71 Misery is mine!
Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard:
There is no cluster of grapes to eat.
My soul desires to eat the early fig. 2 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 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 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 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 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 But as for me, I will look to Yahweh.
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
8 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 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 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 A day to build your walls—
In that day, he will extend your boundary. 12 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 Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein,
for the fruit of their doings.
14 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 “As in the days of your coming forth out of the land of Egypt,
I will show them marvelous things.” 16 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 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 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 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 You will give truth to Jacob,
and mercy to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
31 I said,
“Please listen, you heads of Jacob,
and rulers of the house of Israel:
Isn’t it for you to know justice? 2 You who hate the good,
and love the evil;
who tear off their skin,
and their flesh from off their bones; 3 who also eat the flesh of my people,
and flay their skin from off them,
and break their bones,
and chop them in pieces, as for the pot,
and as flesh within the caldron. 4 Then they will cry to Yahweh,
but he will not answer them.
Yes, he will hide his face from them at that time,
because they made their deeds evil.” 5 Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; for those who feed their teeth, they proclaim, “Peace!” and whoever doesn’t provide for their mouths, they prepare war against him: 6 “Therefore night is over you, with no vision,
and it is dark to you, that you may not divine;
and the sun will go down on the prophets,
and the day will be black over them. 7 The seers shall be disappointed,
and the diviners confounded.
Yes, they shall all cover their lips;
for there is no answer from God.”
8 But as for me, I am full of power by the Spirit of Yahweh,
and of judgment, and of might,
to declare to Jacob his disobedience,
and to Israel his sin. 9 Please listen to this, you heads of the house of Jacob,
and rulers of the house of Israel,
who abhor justice,
and pervert all equity. 10 They build up Zion with blood,
and Jerusalem with iniquity. 11 Her leaders judge for bribes,
and her priests teach for a price,
and her prophets of it tell fortunes for money:
yet they lean on Yahweh, and say,
“Isn’t Yahweh in the midst of us?
No disaster will come on us.” 12 Therefore Zion for your sake will be plowed like a field,
and Jerusalem will become heaps of rubble,
and the mountain of the temple like the high places of a forest.
