A Song of Trust in the LORD's Protection

26¹ In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God's salvation. ² Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter. ³ You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! ⁴ Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord GOD is the eternal Rock.

⁵ He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust. ⁶ The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot, and the needy walk all over it. ⁷ But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them. ⁸ Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart's desire is to glorify your name. ⁹ In the night I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek you. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right. ¹⁰ Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the Lord 's majesty. ¹¹ O Lord, they pay no attention to your upraised fist. Show them your eagerness to defend your people. Then they will be ashamed. Let your fire consume your enemies.

¹² Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you. ¹³ O Lord our God, others have ruled us, but you alone are the one we worship. ¹⁴ Those we served before are dead and gone. Their departed spirits will never return! You attacked them and destroyed them, and they are long forgotten. ¹⁵ O Lord, you have made our nation great; yes, you have made us great. You have extended our borders, and we give you the glory! ¹⁶ Lord, in distress we searched for you. We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline. ¹⁷ Just as a pregnant woman writhes and cries out in pain as she gives birth, so were we in your presence, Lord . ¹⁸ We, too, writhe in agony, but nothing comes of our suffering. We have not given salvation to the earth, nor brought life into the world. ¹⁹ But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead!

²⁰ Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord 's anger has passed. ²¹ Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see.

The LORD's Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem

3¹ The Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water, ² all their heroes and soldiers, judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders, ³ army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers. ⁴ I will make boys their leaders, and toddlers their rulers. ⁵ People will oppress each other- man against man, neighbor against neighbor. Young people will insult their elders, and vulgar people will sneer at the honorable. ⁶ In those days a man will say to his brother, "Since you have a coat, you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of ruins!" ⁷ But he will reply, "No! I can't help. I don't have any extra food or clothes. Don't put me in charge!" ⁸ For Jerusalem will stumble, and Judah will fall, because they speak out against the Lord and refuse to obey him. They provoke him to his face.

⁹ The very look on their faces gives them away. They display their sin like the people of Sodom and don't even try to hide it. They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves. ¹⁰ Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! ¹¹ But the wicked are doomed, for they will get exactly what they deserve. ¹² Childish leaders oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, your leaders mislead you; they send you down the wrong road. ¹³ The Lord takes his place in court and presents his case against his people. ¹⁴ The Lord comes forward to pronounce judgment on the elders and rulers of his people: "You have ruined Israel, my vineyard. Your houses are filled with things stolen from the poor. ¹⁵ How dare you crush my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?" demands the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies.

Judgment on the Daughters of Zion

¹⁶ The Lord says, "Beautiful Zion is haughty: craning her elegant neck, flirting with her eyes, walking with dainty steps, tinkling her ankle bracelets. ¹⁷ So the Lord will send scabs on her head; the Lord will make beautiful Zion bald." ¹⁸ On that day of judgment the Lord will strip away everything that makes her beautiful: ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces, ¹⁹ earrings, bracelets, and veils; ²⁰ scarves, ankle bracelets, sashes, perfumes, and charms; ²¹ rings, jewels, ²² party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses; ²³ mirrors, fine linen garments, head ornaments, and shawls. ²⁴ Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, she will stink. She will wear a rope for a sash, and her elegant hair will fall out. She will wear rough burlap instead of rich robes. Shame will replace her beauty. ²⁵ The men of the city will be killed with the sword, and her warriors will die in battle. ²⁶ The gates of Zion will weep and mourn. The city will be like a ravaged woman, huddled on the ground.