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Woe to Jerusalem and the Nations

¹ Woe (judgment is coming) to her who is ^(C1)rebellious and ^(C2)defiled,
The ^(C3)tyrannical city Jerusalem!

² She did not ^(C1)listen and heed the voice of God;
She ^(C2)accepted no correction.
She did not ^(C3)trust in the LORD but trusted her own power;
She did not ^(C4)draw near to her God but to the pagan gods of Baal or Molech.

³ Her ^(C1)officials within her are roaring lions;
Her judges are as hungry as ^(C2)the wolves at evening,
They leave nothing for the morning.

⁴ Her prophets are ^(C1)reckless and treacherous men;
Her ^(C2)priests have profaned the sanctuary;
They have done violence to the law by pretending their word is God's word. ^(VR1)

⁵ The LORD is ^(C1)righteous ^(C2)within her;
He will ^(C3)do no injustice.
^(C4)Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He does not fail.
But the unjust person ^(C5)knows no shame.

⁶ "I the LORD have cut off and destroyed nations as a warning to Judah;
Their corner towers (battlements) are in ruins.
I have made their streets ^(C1)desolate
So that no one passes by;
Their ^(C2)cities are destroyed
So that there is no man, there is ^(C3)no inhabitant.

⁷ "I said, 'Most certainly you will reverently fear Me;
^(C1)Accept correction.'
So Jerusalem's dwelling will ^(C2)not be cut off
In accordance with all that I have appointed concerning her punishment,
But they were eager even rising early to make all their deeds ^(C3)corrupt. ^(VR1)

⁸ "Therefore you of the godly remnant of Judah, patiently ^(C1)wait for Me," declares the LORD,
"Wait for the day when I rise up as a witness against the nations.
For it is My decision and My right to ^(C2)gather the nations,
To assemble kingdoms,
To pour out on them My indignation,
All the heat of My burning anger;
For in that day ^(C3)all the earth shall be consumed
By the fire of My zeal.

⁹ "Then I will give to the peoples clear and pure speech from ^(C1)purified lips which reflect their purified hearts,
That all of them may ^(C2)call on the name of the LORD,
To serve Him shoulder to shoulder (united).

¹⁰ "From beyond the rivers of ^(C1)Ethiopia
My worshipers, the descendants of My dispersed ones,
Will ^(C2)bring My offerings.

¹¹ "On that day you Israel will ^(C1)feel no shame
Because of all your acts
By which you have rebelled and sinned against Me;
Then I will remove from among you
Your rejoicing ones who delight in their ^(C2)pride;
And you will never again behave arrogantly
On My ^(C3)holy mountain Mount Zion.

A Remnant of Israel

¹² "But I will leave among you
A ^(C1)humble and lowly people,
And they will ^(C2)take refuge and trust confidently in the name of the LORD.

¹³ "The ^(C1)remnant of Israel will ^(C2)do no wrong
Nor ^(C3)speak lies,
Nor will a deceitful tongue
Be found in their mouths;
For they will ^(C4)eat and lie down
With no one to make them tremble and feel afraid."

¹⁴ Shout for joy, O Daughter of Zion!
^(C1)Shout in triumph, O Israel!
Rejoice, be in high spirits and glory with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem in that day!

¹⁵ The LORD has taken away ^(C1)the judgments against you;
He has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, even the LORD Himself, is ^(C2)in your midst;
You will no longer ^(C3)fear disaster.

^16 (C1)In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
"^(C2)Do not be afraid, O Zion;
^(C3)Do not let your hands fall limp.

¹⁷ "The LORD your God is ^(C1)in your midst,
A ^(C2)Warrior who saves.
He will ^(C3)rejoice over you with joy;
He will be quiet in His love making no mention of your past sins,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

¹⁸ "I will gather those Israelites in captivity who ^(C1)grieve about the appointed feasts—
They came from you, O Zion;
On whom the reproach of exile is a burden.

¹⁹ "Behold, at that time I am going to deal
With all ^(C1)your oppressors;
I will save the ^(C2)lame
And gather the scattered,
And I will turn their ^(C3)shame into ^(C4)praise and renown
In every land where they have suffered. ^(VR1)

²⁰ "At that time I will ^(C1)bring you in,
Yes, at the time I gather you together;
For I will make you a ^(C2)name and a praise
Among all the peoples of the earth
When I ^(C3)restore your fortunes and freedom before your eyes,"
Says the LORD.