Revised Standard Version RSV
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Woe to you, destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed; you treacherous one, with whom none has dealt treacherously! When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have made an end of dealing treacherously, you will be dealt with treacherously.
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How horrible it will be for you, you destroyer, although you haven't been destroyed. How horrible it will be for you, you traitor, although you haven't been betrayed. When you've finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you've finished being a traitor, you will be betrayed.
2 O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for thee. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.
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O LORD, have pity on us. We wait with hope for you. Be our strength in the morning. Yes, be our savior in times of trouble.
3 At the thunderous noise peoples flee, at the lifting up of thyself nations are scattered;
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People flee from the noise of [your] army. Nations scatter when you attack.
4 and spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, men leap upon it.
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You nations, your loot is gathered as grasshoppers harvest a crop. Like swarming locusts, people rush for your loot.
5 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness;
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The LORD is honored because he lives on high. He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is his treasure.
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He will be the foundation of your future. The riches of salvation are wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is [your] treasure.
7 Behold, the valiant ones cry without; the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
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Heroes cry in the streets. Messengers of peace cry bitterly.
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceases. Covenants are broken, witnesses are despised, there is no regard for man.
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Highways are deserted. Travelers stop traveling. Agreements are broken. Witnesses are rejected. People are no longer respected.
9 The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is confounded and withers away; Sharon is like a desert; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
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The country grieves and wastes away. Lebanon is ashamed and is decaying. Sharon has become like a wilderness. Bashan and Carmel are shaken.
10 "Now I will arise," says the LORD, "now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted.
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The LORD says, "Now I will arise. Now I will get up. Now I will be lifted up."
11 You conceive chaff, you bring forth stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you.
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You will be pregnant with hay. You will give birth to straw. Your breath will be a fire which will burn you up.
12 And the peoples will be as if burned to lime, like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire."
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People will be cremated. They will be set on fire like dry thornbushes.
13 Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge my might.
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Hear what I have done, you people who are far away! Acknowledge my might, you people who are near!
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?"
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The sinners in Zion are terrified. Trembling seizes the ungodly. Can any of us live through a fire that destroys? Can any of us live through a fire that burns forever?
15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil,
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The person who does what is right and speaks the truth will live. He rejects getting rich by extortion and refuses to take bribes. He refuses to listen to those who are plotting murders. He doesn't look for evil things to do.
16 he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure.
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This person will live on high. His stronghold will be a fortress made of rock. He will have plenty of food and a dependable supply of water.
17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty; they will behold a land that stretches afar.
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Your eyes will see how handsome the king is. You will see a land that stretches into the distance.
18 Your mind will muse on the terror: "Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed the tribute? Where is he who counted the towers?"
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Your mind will be thinking of the terrors [in the past]. Where are the scribes? Where are the tax collectors? Where are those who counted the towers?
19 You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech which you cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue which you cannot understand.
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You will no longer see those savage people, those people with an unrecognizable language, with a foreign language that you can't understand.
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.
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Look at Zion, the city of our festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem as a peaceful place. It is a tent that can't be moved. Its tent pegs will never be pulled out, and none of its ropes will be broken.
21 But there the LORD in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, where no galley with oars can go, nor stately ship can pass.
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The LORD will be our mighty defender in a place surrounded by wide rivers and streams. Ships with oars won't travel on them. Stately ships won't sail on them.
22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our ruler, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
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The LORD is our judge. The LORD is our lawgiver. The LORD is our king. The LORD is our savior.
23 Your tackle hangs loose; it cannot hold the mast firm in its place, or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will take the prey.
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Your ropes hang loose, your mast isn't secure, and your sail isn't spread out. A large amount of loot will be distributed. Lame people will carry off your loot.
24 And no inhabitant will say, "I am sick"; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.
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No one who lives [in Zion] will say, "I'm sick." The sins of its inhabitants will be forgiven.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.