But approach, you sons of omen readers, you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes!

Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired, but you do not say, 'I give up.' You get renewed energy, so you don't collapse.

I will denounce your so-called righteousness and your deeds, but they will not help you.

When you cry out for help, let your idols help you! The wind blows them all away, a breeze carries them away. But the one who looks to me for help will inherit the land and will have access to my holy mountain."

For this is what the high and exalted one says, the one who rules forever, whose name is holy: "I dwell in an exalted and holy place, but also with the discouraged and humiliated, in order to cheer up the humiliated and to encourage the discouraged.

For I chide not ever, and am not wroth without end. But the blasting goeth from me, though I make the breath.

Because of his iniquitous gain, was I wroth - and smote him Hiding myself that I might be wroth, - But he went on turning aside in the way of his own heart.

I have seen their behavior, but I will heal them and give them rest, and I will once again console those who mourn.

But the wicked are like a surging sea that is unable to be quiet; its waves toss up mud and sand.

Wherefore have we Fasted and thou hast not seen? Humbled our soul, and thou wouldst take no note? Lo! in the day of your fast, ye take pleasure, But all your toilers, ye drive on!

But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God; your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.

No one sues righteously [but for the sake of doing injury to others—to take some undue advantage], and no one pleads [his case] in truth; [but rather]
They trust in empty arguments and speak lies;
They conceive trouble and bring forth injustice.

They breed cockatrice eggs, and weave the spider's web. Whoso eateth of their eggs dieth. But if one treadeth upon them, there cometh up a serpent.

But the way of peace they know not. In their goings is no equity, their ways are so crooked that whosoever goeth therein, knoweth nothing of peace.

For this reason deliverance is far from us and salvation does not reach us. We wait for light, but see only darkness; we wait for a bright light, but live in deep darkness.

We all growl like bears, we coo mournfully like doves; we wait for deliverance, but there is none, for salvation, but it is far from us.

But unto Zion there shall come a redeemer, and unto them in Jacob that turn from wickedness, sayeth the LORD.

For, look, darkness covers the earth and deep darkness covers the nations, but the Lord shines on you; his splendor appears over you.

But what are these that flee here like clouds, and as the doves flying to their windows?

“Foreigners will build up your walls,
And their kings will serve you;
For in My [righteous] wrath I struck you,
But in My favor and grace I have had compassion on you.

You were once abandoned and despised, with no one passing through, but I will make you a permanent source of pride and joy to coming generations.

“Violence will not be heard again in your land,
Nor devastation or destruction within your borders;
But you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise [to God].

“The sun will no longer be your light by day,
Nor shall the bright glow of the moon give light to you,
But the Lord will be an everlasting light for you;
And your God will be your glory and splendor.

But you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
People will speak of you as the ministers of our God.
You will eat the wealth of nations,
And you will boast of their riches.

The nations will see your righteousness and vindication [by God],
And all kings [will see] your glory;
And you will be called by a new name
Which the mouth of the Lord will designate.

It will no longer be said of you [Judah], “Azubah (Abandoned),”
Nor will it any longer be said of your land, “Shemamah (Desolate)”;
But you will be called, “Hephzibah (My Delight is in Her),”
And your land, “Married”;
For the Lord delights in you,
And to Him your land will be married [owned and protected by the Lord].

But they who have harvested it will eat it and praise the Lord,
And they who have gathered it will drink it [at the feasts celebrated] in the courtyards of My sanctuary.

“I looked, but there was no one to help,
And I was amazed and appalled that there was no one to uphold [truth and right].
So My own arm brought salvation to Me,
And My wrath sustained Me.

It was no sent one or angel, but he himself who was their saviour: in his love and in his pity he took up their cause, and he took them in his arms, caring for them all through the years.

But they rebelled
And grieved His Holy Spirit;
Therefore He changed into their enemy,
And He fought against them.

But he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people: Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he that put his holy Spirit within him,

Yet art thou our father: For Abraham knoweth us not, neither is Israel acquainted with us. But thou LORD art our father and redeemer, and thy name is everlasting.

Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for [only] a little while;
Our adversaries have trampled it down.

And we are become even as we were from the beginning: but thou art not their LORD, for they have not called upon thy name.

The ear has not had news of, or the eye seen, ... any God but you, working for the man who is waiting for him.

Thou helpest him that doth right with cheerfulness, and them that think upon thy ways. But lo, thou art angry: for we offend, and have been ever in sin, and there is not one whole.

But we have become as one unclean all of us, And, as a garment polluted, were all our righteous doings, - And so we faded like a leaf all of us, And, our iniquity, as a wind, carried us away;

But now, O Lord, You are our Father,
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand.

Be not too sore displeased, O LORD, and keep not our offenses too long in thy remembrance: but consider that we all are thy people.

Considering these [tragedies], will You restrain Yourself, O Lord [and not help us]?
Will You keep silent and humiliate and oppress us beyond measure?

For thus long have I ever holden out my hands to an unfaithful people, that go not the right way, but after their own imaginations:

“Indeed, it is written before Me,
I will not keep silent, but I will repay;
I will even repay it [directly] into their arms,

But I will take a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah, one to take possession of my hill. My chosen shall possess these things, and my servants shall dwell there.

“But you who abandon (turn away from) the Lord,
Who forget and ignore My holy mountain (Zion),
Who set a table for Gad [the Babylonian god of fortune],
And who fill a jug of mixed wine for Meni [the god of fate],

I will destine you for the sword, [says the Lord],
And all of you will bow down to the slaughter,
Because when I called, you did not answer;
When I spoke, you did not listen or obey.
But you did [what was] evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”

Therefore, the Lord God says this,

“Listen carefully, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry;
Indeed, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty;
Indeed, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.

“Indeed, My servants will shout for joy from a happy heart,
But you will cry out with a heavy heart,
And you shall wail and howl from a broken spirit.

“And you will leave your name behind to My chosen ones [who will use it] as a curse,
And the Lord God will put you to death,
But He will call His servants by another name [a much greater name, just as the name Israel was greater than the name Jacob].

“But be glad and rejoice forever over what I create;
Behold, I am creating Jerusalem to be a source of rejoicing
And her people a joy.

“No longer shall there be in it an infant who lives only a few days,
Or an old man who does not finish his days;
For the youth who dies at the age of a hundred,
And the one who does not reach the age of a hundred
Will be thought of as accursed.

They shall not build, and another possess; they shall not plant, and another eat. But the life of my people shall be like a tree, and so shall the work of their hands.

And it shall be, that before they call, I shall answer them. While they are yet but thinking how to speak, I shall hear them.

The wolf and the lamb, shall feed, in unity, And, the lion, as an ox, shall eat straw; But as for the serpent, dust, shall be his food: They shall not harm - Nor shall they destroy, In all my holy mountain, saith Yahweh.

“For all these things My hand has made,
So all these things came into being [by and for Me],” declares the Lord.
“But to this one I will look [graciously],
To him who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who [reverently] trembles at My word and honors My commands.

“But he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog’s neck;
He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine’s blood;
He who burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol.
As they have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their abominations,

So I will choose their punishments,
And will bring the things they dread upon them
Because I called, but no one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen or obey.
But they did evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”

Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble [with awe-filled reverence] at His word:
“Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My Name’s sake,
Have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.’
But they will be put to shame.

When you see this, your heart will rejoice;
Your bones will flourish like new grass.
And the [powerful] hand of the Lord will be revealed to His servants,
But His indignation will be toward His enemies.

"But as for me, I know their actions and their thoughts. Come and gather all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.