1 Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.
2 The merciful man of the earth is missing: and there is no one upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt each man his brother with a net.
3 To complete the evil with their hands, the prince demands, and the judge judges for a reward; and the great man speaks the desires of his heart: and they confirm it.
4 The best of them is as a brier; the most upright as a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen, thy visitation, comes; now shall be their confusion.
5 Do not believe in a friend, do not trust in a prince; from her that lies at thy side, take care, open not thy mouth.
6 For the son dishonours the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies are those of his own house.
7 Therefore I will wait for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my saving health; my God will hear me.
8 Do not rejoice against me, O my enemy; for if I have fallen, I shall arise; if I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light.
9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he has judged my cause and executed my judgment; he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
10 Then she that is my enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her who said unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? my eyes shall behold her: now she shall be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
11 In the day that thy walls shall be built unto thee, in that day shall the decree of thy slavery be far removed.
12 In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria and from the fortified cities and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
13 And the land with those that dwell therein shall be made desolate, for the fruit of their doings.
14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell only in the mountain, in the midst of Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the time of old.
15 I will show you marvellous things as in the day when thou came out of Egypt.
16 The Gentiles shall see and be ashamed at all thy mighty acts: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall become deaf.
17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent; as the serpents of the earth, they shall tremble in their holes; they shall be filled with fear of the Lord our God and shall also fear thee.
18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardons iniquity, and passes over the rebellion with the remnant of his heritage? He did not retain his anger for ever because he delights in mercy.
19 He will turn again, he will have mercy on us; he will subdue our iniquities; and will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the times of old.