A Confession of National Wickedness

591 Lo, the hand of Jehovah Hath not been shortened from saving, Nor heavy his ear from hearing. 2 But your iniquities have been separating Between you and your God, And your sins have hidden The Presence from you—from hearing. 3 For your hands have been polluted with blood, And your fingers with iniquity, Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue perverseness doth mutter. 4 There is none calling in righteousness, And there is none pleading in faithfulness, Trusting on emptiness, and speaking falsehood, Conceiving perverseness, and bearing iniquity. 5 Eggs of a viper they have hatched, And webs of a spider they weave, Whoso is eating their eggs doth die, And the crushed hatcheth a viper. 6 Their webs become not a garment, Nor do they cover themselves with their works, Their works 'are' works of iniquity, And a deed of violence 'is' in their hands. 7 Their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed innocent blood, Their thoughts 'are' thoughts of iniquity, Spoiling and destruction 'are' in their highways. 8 A way of peace they have not known, And there is no judgment in their paths, Their paths they have made perverse for themselves, No treader in it hath known peace.

9 Therefore hath judgment been far from us, And righteousness reacheth us not, We wait for light, and lo, darkness, For brightness—in thick darkness we go, 10 We feel like the blind 'for' the wall, Yea, as without eyes we feel, We have stumbled at noon as at twilight, In desolate places as the dead. 11 We make a noise as bears—all of us, And as doves we coo sorely; We wait for judgment, and there is none, For salvation—it hath been far from us. 12 For our transgressions have been multiplied before Thee, And our sins have testified against us, For our transgressions 'are' with us, And our iniquities—we have known them. 13 Transgressing, and lying against Jehovah, And removing from after our God, Speaking oppression and apostacy, Conceiving and uttering from the heart Words of falsehood. 14 And removed backward is judgment, And righteousness afar off standeth, For truth hath been feeble in the street, And straightforwardness is not able to enter, 15 And the truth is lacking, And whoso is turning aside from evil, Is making himself a spoil. And Jehovah seeth, and it is evil in His eyes, That there is no judgment.

16 And He seeth that there is no man, And is astonished that there is no intercessor, And His own arm giveth salvation to Him, And His righteousness—it sustained Him. 17 And He putteth on righteousness as a breastplate, And an helmet of salvation on His head, And He putteth on garments of vengeance 'for' clothing, And is covered, as 'with' an upper-robe, 'with' zeal. 18 According to deeds—so He repayeth. Fury to His adversaries, 'their' deed to His enemies, To the isles 'their' deed He repayeth. 19 And they fear from the west the name of Jehovah, And from the rising of the sun—His honour, When come in as a flood doth an adversary, The Spirit of Jehovah hath raised an ensign against him. 20 And come to Zion hath a redeemer, Even to captives of transgression in Jacob, An affirmation of Jehovah. 21 And I—this 'is' My covenant with them, said Jehovah, My Spirit that 'is' on thee, And My words that I have put in thy mouth, Depart not from thy mouth, And from the mouth of thy seed, And from the mouth of thy seed's seed, said Jehovah, From henceforth unto the age!

The Future Glory of Zion

601 Arise, be bright, for come hath thy light, And the honour of Jehovah hath risen on thee. 2 For, lo, the darkness doth cover the earth, And thick darkness the peoples, And on thee rise doth Jehovah, And His honour on thee is seen. 3 And come have nations to thy light, And kings to the brightness of thy rising. 4 Lift up round about thine eyes and see, All of them have been gathered, they have come to thee, Thy sons from afar do come, And thy daughters on the side are supported. 5 Then thou seest, and hast become bright, And thine heart hath been afraid and enlarged, For turn unto thee doth the multitude of the sea, The forces of nations do come to thee. 6 A company of camels covereth thee, Dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, All of them from Sheba do come, Gold and frankincense they bear, And of the praises of Jehovah they proclaim the tidings. 7 All the flock of Kedar are gathered to thee, The rams of Nebaioth do serve thee, They ascend for acceptance Mine altar, And the house of My beauty I beautify. 8 Who 'are' these—as a thick cloud they fly, And as doves unto their windows?

