Bible Reading Plan

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^(k)
     his hand is still upraised.

"‘By the strength of my hand^(ak) I have done this,^(al)
     and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
     I plundered their treasures;^(am)
     like a mighty one I subdued^[a] their kings.^(an)
14 As one reaches into a nest,^(ao)
     so my hand reached for the wealth^(ap) of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
     so I gathered all the countries;^(aq)
not one flapped a wing,
     or opened its mouth to chirp.^(ar)'"

¹⁵ Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
     or the saw boast against the one who uses it?^(as)
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
     or a club^(at) brandish the one who is not wood!
¹⁶ Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
     will send a wasting disease^(au) upon his sturdy warriors;^(av)
under his pomp^(aw) a fire^(ax) will be kindled
     like a blazing flame.
¹⁷ The Light of Israel will become a fire,^(ay)
     their Holy One^(az) a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
     his thorns^(ba) and his briers.^(bb)
18 The splendor of his forests^(bc) and fertile fields
     it will completely destroy,^(bd)
     as when a sick person wastes away.
¹⁹ And the remaining trees of his forests^(be) will be so few^(bf)
     that a child could write them down.

"My people who live in Zion,^(bu)
     do not be afraid^(bv) of the Assyrians,
who beat^(bw) you with a rod^(bx)
     and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
²⁵ Very soon^(by) my anger against you will end
     and my wrath^(bz) will be directed to their destruction.^(ca)"

²⁶ The Lord Almighty will lash^(cb) them with a whip,
     as when he struck down Midian^(cc) at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff^(cd) over the waters,^(ce)
     as he did in Egypt.
²⁷ In that day^(cf) their burden^(cg) will be lifted from your shoulders,
     their yoke^(ch) from your neck;^(ci)
the yoke^(cj) will be broken
     because you have grown so fat.^[c]

²⁸ They enter Aiath;
     they pass through Migron;^(ck)
     they store supplies^(cl) at Mikmash.^(cm)
29 They go over the pass, and say,
     "We will camp overnight at Geba.^(cn)"
Ramah^(co) trembles;
     Gibeah^(cp) of Saul flees.^(cq)
30 Cry out, Daughter Gallim!^(cr)
     Listen, Laishah!
     Poor Anathoth!^(cs)
31 Madmenah is in flight;
     the people of Gebim take cover.
³² This day they will halt at Nob;^(ct)
     they will shake their fist^(cu)
at the mount of Daughter Zion,^(cv)
     at the hill of Jerusalem.

³³ See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
     will lop off^(cw) the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,^(cx)
     the tall^(cy) ones will be brought low.^(cz)
34 He will cut down^(da) the forest thickets with an ax;
     Lebanon^(db) will fall before the Mighty One.^(dc)

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,^(j)
     or decide by what he hears with his ears;^(k)
4 but with righteousness^(l) he will judge the needy,^(m)
     with justice⁽ⁿ⁾ he will give decisions for the poor^(o) of the earth.
He will strike^(p) the earth with the rod of his mouth;^(q)
     with the breath^(r) of his lips he will slay the wicked.^(s)
5 Righteousness will be his belt^(t)
     and faithfulness^(u) the sash around his waist.^(v)

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,^(w)
     the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling^[a] together;
     and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
     their young will lie down together,
     and the lion will eat straw like the ox.^(x)
8 The infant^(y) will play near the cobra's den,
     and the young child will put its hand into the viper's^(z) nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy^(aa)
     on all my holy mountain,^(ab)
for the earth^(ac) will be filled with the knowledge^(ad) of the Lord
     as the waters cover the sea.

¹² He will raise a banner^(au) for the nations
     and gather^(av) the exiles of Israel;^(aw)
he will assemble the scattered people^(ax) of Judah
     from the four quarters of the earth.^(ay)
13 Ephraim's jealousy will vanish,
     and Judah's enemies^[d] will be destroyed;
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
     nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.^(az)
14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia^(ba) to the west;
     together they will plunder the people to the east.^(bb)
They will subdue Edom^(bc) and Moab,^(bd)
     and the Ammonites^(be) will be subject to them.^(bf)
15 The Lord will dry up^(bg)
     the gulf of the Egyptian sea;
with a scorching wind^(bh) he will sweep his hand^(bi)
     over the Euphrates River.^(bj)
He will break it up into seven streams
     so that anyone can cross over in sandals.^(bk)
16 There will be a highway^(bl) for the remnant^(bm) of his people
     that is left from Assyria,^(bn)
as there was for Israel
     when they came up from Egypt.^(bo)

"I will praise^(b) you, Lord .
     Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away^(c)
     and you have comforted^(d) me.
² Surely God is my salvation;^(e)
     I will trust^(f) and not be afraid.
The Lord , the Lord himself,^(g) is my strength^(h) and my defense^[a];
     he has become my salvation.⁽ⁱ⁾"
³ With joy you will draw water^(j)
     from the wells^(k) of salvation.

"Give praise to the Lord , proclaim his name;^(m)
     make known among the nations⁽ⁿ⁾ what he has done,
     and proclaim that his name is exalted.^(o)
5 Sing^(p) to the Lord , for he has done glorious things;^(q)
     let this be known to all the world.
⁶ Shout aloud and sing for joy,^(r) people of Zion,
     for great^(s) is the Holy One of Israel^(t) among you.^(u)"

² Raise a banner^(e) on a bare hilltop,
     shout to them;
beckon to them
     to enter the gates^(f) of the nobles.
³ I have commanded those I prepared for battle;
     I have summoned my warriors^(g) to carry out my wrath^(h)—
     those who rejoice⁽ⁱ⁾ in my triumph.

⁴ Listen, a noise on the mountains,
     like that of a great multitude!^(j)
Listen, an uproar^(k) among the kingdoms,
     like nations massing together!
The Lord Almighty^(l) is mustering^(m)
     an army for war.
⁵ They come from faraway lands,
     from the ends of the heavens⁽ⁿ⁾—
the Lord and the weapons^(o) of his wrath^(p)—
     to destroy^(q) the whole country.

⁶ Wail,^(r) for the day^(s) of the Lord is near;
     it will come like destruction^(t) from the Almighty.^[a](u)
7 Because of this, all hands will go limp,^(v)
     every heart will melt with fear.^(w)
8 Terror^(x) will seize them,
     pain and anguish will grip^(y) them;
     they will writhe like a woman in labor.^(z)
They will look aghast at each other,
     their faces aflame.^(aa)

⁹ See, the day^(ab) of the Lord is coming
     —a cruel^(ac) day, with wrath^(ad) and fierce anger^(ae)—
to make the land desolate
     and destroy the sinners within it.
¹⁰ The stars of heaven and their constellations
     will not show their light.^(af)
The rising sun^(ag) will be darkened^(ah)
     and the moon will not give its light.^(ai)
11 I will punish^(aj) the world for its evil,
     the wicked^(ak) for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty^(al)
     and will humble^(am) the pride of the ruthless.^(an)
12 I will make people^(ao) scarcer than pure gold,
     more rare than the gold of Ophir.^(ap)
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;^(aq)
     and the earth will shake^(ar) from its place
at the wrath^(as) of the Lord Almighty,
     in the day of his burning anger.^(at)

¹⁴ Like a hunted^(au) gazelle,
     like sheep without a shepherd,^(av)
they will all return to their own people,
     they will flee^(aw) to their native land.^(ax)
15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
     all who are caught will fall^(ay) by the sword.^(az)
16 Their infants^(ba) will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
     their houses will be looted and their wives violated.^(bb)