hands^(BH) in prayer,
    I hide^(BI) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.^(BJ)

Your hands^(BK) are full of blood!^(BL)

¹⁶ Wash^(BM) and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;^(BN)
    stop doing wrong.^(BO)
17 Learn to do right;^(BP) seek justice.^(BQ)
    Defend the oppressed.^[a](BR)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;^(BS)
    plead the case of the widow.^(BT)

¹⁸ “Come now, let us settle the matter,”^(BU)
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;^(BV)
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.^(BW)
19 If you are willing and obedient,^(BX)
    you will eat the good things of the land;^(BY)
20 but if you resist and rebel,^(BZ)
    you will be devoured by the sword.”^(CA)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.^(CB)

²¹ See how the faithful city
    has become a prostitute!^(CC)
She once was full of justice;
    righteousness^(CD) used to dwell in her—
    but now murderers!^(CE)
22 Your silver has become dross,^(CF)
    your choice wine is diluted with water.
²³ Your rulers are rebels,^(CG)
    partners with thieves;^(CH)
they all love bribes^(CI)
    and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
    the widow’s case does not come before them.^(CJ)

²⁴ Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    the Mighty One^(CK) of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
    and avenge^(CL) myself on my enemies.^(CM)
25 I will turn my hand against you;^[b](CN)
    I will thoroughly purge^(CO) away your dross^(CP)
    and remove all your impurities.^(CQ)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,^(CR)
    your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called^(CS)
    the City of Righteousness,^(CT)
    the Faithful City.^(CU)”

²⁷ Zion will be delivered with justice,
    her penitent^(CV) ones with righteousness.^(CW)
28 But rebels and sinners^(CX) will both be broken,
    and those who forsake^(CY) the Lord will perish.^(CZ)

²⁹ “You will be ashamed^(DA) because of the sacred oaks^(DB)
    in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens^(DC)
    that you have chosen.
³⁰ You will be like an oak with fading leaves,^(DD)
    like a garden without water.
³¹ The mighty man will become tinder
    and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
    with no one to quench the fire.^(DE)”

the mountain^(D) of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;^(E)
it will be exalted^(F) above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.^(G)

“Come, let us go^(I) up to the mountain^(J) of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law^(K) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.^(L)
4 He will judge^(M) between the nations
    and will settle disputes^(N) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.^(O)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,^(P)
    nor will they train for war anymore.

⁵ Come, descendants of Jacob,^(Q)
    let us walk in the light^(R) of the Lord.

¹⁰ Go into the rocks, hide^(AJ) in the ground
    from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty!^(AK)
11 The eyes of the arrogant^(AL) will be humbled^(AM)
    and human pride^(AN) brought low;^(AO)
the Lord alone will be exalted^(AP) in that day.^(AQ)

¹² The Lord Almighty has a day^(AR) in store
    for all the proud^(AS) and lofty,^(AT)
for all that is exalted^(AU)
    (and they will be humbled),^(AV)
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,^(AW) tall and lofty,^(AX)
    and all the oaks of Bashan,^(AY)
14 for all the towering mountains
    and all the high hills,^(AZ)
15 for every lofty tower^(BA)
    and every fortified wall,^(BB)
16 for every trading ship^[b](BC)
    and every stately vessel.
¹⁷ The arrogance of man will be brought low^(BD)
    and human pride humbled;^(BE)
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,^(BF)
18     and the idols^(BG) will totally disappear.^(BH)

¹⁹ People will flee to caves^(BI) in the rocks
    and to holes in the ground^(BJ)
from the fearful presence^(BK) of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,^(BL)
    when he rises to shake the earth.^(BM)
20 In that day^(BN) people will throw away
    to the moles and bats^(BO)
their idols of silver and idols of gold,^(BP)
    which they made to worship.^(BQ)
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks^(BR)
    and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,^(BS)
    when he rises^(BT) to shake the earth.^(BU)

²² Stop trusting in mere humans,^(BV)
    who have but a breath^(BW) in their nostrils.
    Why hold them in esteem?^(BX)

