New English [1970], THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS; CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE) [word count] [B16000].
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Disappointment turned to hope
1 Alas! I am now like the last gatherings of summer fruit,
the last gleanings of the vintage,
when there are no grapes left to eat,
none of those early figs that I love.
2 Loyal men have vanished from the earth,
there is not one upright man.
All lie in wait to do murder,
each man drives his own kinsman like a hunter into the net.
3 They are bent eagerly on wrongdoing,
the officer who presents the requests, note
the judge who gives judgement note for reward,
and the nobleman who harps on his desires.
4 Thus their goodness is twisted note like rank weeds
and their honesty like briars. note
As soon as thine eye sees, thy punishment falls;
at that moment bewilderment seizes them.
5 Trust no neighbour, put no confidence in your closest friend;
seal your lips even from the wife of your bosom.
6 For son maligns father,
daughter rebels against mother,
daughter-in-law against mother-in-law,
and a man's enemies are his own household.
7 But I will look for the Lord,
I will wait for God my saviour; my God will hear me.
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Disappointment turned to hope
8 O my enemies, do not exult over me;
I have fallen, but shall rise again;
though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is my light.
9 I will bear the anger of the Lord, for I have sinned against him,
until he takes up my cause and gives judgement for me,
until he brings me out into light, and I see his justice.
10 Then may my enemies see and be abashed,
those who said to me, ‘Where is he, the Lord your God?’
Then shall they be trampled like mud in the streets;
I shall gloat over them;
11 that will be a day for rebuilding your walls,
a day when your frontiers will be extended,
12 a day when men will come seeking you
from Assyria to note Egypt
and from Egypt to the Euphrates,
from every sea and every mountain; note
13 and the earth with its inhabitants shall be waste.
This shall be the fruit of their deeds.
14 Shepherd thy people with thy crook,
the flock that is thy very own,
that dwells by itself on the heath and in the meadows;
let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in days gone by.
15 Show us note miracles as in the days when thou camest out of Egypt;
16 let the nations see and be taken aback for all their might,
let them keep their mouths shut,
make their ears deaf,
17 let them lick the dust like snakes,
like creatures that crawl upon the ground.
Let them come trembling and fearful from their strongholds,
let them fear thee, O Lord our God.
18 Who is a god like thee? Thou takest away guilt,
thou passest over the sin of the remnant of thy own people,
thou dost not let thy anger rage for ever
but delightest in love that will not change.
19 Once more thou wilt show us tender affection
and wash out our guilt,
casting all our note sins into the depths of the sea.
20 Thou wilt show good faith to Jacob,
unchanging love to Abraham,
as thou didst swear to our fathers in days gone by.
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New English [1970], THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS; CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE) [word count] [B16000].
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