9 Surely for Me isles do wait, And ships of Tarshish first, To bring thy sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of Jehovah thy God, And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He hath beautified thee. 10 And sons of a stranger have built thy walls, And their kings do serve thee, For in My wrath I have smitten thee, And in My good pleasure I have pitied thee. 11 And opened have thy gates continually, By day and by night they are not shut, To bring unto thee the force of nations, Even their kings are led. 12 For the nation and the kingdom that do not serve thee perish, Yea, the nations are utterly wasted. 13 The honour of Lebanon unto thee doth come, Fir, pine, and box together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary, And the place of My feet I make honourable. 14 And come unto thee, bowing down, Have sons of those afflicting thee, And bowed themselves to the soles of thy feet Have all despising thee, And they have cried to thee: 'City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.'

15 Instead of thy being forsaken and hated, And none passing through, I have made thee for an excellency age-during, A joy of generation and generation. 16 And thou hast sucked the milk of nations, Yea, the breast of kings thou suckest, And thou hast known that I, Jehovah, Thy Saviour, and Thy Redeemer, 'Am' the Mighty One of Jacob. 17 Instead of the brass I bring in gold, And instead of the iron I bring in silver, And instead of the wood brass, And instead of the stone iron, And I have made thy inspection peace, And thy exactors righteousness. 18 Violence is not heard any more in thy land, Spoiling and destruction in thy borders, And thou hast called 'Salvation' thy walls, And thy gates, 'Praise.' 19 To thee no more is the sun for a light by day, And for brightness the moon giveth not light to thee, And Jehovah hath become to thee A light age-during, and thy God thy beauty. 20 Thy sun goeth no more in, And thy moon is not removed, For Jehovah becometh to thee a light age-during. And the days of thy mourning have been completed. 21 And thy people 'are' all of them righteous, To the age they possess the earth, A branch of My planting, A work of My hands, to be beautified. 22 The little one doth become a chief, And the small one a mighty nation, I, Jehovah, in its own time do hasten it!

Good Tidings of Salvation to Zion

611 The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah 'is' on me, Because Jehovah did anoint me To proclaim tidings to the humble, He sent me to bind the broken of heart, To proclaim to captives liberty, And to bound ones an opening of bands. 2 To proclaim the year of the good pleasure of Jehovah, And the day of vengeance of our God, To comfort all mourners. 3 To appoint to mourners in Zion, To give to them beauty instead of ashes, The oil of joy instead of mourning, A covering of praise for a spirit of weakness, And He is calling to them, 'Trees of righteousness, The planting of Jehovah—to be beautified.'

4 And they have built the wastes of old, The desolations of the ancients they raise up, And they have renewed waste cities, The desolations of generation and generation. 5 And strangers have stood and fed your flock, Sons of a foreigner 'are' your husbandmen, And your vine-dressers. 6 And ye are called 'Priests of Jehovah,' 'Ministers of our God,' is said of you, The strength of nations ye consume, And in their honour ye do boast yourselves. 7 Instead of your shame and confusion, A second time they sing of their portion, Therefore in their land A second time do they take possession, Joy age-during 'is' for them. 8 For I 'am' Jehovah, loving judgment, Hating plunder for a burnt-offering, And I have given their wage in truth, And a covenant age-during I make for them. 9 And known among nations hath been their seed, And their offspring in the midst of the peoples, All their beholders acknowledge them, For they 'are' a seed Jehovah hath blessed.

10 I greatly rejoice in Jehovah, Joy doth my soul in my God, For He clothed me with garments of salvation, With a robe of righteousness covereth Me, As a bridegroom prepareth ornaments, And as a bride putteth on her jewels. 11 For, as the earth bringeth forth her shoots, And as a garden causeth its sown things to shoot up, So the Lord Jehovah causeth righteousness and praise To shoot up before all the nations!

