^{1 Ref} My wo `is' to me, for I have been As gatherings of summer-fruit, As gleanings of harvest, There is no cluster to eat, The first-ripe fruit desired hath my soul.

^{2 Ref} Perished hath the kind out of the land, And upright among men -- there are none, All of them for blood lie in wait, Each his brother they hunt `with' a net.

^{3 Ref} On the evil `are' both hands to do `it' well, The prince is asking -- also the judge -- for recompence, And the great -- he is speaking the mischief of his soul, And they wrap it up.

^{4 Ref} Their best one `is' as a brier, The upright one -- than a thorn-hedge, The day of thy watchmen -- Thy visitation -- hath come. Now is their perplexity.

^{5 Ref} Believe not in a friend, trust not in a leader, From her who is lying in thy bosom keep the openings of thy mouth.

^{6 Ref} For a son is dishonouring a father, A daughter hath stood against her mother, A daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, The enemies of each `are' the men of his house.

^{7 Ref} And I -- in Jehovah I do watch, I do wait for the God of my salvation, Hear me doth my God.

^{8 Ref} Thou dost not rejoice over me, O mine enemy, When I have fallen, I have risen, When I sit in darkness Jehovah is a light to me.

^{9 Ref} The indignation of Jehovah I do bear, For I have sinned against Him, Till that He doth plead my cause, And hath executed my judgment, He doth bring me forth to the light, I look on His righteousness.

^{10 Ref} And see doth mine enemy, And cover her doth shame, Who saith unto me, `Where `is' Jehovah thy God?' Mine eyes do look on her, Now she is for a treading-place, As mire of the out-places.

^{11 Ref} The day to build thy walls! That day -- removed is the limit.

^{12 Ref} That day -- even unto thee it doth come in, From Asshur and the cities of the fortress, And from the fortress even unto the river, And from sea to sea, and mount to mount.

^{13 Ref} And the land hath been for a desolation, Because of its inhabitants, Because of the fruit of their doings.

^{14 Ref} Rule Thou Thy people with Thy rod, The flock of Thine inheritance, Dwelling alone `in' a forest in the midst of Carmel, They enjoy Bashan and Gilead as in days of old.

^{15 Ref} According to the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt, I do shew it wonderful things.

^{16 Ref} See do nations, and they are ashamed of all their might, They lay a hand on the mouth, their ears are deaf.

^{17 Ref} They lick dust as a serpent, as fearful things of earth, They tremble from their enclosures, Of Jehovah our God they are afraid, Yea, they are afraid of Thee.

^{18 Ref} Who `is' a God like Thee? taking away iniquity, And passing by the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance, He hath not retained for ever His anger, Because He -- He delighteth `in' kindness.

^{19 Ref} He doth turn back, He pitieth us, He doth subdue our iniquities, And Thou castest into the depths of the sea all their sins.

^{20 Ref} Thou givest truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, That thou hast sworn to our fathers, from the days of antiquity!

^{1 Ref} Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vinyard: There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig.

^{2 Ref} The godly man has perished out of the earth, And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net.

^{3 Ref} Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; And the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

^{4 Ref} The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, Even your visitation, has come; Now is the time of their confusion.

^{5 Ref} Don't trust in a neighbor. Don't put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, Be careful of the words of your mouth!

^{6 Ref} For the son dishonors the father, The daughter rises up against her mother, The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own house.

^{7 Ref} But as for me, I will look to Yahweh. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

^{8 Ref} Don't rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me.

^{9 Ref} I will bear the indignation of Yahweh, Because I have sinned against him, Until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light. I will see his righteousness.

^{10 Ref} Then my enemy will see it, And shame will cover her who said to me, Where is Yahweh your God? Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.

^{11 Ref} A day to build your walls-- In that day, he will extend your boundary.

^{12 Ref} In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, And from Egypt even to the River, And from sea to sea, And mountain to mountain.

^{13 Ref} Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein, For the fruit of their doings.

^{14 Ref} Shepherd your people with your staff, The flock of your heritage, Who dwell by themselves in a forest, In the midst of fertile pasture land, let them feed; In Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

^{15 Ref} "As in the days of your coming forth out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things."

^{16 Ref} The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf.

^{17 Ref} They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to Yahweh our God, And will be afraid because of you.

^{18 Ref} Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, And passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn't retain his anger forever, Because he delights in loving kindness.

^{19 Ref} He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; And you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

^{20 Ref} You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, As you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

^{1 Ref} Sorrow is mine! for I am as when they have got in the summer fruits, like the last of the grapes: there is nothing for food, not even an early fig for my desire.

^{2 Ref} The good man is gone from the earth, there is no one upright among men: they are all waiting secretly for blood, every man is going after his brother with a net.

^{3 Ref} Their hands are made ready to do evil; the ruler makes requests for money, and the judge is looking for a reward; and the great man gives decisions at his pleasure, and the right is twisted.

^{4 Ref} The best of them is like a waste plant, and their upright ones are like a wall of thorns. Sorrow! the day of their fate has come; now will trouble come on them.

^{5 Ref} Put no faith in a friend, do not let your hope be placed in a relation: keep watch on the doors of your mouth against her who is resting on your breast.

^{6 Ref} For the son puts shame on his father, the daughter goes against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's haters are those of his family.

^{7 Ref} But as for me, I am looking to the Lord; I am waiting for the God of my salvation: the ears of my God will be open to me.

^{8 Ref} Do not be glad because of my sorrow, O my hater: after my fall I will be lifted up; when I am seated in the dark, the Lord will be a light to me.

^{9 Ref} I will undergo the wrath of the Lord, because of my sin against him; till he takes up my cause and does what is right for me: when he makes me come out into the light, I will see his righteousness;

^{10 Ref} And my hater will see it and be covered with shame; she who said to me, Where is the Lord your God? my eyes will see their desire effected on her, now she will be crushed under foot like the dust of the streets.

^{11 Ref} A day for building your walls! in that day will your limits be stretched far and wide.

^{12 Ref} In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the towns of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.

^{13 Ref} But the land will become a waste because of its people, as the fruit of their works.

^{14 Ref} Keep your people safe with your rod, the flock of your heritage, living by themselves in the woods in the middle of Carmel: let them get their food in Bashan and Gilead as in the past.

^{15 Ref} As in the days when you came out from the land of Egypt, let us see things of wonder.

^{16 Ref} The nations will see and be shamed because of all their strength; they will put their hands on their mouths, their ears will be stopped.

^{17 Ref} They will take dust as their food like a snake, like the things which go flat on the earth; they will come shaking with fear out of their secret places: they will come with fear to the Lord our God, full of fear because of you.

^{18 Ref} Who is a God like you, offering forgiveness for evil-doing and overlooking the sins of the rest of his heritage? he does not keep his wrath for ever, because his delight is in mercy.

^{19 Ref} He will again have pity on us; he will put our sins under his feet: and you will send all our sins down into the heart of the sea.

^{20 Ref} You will make clear your good faith to Jacob and your mercy to Abraham, as you gave your oath to our fathers from times long past.