⁴ Blessed is the one^(L)
    who trusts in the Lord,^(M)
who does not look to the proud,^(N)
    to those who turn aside to false gods.^[b](O)
5 Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders^(P) you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare^(Q) with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many^(R) to declare.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—^(S)
    but my ears you have opened^[c]—^(T)
    burnt offerings^(U) and sin offerings^[d] you did not require.
⁷ Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.^[e](V)
8 I desire to do your will,^(W) my God;^(X)
    your law is within my heart.”^(Y)

⁹ I proclaim your saving acts^(Z) in the great assembly;^(AA)
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.^(AB)
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness^(AC) and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.^(AD)

¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy^(AE) from me, Lord;
    may your love^(AF) and faithfulness^(AG) always protect^(AH) me.
¹² For troubles^(AI) without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.^(AJ)
They are more than the hairs of my head,^(AK)
    and my heart fails^(AL) within me.
¹³ Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.^(AM)

¹⁴ May all who want to take my life^(AN)
    be put to shame and confusion;^(AO)
may all who desire my ruin^(AP)
    be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”^(AQ)
    be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶ But may all who seek you^(AR)
    rejoice and be glad^(AS) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”^(AT)

¹⁷ But as for me, I am poor and needy;^(AU)
    may the Lord think^(AV) of me.
You are my help^(AW) and my deliverer;^(AX)
    you are my God, do not delay.^(AY)

14 The wise woman builds her house,^(A)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

² Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

³ A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,^(B)
    but the lips of the wise protect them.^(C)

⁴ Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
    but from the strength of an ox^(D) come abundant harvests.

⁵ An honest witness does not deceive,
    but a false witness pours out lies.^(E)

⁶ The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
    but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.^(F)

⁷ Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

⁸ The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,^(G)
    but the folly of fools is deception.^(H)

⁹ Fools mock at making amends for sin,
    but goodwill is found among the upright.

¹⁰ Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can share its joy.

¹¹ The house of the wicked will be destroyed,^(I)
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.^(J)

¹² There is a way that appears to be right,^(K)
    but in the end it leads to death.^(L)

¹³ Even in laughter^(M) the heart may ache,
    and rejoicing may end in grief.

¹⁴ The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,^(N)
    and the good rewarded for theirs.^(O)

¹⁵ The simple believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps.^(P)

¹⁶ The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,^(Q)
    but a fool^(R) is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

¹⁷ A quick-tempered person^(S) does foolish things,^(T)
    and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.^(U)

¹⁸ The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹ Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,
    and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.^(V)

²⁰ The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
    but the rich have many friends.^(W)

²¹ It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,^(X)
    but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.^(Y)

²² Do not those who plot evil go astray?^(Z)
    But those who plan what is good find^[a] love and faithfulness.

²³ All hard work brings a profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.

²⁴ The wealth of the wise is their crown,
    but the folly of fools yields folly.^(AA)

²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives,
    but a false witness is deceitful.^(AB)

²⁶ Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,^(AC)
    and for their children it will be a refuge.^(AD)

²⁷ The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,^(AE)
    turning a person from the snares of death.^(AF)

²⁸ A large population is a king’s glory,
    but without subjects a prince is ruined.^(AG)

²⁹ Whoever is patient has great understanding,^(AH)
    but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.^(AI)

³⁰ A heart at peace gives life to the body,
    but envy rots the bones.^(AJ)

³¹ Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,^(AK)
    but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.^(AL)

³² When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,^(AM)
    but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.^(AN)

³³ Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning^(AO)
    and even among fools she lets herself be known.^[b]

³⁴ Righteousness exalts a nation,^(AP)
    but sin condemns any people.

³⁵ A king delights in a wise servant,
    but a shameful servant arouses his fury.^(AQ)

“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.^(T)
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
    for you will be satisfied.^(U)
Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.^(V)
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you^(W) and insult you^(X)
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.^(Y)

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,^(AB)
    for you have already received your comfort.^(AC)
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
    for you will go hungry.^(AD)
Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will mourn and weep.^(AE)
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.^(AF)