621 For Zion's sake I am not silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I do not rest, Till her righteousness go out as brightness, And her salvation, as a torch that burneth. 2 And nations have seen thy righteousness, And all kings thine honour, And He is giving to thee a new name, That the mouth of Jehovah doth define. 3 And thou hast been a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, And a diadem of royalty in the hand of thy God, 4 It is not said of thee any more, 'Forsaken!' And of thy land it is not said any more, 'Desolate,' For to thee is cried, 'My delight 'is' in her,' And to thy land, 'Married,' For Jehovah hath delighted in thee, And thy land is married. 5 For a young man doth marry a virgin, Thy Builders do marry thee, With the joy of a bridegroom over a bride, Rejoice over thee doth thy God.

6 'On thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen, All the day, and all the night, Continually, they are not silent.' O ye remembrancers of Jehovah, Keep not silence for yourselves, 7 And give not silence to Him, Till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem A praise in the earth. 8 Sworn hath Jehovah by His right hand, Even by the arm of His strength: 'I give not thy corn any more 'as' food for thine enemies, Nor do sons of a stranger drink thy new wine, For which thou hast laboured. 9 For, those gathering it do eat it, and have praised Jehovah, And those collecting it do drink it in My holy courts.'

10 Pass ye on, pass on through the gates, Prepare ye the way of the people, Raise up, raise up the highway, clear it from stones, Lift up an ensign over the peoples. 11 Lo, Jehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth: 'Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Lo, thy salvation hath come,' Lo, his hire 'is' with him, and his wage before him. 12 And they have cried to them, 'People of the Holy One, Redeemed of Jehovah,' Yea, to thee is called, 'Sought out one, a city not forsaken!'

The Day of the LORD's Vengeance

631 'Who 'is' this coming from Edom? With dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is honourable in his clothing, Travelling in the abundance of his power?'—'I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.' 2 'Wherefore 'is' thy clothing red? And thy garments as treading in a wine fat?' 3 —'A wine-press I have trodden by myself, And of the peoples there is no one with me, And I tread them in mine anger, And I trample them in my fury, Sprinkled is their strength on my garments, And all my clothing I have polluted. 4 For the day of vengeance 'is' in my heart, And the year of my redeemed hath come. 5 And I look attentively, and there is none helping, And I am astonished that there is none supporting, And give salvation to me doth mine own arm. And my wrath—it hath supported me. 6 And I tread down peoples in mine anger, And I make them drunk in my fury, And I bring down to earth their strength.

The LORD's Goodness to Israel

7 The kind acts of Jehovah I make mention of, The praises of Jehovah, According to all that Jehovah hath done for us, And the abundance of the goodness to the house of Israel, That He hath done for them, According to His mercies, And according to the abundance of His kind acts. 8 And He saith, Only My people they 'are', Sons—they lie not, and He is to them for a saviour. 9 In all their distress 'He is' no adversary, And the messenger of His presence saved them, In His love and in His pity He redeemed them, And He doth lift them up, And beareth them all the days of old. 10 And they have rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit, And He turneth to them for an enemy, He Himself hath fought against them. 11 And He remembereth the days of old, Moses—his people. Where 'is' He who is bringing them up from the sea, The shepherd of his flock? Where 'is' He who is putting in its midst His Holy Spirit? 12 Leading by the right hand of Moses, the arm of His glory, Cleaving waters from before them, To make to Himself a name age-during. 13 Leading them through the depths, As a horse in a plain they stumble not. 14 As a beast into a valley goeth down, The Spirit of Jehovah causeth him to rest, So hast Thou led Thy people, To make to Thyself a glorious name.

Prayer for Mercy and Help

15 Look attentively from the heavens, And see from Thy holy and beauteous habitation, Where 'is' Thy zeal and Thy might? The multitude of Thy bowels and Thy mercies Towards me have refrained themselves. 16 For Thou 'art' our Father, For Abraham hath not known us, And Israel doth not acknowledge us, Thou, O Jehovah, 'art' our Father, Our redeemer from the age, 'is' Thy name. 17 Why causest Thou us to wander, O Jehovah, from Thy ways? Thou hardenest our heart from Thy fear, Turn back for Thy servants' sake, The tribes of Thine inheritance. 18 For a little while did Thy holy people possess, Our adversaries have trodden down Thy sanctuary. 19 We have been from of old, Thou hast not ruled over them, Not called is Thy name upon them!