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Woe to Jerusalem and the Nations

¹ Woe to her who is ^(C1)rebellious and ^(C2)defiled,
The ^(C3)oppressive city!

² She ^(C1)obeyed no voice,
She ^(C2)accepted no discipline.
She did not ^(C3)trust in the LORD,
She did not ^(C4)approach her God.

³ Her ^(C1)leaders within her are roaring lions,
Her judges are ^(C2)wolves at evening;
They have no bones to gnaw in the morning.

⁴ Her prophets are ^(C1)insolent, treacherous men;
Her ^(C2)priests have profaned the sanctuary.
They have done violence to the Law.

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 ^(F1)does not fail.
But the ^(F2)criminal ^(C5)knows no shame.

⁶ "I have eliminated nations;
Their corner towers are deserted.
I have ^(C1)laid waste their streets,
With no one passing by;
Their ^(C2)cities have been laid waste,
Without a person, ^(C3)without an inhabitant.

⁷ "I said, 'You will certainly revere Me,
You will ^(C1)accept discipline.'
So her dwelling will ^(C2)not be eliminated
In accordance with everything that I have stipulated for her.
Instead, they were eager to ^(C3)corrupt all their deeds.

⁸ "Therefore ^(C1)wait for Me," declares the LORD,
"For the day when I rise up as a witness.
Indeed, My decision is to ^(C2)gather nations,
To assemble kingdoms,
To pour out on them My indignation,
All My burning anger;
For ^(C3)all the earth will be devoured
By the fire of My zeal.

⁹ "For then I will ^(F1)restore to the peoples ^(C1)pure lips,
So that all of them may ^(C2)call on the name of the LORD,
To serve Him ^(F2)shoulder to shoulder.

¹⁰ "From beyond the rivers of ^(C1)Ethiopia
My worshipers, ^(F1)My dispersed ones,
Will ^(C2)bring My offerings.

¹¹ "On that day you will ^(C1)feel no shame
Because of all your deeds
By which you have rebelled against Me;
For then I will remove from your midst
Your ^(C2)proud, arrogant ones,
And you will never again be haughty
On My ^(C3)holy mountain.

A Remnant of Israel

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

¹³ "The ^(C1)remnant of Israel will ^(C2)do no wrong
And ^(C3)tell no lies,
Nor will a deceitful tongue
Be found in their mouths;
For they will ^(C4)feed and lie down
With no one to frighten them."

¹⁴ Shout for joy, daughter of Zion!
^(C1)Shout in triumph, Israel!
Rejoice and triumph with all your heart,
Daughter of Jerusalem!

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

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

¹⁷ "The LORD your God is ^(C1)in your midst,
A ^(F1)(C2)victorious warrior.
He will ^(C3)rejoice over you with joy,
He will ^(F2)be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

¹⁸ "I will gather those who are ^(C1)worried about the appointed feasts—
They ^(F1)came from you, Zion;
The disgrace of exile is a burden on ^(F2)them.

¹⁹ "Behold, I am going to deal at that time
With all your ^(C1)oppressors;
I will save ^(C2)those who limp
And gather the scattered,
And I will turn their ^(C3)shame into ^(C4)praise and fame
In all the earth.

²⁰ "At that time I will ^(C1)bring you in,
Even at the time when I gather you together;
Indeed, I will make you ^(C2)famous and praiseworthy
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I ^(C3)restore your fortunes before your eyes,"
Says the LORD.