1How sad I am! I am like someone who comes when the summer fruit has been gathered, when the grapes of the harvest have been picked over. There is no cluster to eat. My soul longed for the first ripe fruit.
2The good man has vanished from the earth. There is no one upright among people. They all lie in wait for blood. Every man hunts his brother with a net.
3They use both hands eagerly to do evil. The prince asks, and the judge asks for a bribe. The great man speaks out the evil he wants, and so they weave it together.
4The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge. The day your watchmen warned of, the day you are visited, is coming. Now they will be in confusion.
5Do not trust a friend. Do not put confidence in a guide. Guard the doors of your mouth from the woman who lies in your arms.
6For the son dishonours 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.
7So I will look to the LORD. I will wait for the God who saves me. My God will hear me.
8Do not be glad about me, my enemy. When I fall, I will rise again. When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.
9I will bear the anger of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he takes up my case and gives judgment for me. He will bring me out into the light, and I will see his righteousness.
10Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will look at her. Now she will be trampled down like mud in the streets.
11On the day when your walls are to be built, on that day the boundary will be moved far out.
12On that day they will come to you from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
13Yet the land will be left empty because of those who live in it, because of the fruit of what they have done.
14Shepherd your people with your rod, the flock that is your own, who live alone in the forest, in the middle of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
15"As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show him wonderful things."
16The nations will see it and be ashamed of all their strength. They will put their hand over their mouth. Their ears will be deaf.
17They will lick the dust like a snake. Like worms of the earth they will come trembling out of their holes. They will be afraid of the LORD our God, and will fear because of you.
18Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and passes over the wrongdoing of the remnant of his people? He does not keep his anger for ever, because he delights in mercy.
19He will turn back, he will have compassion on us. He will tread our sins under his feet. You will throw all their sins into the depths of the sea.