Wait for the God of Salvation
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Woe is me! For I have become 1as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no 2first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
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3The godly has perished from the earth, and 4there is no one upright among mankind; 5they all lie in wait for blood, and 6each hunts the other with a net.
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7Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; 8the prince and 9the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.
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The best of them is 10like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of 11your watchmen, of your punishment, has come; 12now their confusion is at hand.
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13Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard 14the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms;a
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for 15the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 16a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
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But as for me, I will look to the LORD; 17I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
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18Rejoice not over me, O 19my enemy; 20when I fall, I shall rise; 21when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.
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22I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until 23he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. 24He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.
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Then 25my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who 26said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" 27My eyes will look upon her; now she will be trampled down 28like the mire of the streets.
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In that day theyb will come to you, 30from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to 31the River, 32from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
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34Shepherd your people 35with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest 36in the midst of 37a garden land;c let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.
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39The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; 40they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf;
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41they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; 42they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; 43they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God, and they shall be in fear of you.
God's Steadfast Love and Compassion
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44Who is a God like you, 45pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression 46for the remnant of his inheritance? 47He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)