Israel’s Great Misery
(Matthew 10:34–39; Luke 12:49–53)

1Woe to me,

for I have become like the gathering of the summer fruit,

like the gleanings of the vintage;

there is no cluster to eat,

no early fig my soul desires.

2The godly one has perished from the earth,

and there is no one upright among mankind.

They all lie in wait for blood,

each man against his brother, they hunt with a net.

3Upon the evil are both hands to do it well;

the prince is asking—and the judge—for a bribe,

and the great one is speaking the desire of his soul,

and they wrap it up.

4Their best one of them is like a brier,

the upright one, a thorn hedge.

The day of your watchmen—your visitation†—

has come.

Now is their confusion!

5Do not trust in a friend;

do not put your⁺ confidence in a companion;

from her who lies down in your bosom

guard the doors of your mouth.

6For a son dishonors a father,

a daughter rises against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

the enemies of a man

are the men of his own house!†

Israel’s Confession and Comfort

7And I, for YHWH I will watch,

I will wait for the God of my salvation;

My God will hear me.

8Do not rejoice, O my enemy, over me when I fall;

I will arise;

when I sit in the darkness,

YHWH is be a light for me.

9The indignation of YHWH I will bear,

because I have sinned against Him,

until when He will fight my fight,

and execute justice by me;

He will bring me forth to the light,

and I will look on His righteousness.

10And she who is my enemy will see,

and she will cover her shame—

she who said to me,

“Where is YHWH your God?”

My eyes will look on her;

now she will be for trampling

like mud in the streets.

11A day is for building your walls,

a day that the limit is removed.

12And that day they will come to you

from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,

and from Egypt to the River,†

and from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.

13And the earth will be as a desolation

over those dwelling on it

for the fruit of their deeds.

God’s Compassion on Israel

14Shepherd your people with your staff,

the flock of your heritage

dwelling alone in a woodland

in the midst of Carmel;†

let them find pasture in Bashan and Gilead,

as in the days of old.

15As in the days of your coming out from the land of Egypt,

I will make them see wonders.

16Nations will see,

and they will be ashamed of all their might;

they will put the hand over the mouth;

their ears will become deaf.

17They will lick the dust like a snake,

like the crawling things of the earth;

they will come trembling from their enclosures

to YHWH our God they will tremble,

and they will be afraid of You.

18Who is a God like You,

lifting away iniquity

and passing over the transgression

of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever,

because He delights in loving devotion.†

19He will turn back, He will have compassion on us,

He will subdue our iniquities.

And You will cast into the depths of the sea

all our sins.

20You will give forth faithfulness to Jacob,

loving devotion to Abraham,

which You have sworn to our fathers

from the days of old.